BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't know where to start with your spring cleaning? Try the kitchen, and tackle one major appliance a week with help from the Whirlpool Institute of Kitchen Science experts during the second annual Kitchen Clean Up Month. During the month of April, experts will be helping to transform consumers' kitchens from spot clean to spotless with practical advice, simple fixes and more. Need some more motivation to get kitchens sparkling this April? The Institute is partnering with Whirlpool® brand to offer a chance to win a new ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwasher.

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Whirlpool has been in the kitchen storing, prepping, cooking and cleaning right alongside consumers for nearly a century. The goal of the Institute of Kitchen Science, launched in 2010, is to help consumers conquer the kitchen and serve as a resource for everything from cooking and cleaning to food preservation and kitchen chemistry.  For instance, did you know that you don't need to pre-rinse your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher or that you can prevent that gunk that builds up in your microwave? The answers to these and other kitchen conundrums are just a mouse click away.  

How Clean is Your Kitchen?

A Whirlpool Corporation survey conducted online by Harris Interactive® revealed that the majority of adults (70 percent) said they give their major appliances a good cleaning more than once a year. A quarter of respondents said cleaning the refrigerator means removing all items and disinfecting the inside, while for half of all respondents, cleaning the refrigerator simply means reorganizing the items inside.  

"Not only is this not enough cleaning, it adds time to meal prep since you have to look for that lost item in the back of the refrigerator," said Lucinda Ottusch, consumer advocate and home cleaning expert for the Institute of Kitchen Science. "With the right tools and proper maintenance, your kitchen will be running like a well-oiled machine, saving time, energy and money in the process."

From the fridge to the stove and the dishwasher to the microwave, the following tips should get you started on a deep clean and each week, the experts will share more tricks of the trade through the institute's website (www.instituteofkitchenscience.com), Facebook page and Twitter (@kitchenSci).  

• April 4: Clean Your Refrigerator Week
  Routinely clean the refrigerator door gaskets by cleaning them with a soft clean cloth, warm water and a mild dish detergent. Dry with a clean, soft, towel. Pay close attention to the horizontal drawer or door gaskets at the bottom of the refrigerator as kitchen spills can splash there and hide. Sticky gaskets have an increased chance of tearing.

• April 11: Clean Your Range Week
  For heavily soiled areas on the cooktop, use a nonabrasive, plastic-scrubbing pad. Do not use steel wool, abrasives or harsh cleansers, as they may cause damage to the finish. For really tough stains, try using a razor blade to scrape off any excess residue. As always, refer to your Use & Care guide for more information.

• April 18: Clean Your Microwave Week
  To remove food that has splattered in the microwave – which can affect the smell of the kitchen – use a damp cloth and mild soap or a water-based cleaner. Avoid using ammonia- or bleach-based cleaners in the microwave. Spray the cleaning cloth then wipe the microwave.

• April 25: Clean Your Dishwasher Week
  Even appliances made for cleaning, including dishwashers and disposals, need some attention. Affresh® Dishwasher and disposal cleaner is the only national two-in-one product on the market that removes odor from these kitchen appliances. Whirlpool Corporation recommends cleaning your dishwasher and disposal monthly or as needed for cleaner, fresher appliances.

Consumers can enter to win in one of two ways during the month of April. They can log onto the Institute of Kitchen Science Facebook page and enter to win on our Sweepstakes Tab. Consumers can also follow @kitchensci on Twitter and retweet the call to action to enter the contest. A winner will be chosen at random from eligible participants.  

The winner will receive a Whirlpool ENERGY STAR® qualified tall tub dishwasher, recently rated a "recommended buy" by a leading consumer magazine. The winner will also receive affresh® cleaning products, including dishwasher and disposal cleaner and stainless steel cleaner, offering a whole new level of clean.

With nearly 100 years of practice, Whirlpool Corporation knows a thing or two about household chores. This expertise also led to the creation of the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, an informational hub for everything laundry. Additionally, the institute offers daily tips, tricks and advice to consumers via Twitter and Facebook.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation from November 20-24, 2009 among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact media@whirlpool.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $18 billion in 2010, 71,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.  The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation