When you purchase a new stove, new refrigerator or new countertop, at least half of its fresh, new look is owing to the simple lack of dirt. There's no dirt on the surface, in the corners or wedged along any decorative trim. It's new.

But then as the days, weeks and months pass, something weird happens. Things lose that wonderful, new look. Wouldn't it be amazing if by some miracle your appliances and kitchen could retain that marvelous glitzy new appearance?

Well, fasten your seatbelt because have I got a miracle for you!

Determine to spend just 10 minutes a day using three simple tools to put that sparkle back in your kitchen by tackling the most often ignored spots.

TIMER: This will be your primary motivational tool. Find one on the microwave or on the back of the stove. Or just keep a clock in view. Work your heart out for 10 minutes. When time's up, stop! Until next time.

TOOTHBRUSH: Teamed with a little water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, this is a fabulous tool for erasing dirt from the smallest of crevices, horizontal ledges and joints of kitchen surfaces. Following quickly with a damp cloth.

TARGETS:

1. Rim where counter meets sink.

2. Around the base of the faucets.

3. Any grooves on the faucet knobs or levers.

4. Joint where handle meets oven door, refrigerator door, microwave door.

5. Ledge at any oven window.

6. Crevice between counter and stove-top, and between counter and wall.

7. Inner lip of the dishwasher door.

8. The often dirt-filled grooves that spell "ON" and "OFF" on the light switch.

9. Horizontal ledges above and below switches and sockets.

10. Screws attaching plates to walls.

11. Right angles where hard floor meets baseboards — all the way around the perimeter of a room.

12. Door thresholds and borders between hard flooring and carpet.

Warning: Removing detail dirt can lift your spirits so much you may not want to stop at 10 minutes. If this happens to you, don't fret. Just set the timer for another 10 minutes and keep going.

Would you like more information? Log on to EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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