As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't always cleaned under my appliances. I'm a busy working mom and those things aren't exactly easy to move. Oh, and because of my ADHD, when something is out of sight, it's often out of mind.
Then, a few years ago, I started to prep my kitchen for a fancy new induction range. When I shimmied the old gas stove away from the wall, I was horrified by what I saw—which was basically a perfectly square patch of dust, grime, and…organic matter that explained my recurring mouse problem.
In hindsight, it makes so much sense. I was cleaning the kitchen floor at least a few times a week, and all of that sweeping, vacuuming, and mop vacuuming was surely sending crumbs under the stove. And that's in addition to whatever naturally ended up there from near-constant cooking.
I don't think I've ever cleaned anything so enthusiastically in my life.
The replacement range had quite a bit of clearance under it so it was a lot easier to keep clean, but I did start religiously cleaning under my fridge for good measure.
Now that I'm living in an apartment with standard appliances, I make a point to clean under the stove and fridge at least a couple times a month (even though I don't use the full-size range). Because leaving anything there is just asking for unwanted critters.
Below, find the ten-dollar tool that makes it super easy to clean under my kitchen appliances. And if you have a favorite gadget for this job (or a horror story about what you found when moving a stove), tell me about it at emily_farris@condenast.com.
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