The Smartest Way to Clean All Those Sneaky Gross Crevices in Your Kitchen

Hard-to-clean crevices all have one thing in common: They’re hard to clean! What I mean is that it can be nearly impossible to fit a cleaning tool into those little nooks and crannies in our kitchens. I’m talking about those teeny places — the seams along your fridge shelves, around the sink, and where your oven and countertops meet. Of course, as luck would have it, these spots can get downright dirty, with all kinds of gunk and crumbs and grease and goo. (Especially that oven-and-countertop spot.)

Which is why I was so excited when I stumbled upon this promising TikTok trick. The idea is simple: You use a butter knife wrapped in a microfiber cloth and spritzed with Dawn Powerwash dish spray to clean those tight spots. My go-to method is to just swipe these places with an old credit card, but that really only helps to sweep up crumbs. This seemed like it would also clean the spaces. So I had to give it a try.

Just as the TikTok creator demonstrates, I sprayed the rolled-up microfiber with a bit of Dawn Powerwash after lightly wetting it beneath the faucet. My first observation: The wrapped-up knife was a tight fit. The crack between my stove and counter is actually pretty narrow. (Good job, whoever installed the oven!) So, I struggled to get the knife in the space and really clean out the grime. But! I had an idea! I tried the same method, only I used that credit card instead of the knife. It worked! The skinnier tool was much easier to fit in the gap and so much more effective.

The plastic credit card slid much more smoothly and was able to get further into the crevice. I wasn’t at all surprised when a line of brown gunk appeared on the microfiber cloth. It was proof that the method was working and that it’s not enough to just swipe up crumbs from time to time! I’m excited to use this in all those sneaky gross crevices — not just around the oven.

If you have a gap that’s a tad bigger, I recommend the butter knife. But know that an expired credit card can work in a pinch. (Slight pun intended!)

Have you learned any smart cleaning tricks on TikTok lately? Tell us about them in the comments below.