Aluminium foil vs kitchen dirt - let's know who wins the war

For the nook and crannies of the kitchen where cleaning seems to be a mere myth, aluminium foil has proved to save the day. While chopping, cooking, or even cleaning - veggie debris, oil, and pieces of cloth find themselves nice and cosy dark spots in our kitchens, never to be seen again.

But Alicia Sokolowski, a cleaning expert with 20 years of experience and the founder and co-CEO of AspenClean home cleaning services and natural cleaning products, has a valid answer to the question - why do we even have that spot, anyway? She says, "The answer is quite simple. It's not because of the uneven walls or floors. It is a slight gap between the stove and kitchen cabinets and has nothing to do with installation standards or adjustments made to fit appliances."

Older homes tend to have more significant gaps. "In modern kitchens, people often try to minimise these gaps, but gaps can still surface due to differences in cabinet or appliance sizes," she explains.

Once in a blue moon, do we manage to move the giants of the kitchen and clean these hidden spots, or in some cases, they remain untouched always and forever. But, if an ingenious hack to clean that spot was discovered, and all you need was aluminium foil, one could save his / her back in a jiffy.

It's affordable, readily available, and so effective!

What is the hack?

Cleaning crumbs, food spills, utensils, grease, dust, random household debris and even pests like ants and mice, all with just half a metre of aluminium foil can be accomplished, according to Sokolowski.

"If the gap is particularly small, reaching there with any standard cleaning tools might be difficult," she says. "To really get this area spotless (without the hack, that is), you're probably going to have to move your stove. This can be time-consuming and require extra effort—especially with a heavy stove."

The foil works very well because it creates a barrier that prevents food, crumbs or other small items from reaching the floor. "It's an affordable, quick and easy fix."

Confused about where exactly to put the foil? Well, it's really ingenious. Just fold the foil into a long rectangular "boat" and slide it in the gap. That's right—it sits on the floor between your cabinets and stove and catches everything that falls down the gap. Genius!

Still unsure how this can work for you? Read on—we'll walk you through it step-by-step.

How to use aluminium foil?

Ready to discover the secret? Before creating and applying a foil 'boat,' make sure to cleanse the room positively so there is no existing dirt or junk. Then, with the help of a long-handled brush or vacuum attachment or by moving the entire attachment depending on the size of the gap, and then follow these steps.

1. Calculate the length from the wall to the facade of the installation with the help of a tape measure.
2. Add 4 inches to the measurement to fold and reinforce the foil.
3. Separate a sheet of aluminium foil the same length as the previously calculated size.
4. Tuck it in half along the length.
5. Fold the endings 2 inches inward to reinforce the foil.
6. Fold it in the exact measurement again into a v or flat-bottomed "boat" shape, depending on how broad your gap is.
7. Glide the foil boat into the gap, moving it back close to an inch beyond the front of the stove so it's not seeable.

How often to replace the aluminium foil?

Sokolowski says that regular culinarians should change the foil every few weeks. For a takeout diner than a home chef, the foil could likely go a few months. It really hangs on how often one cooks.

"You should also keep an eye on the condition of the foil, as it may degrade over time due to heat or moisture," she conveys.

Does it work?

It is an excellent hack for many people as it is simple, short, reasonable and practical.