The hardest working room in your home is the kitchen. It's where we prepare and oftentimes eat our meals. It's also a social center where kids do homework and projects, friends join us for casual entertaining and it can also double as a home office. Here are some tips to help you keep it clean.

Cleanliness is imperative in the kitchen and quick action will help maintain a clean, safe environment. Cooking and food preparation, spills, spatters, grease and odors combine to create potentially unsanitary conditions.

Prevention of messes and immediate attention to unavoidable spills and spatters is the best way to keep kitchen cleanliness at high levels. Be careful about what cleaning products are being used in the kitchen, of course. You can keep messes at bay by using non-toxic, natural products to tackle kitchen clean-ups.

Food spills in the oven should be wiped up as soon as possible. Lining the oven with aluminum foil prevents spilled food from baking on in the first place. Enamel stovetops can sometimes develop hard-to-wipe-off stains that seem to worsen as time goes on. Sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the stain and it should wipe right up.

Sprinkle spilled grease in the oven with salt. When the oven cools, wipe it clean with a soft cloth. Baking soda is also good at soaking up grease when applied in the same way.

Sanitize a wooden cutting board by rubbing it with a freshly cut half of a lemon, lime or grapefruit. You can also soak the cutting board in a solution of 2 cups of water to which 15 drops of essential oil has been added. Then wash the cutting board with soap and hot water.

Electric can openers can collect all sorts of debris on the cutting blade mechanism. Use a clean, soft toothbrush dampened with 2 to 3 drops of any essential oil to clean in and between the small parts. Rinse and it will be sparkling clean.

Freshen up the garbage disposal by tossing in the remains of a lemon, lime or orange. Run the disposal until the fruit is gone.

Instead of using paper towels to wipe up spills or clean the counter tops, make your own supply of ready-to-use kitchen wipes. Store multiple squares of soft cotton cloths or cellulose sponge in a container filled with a mixture of one cup of water, an ounce of liquid castile soap and 6 to 8 drops of your favorite essential oil. Use old t-shirts or pajamas to make the cloths. You can launder these 'wipes,' and then return them to the jar for re-use. Be sure the jar is capped when you're not using the wipes.

Nothing works in the kitchen like citrus cleaner. Make a pleasant-smelling floor cleaner by combining a gallon of hot water, 2 tablespoons of liquid castile soap, 15 drops of sweet orange essential oil and 8 drops of lemon essential oil (or one-quarter cup of lemon juice instead of lemon essential oil). Mix the ingredients in a large bucket. Dip a mop into the mixture and wring well. Mop the floor in sections, using short strokes. Dip and rinse the mop as needed. Rinsing isn't necessary.

As certain as death and taxes, a homeowner is going to run into a clogged pipe at one point or another. Somewhere in the drain-waste-vent system, the clog will usually happen in the kitchen or a bathroom. Prevention is the best medicine, of course. In the kitchen, grease is the pipe's worst enemy. It coats the insides of the pipes and acts like glue for all the food particles that travel that way. Older homes have one-and-a-half inch pipes, making clogs more likely. Homes built in the last 30 years have two-inch pipes, which helps some.

Still, you should never pour oil, butter or grease of any kind into the kitchen drain. Put it in a coffee can and keep it in the refrigerator until it congeals and then dump it in the trash. Run cold water through the garbage disposal before and after tossing food into it. Cold water will help any grease or fat move on through and not melt and stick to the inside of the pipes. Once a week, you might run very hot water down the drain to help melt any build-up.

In the bathroom, the first line of action for a clog is a plunger. A plunger is the perfect clog-clearing tool, but few people know how to use it. Be sure you chose a plunger with a suction cup that covers the drain completely. Fill the clogged fixture with enough water to cover several inches of the plunger cup. Be sure to block off all other outlets like the overflow vent or a second drain in a double sink. Use a wet cloth or sponge to block off these outlets or water will shoot out all over you. Insert the plunger into the standing water so that you catch some air under it. Then use fifteen to twenty forceful strokes, holding the plunger upright. Repeat the process two or three times.

Plumbing snakes can be a great way of dealing with a clog that is further down in the pipe. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes to accommodate your needs. A snake is usually flexible and has an 'auger' on one end. There will also usually be a turning device to help you get thru the bends in the pipes and more easily grab the blockage. Talk to the people at your local hardware to get the correct size.

There is a lot of debate about chemical drain openers. Some people think they're worth a try. Others think they're a useless waste of money. If the system has a septic tank, these chemicals will kill all the necessary bacteria. In addition, chemical drain openers are the most dangerous household chemical, capable of causing great damage to skin and eyes and fatal if swallowed. And if there's a back-up, they can eat away at the finish on tubs, toilets and sinks.

If you do decide to use one of the chemical drain openers, put the plunger away lest you splash the caustic stuff on your skin or in your face and eyes. Instead of dangerous chemicals, you can try pouring a handful of baking soda down the drain, followed by a half-cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain tightly for one minute. The reaction between the two substances will cause pressure in the drain and dislodge any obstruction. Rinse with hot water afterwards. You can also try a quarter-cup of hydrogen peroxide down the drain. Wait a few minutes and then plunge. The hydrogen peroxide causes a bubbling action that may help loosen the clog. Failing these attempts, you'll probably have to call in a professional to get the drains running well once again.