How To Clean That Annoying Space Between Your Oven And Countertop

When you want to clean your kitchen, but you don't want to go full deep-clean mode, you give a good wipe down to all of your appliances and counter surfaces. But there is one space in the kitchen that most of us tend to avoid (for good reason): the dark, thin crag where your oven and your countertop meet. That mysterious space can be so annoying to clean, that most of us just try to pretend it doesn't exist — if only it were self-cleaning like your blender. But one expert shared that it doesn't have to be that way. Food Republic spoke to Hector Stewart, CEO at Baltimore HCS Home Cleaning Services, who had an ingenious hack for wiping out that space using a butterknife. 

"... A simple butter knife can be the perfect tool to dig out the debris," Stewart told Food Republic. That gap is, in his words, "a notorious crumb-catcher." Every time you move food from your stovetop to a plate on the counter, there is the potential for items to drop and become lost to our eyes — although our noses usually notice it not long afterwards. A knife is the perfect solution, according to Stewart, "Because it's thin, flat, and usually blunt ... [a butter knife] can slide into the slender crevice easily, and its flat blade can scrape or scoop out gunk without cutting anything." If you don't want to damage your good cutlery, you can also use a paint scraper, though the blade is a lot longer and might not fit into every hidden space.

This ingenious hack can make a world of difference to your kitchen cleaning routine — but Hector Stewart cautioned against using just a knife. "Using the knife alone will scrape out crumbs, but it might just push dirt further down or scratch paint," the expert said. Instead, he recommended wrapping your knife with a cloth or paper towel, turning your butter knife "into a mini crevice-cleaning tool." The cloth will help trap dust that the knife alone wouldn't detect while dislodging crumbs between your oven and countertop. Stewart shared another benefit to covering your butterknife, stating, "It also adds a bit of padding, preventing the metal from directly rubbing on the wood or steel of your counter or oven, avoiding scratches."

While you can dampen your paper towel or cloth with just water, you should also consider a dab of cleaning solution for an extra deep clean. Reach for a pantry item you already have on hand, like regular dish soap, that powerhouse kitchen cleaner, apple cider vinegar, or even vodka mixed with lemon juice. And if you know there's some dried-on gunk between the stove and countertop that has been building up for a while, try pre-treating it with your favorite spray cleaner for a few minutes before going in with your butter knife.