Best of the best kitchen hacks – Part 1

No matter if you love spending time in the kitchen or you only enter it because you are starving and nobody else is home, there are some kitchen hacks that are helpful for everybody.

From tips on organising small kitchen spaces to advice on easy ways to prepare dinner, in this article you will find a long list of useful tricks that you should definitely try. Check them out!

• You know that counter space is a total deficit when it comes to the kitchen. How can you make the best use of a long rectangular cutting board? Place it over the sink - not only you will save precious space but you will prevent fruit and vegetable juices and other bits from making mess all around the kitchen. You can safely chop, dice and slice over your sink and save a lot of efforts on a later cleanup by simply preparing food there.

• What should you do when you spill red wine on your white shirt? The solution is simple – club soda and salt. Pour club soda on top of the stain first and then sprinkle a thick layer of salt over the damaged area and let it sit for few hours. Professionals in domestic cleaning warn that you should not rub the stain as you will spread it and just make it worse. You should also know that salt can also clean up raw eggs from your clothes and absorb the sticky egg whites.

• You know the struggle when you want the perfect cut but it seems that you have to be a professional cook to actually achieve this result. Well, here`s a little secret – use dental floss. No matter if you want to cut soft cheese, beautiful slice of your cake or cookie dough, dental floss is here to help you. Just make sure you use unflavoured one. What you should do is tighten it around your fingers and slowly move it through the cheese or the cake – how do you like this perfect slice now?

• As we mentioned space is considered precious in your kitchen. In order to give yourself more cabinet space you can hang your pans, pots and other cooking utensils from the ceiling – it may sound madcap at first but you will see that you will end up with an interesting overhead rack that appears to be a stylish and whimsical decoration for your kitchen!

• Stainless steel appliances look good but they easily get dirty by fingerprints and oily substances. If you don't want to use a commercial cleaning products – we all know that they contain a long list of hazardous chemicals – you can clean your appliances with flour. Apply some onto a microfibre cloth and buff the flour into the surface – in the same way you can shine your stainless sink and counters, too. Rinse off the flour and you will see how shiny the surfaces would be!

• When you are preparing a delicious recipe you inevitably follow some measures. However, some of the ingredients are sticky and can make a huge mess and make cleaning your measuring cups a nightmare. If you have to deal with molasses or honey, here`s a little secret revealed – coat the cup in a light layer of cooking spray. You will see how the substances easily slide right out!

• A common problem that many people face is cutting onions. If onions make you cry you can change that – there are three options. Put on onion goggles, have someone else to slice the onion for you or – the most reasonable tip – have a slice of bread in your mouth. Why that works? Bread will stop sulfur gas which is produced as onions contain amino acid sulfoxides. The gas will dissipate through the slice and want reach your eyes. Some people say that they chill onions before cutting them – the enzymes are less active when it is cold. Other people say that chewing gum helps, too – figure out which is the option that works for you and don't shed more tears when preparing your favourite veggie soup.

• You definitely know that cleaning a dirty oven can be an overwhelming task even for the most diligent among us. However, you can act in advance and save yourself from the hassle. Pre-treat your oven tops with wax – the same wax that helps you to shine your car can actually make cleaning up spills in the future a piece of cake. Using a soft cloth apply a thin layer on the top and wipe it off with a paper towel or a clean rag. You will end up with a shiny and fresh oven that looks as if professional oven cleaners just left your house!

• Wooden cutting boards are tricky to clean – a quick rinse is never enough to get rid of junk and strong odours. If your wooden cutting board needs a fresh start sprinkle some coarse salt and use a lemon cut in half to scrub your board. Let it sit for few minutes in the lemon-salt solution and scrape the residues in the trash bin. Rinse generously with cold water afterwards and enjoy your freshly-scented clean cutting board ready for your next delicious masterpiece.

Did you find a hack you want to try? Maybe spending time in the kitchen will be more enjoyable now that you have these tricks up to your sleeve to use! Here is "Best of the best kitchen hacks – Part 2"