A beautiful home starts in its heart

10 "do's" and "don'ts" to get your kitchen sparkling clean and looking its best.

The kitchen has been called "the heart of the home," and for good reason. Other than the bedroom, the kitchen is where we spend most of our time. And with all that activity, keeping it looking great can keep you busy. Here's 10 kitchen cleaning "do's" and "don'ts" to help save you time, money, and let the heart of your home beat strong.

• DO clean your stove last. If the kitchen is the heart, the stove is the "heart of the heart." And unfortunately, it's a grease magnet. If you're cleaning your entire kitchen, plan on making the stove your final stop – it will help keep the grime from spreading.
• DON'T forget about the microwave. It gets a workout, too. Here's a really easy way to keep it looking good: Just squeeze some lemon juice into water, drop the rinds into the water, and microwave for about 3 minutes. As it condenses on the walls, it loosens food splatters. Then just grab a towel & wipe it clean.
• DO keep your kitchen sponge disinfected. Germs love that kitchen sponge. But now that we've got that microwave clean, just squeeze any excess liquid out of your sponge and zap it on high for 60 seconds. It'll be sanitized & ready for action.
• DON'T forget to clean the windows: You may notice that with all the cooking and general activity, your kitchen windows get dirty faster than those in other rooms in the house. You're looking out those kitchen windows a lot – keep them clear & clean both inside and out!
• DO keep your cutlery in good shape: If they've got a bit of rust on them, lemon juice again comes to the rescue. Just soak your knives in some lemon juice for a few minutes, and then scrub a little with a kitchen brush or the scratchy side of a sponge. Viola – good as new.
• DON'T put down rugs. Or at least don't feel that you have to. Carpets are a dirt, crumb, and pet hair magnet. If your kitchen has hardwood or tile floors, keeping them "bare" makes them a lot easier to sweep, mop, and stand up to the drips and drops.
• DO throw away paper towels... maybe for good: Many people are turning to microfiber cloths instead. They're multi-surface friendly, reusable, and take up little-to-no counter space.
• DON'T get bugged. Flies in the kitchen are both annoying and unsanitary. Here's a surprising solution: Just put cloves near doorways and windows. Flies can't stand the smell of cloves, so it helps keep them where they belong: outside.
• DO wash the dishwasher. For the outside, A bit of baking soda on a damp sponge is perfect for wiping around the machine's edges to remove stains and stuck-on food. To sanitize the inside, add a few ounces of bleach to the regular dish cycle.
• DON'T let the dishes stack up. A sink full of hot soapy water is the perfect place to soak pots and pans that you used to make dinner, while you're eating dinner!