Your kitchen is the heart of your house since it is the core of your home life and where both actual and metaphorical nutrition takes place. That might explain why having a clean kitchen seems like the first step toward a clean home. Even if you don't always manage to attain that ideal state of whole-house cleanliness, cleaning your kitchen might help you feel like you have.
While keeping your kitchen tidy on a daily basis is essential for keeping it looking and feeling its best, thorough cleaning on a regular basis is also a smart idea. "Regular deep cleaning" in this context refers to a cleaning that lies between an after-dinner routine clean-up and a full-fledged kitchen refresh (the type where you wet the greasy oven hoods and dust your fridge's condenser coils). It's just a little scrape, but it'll leave your kitchen spotless.
Here's a list of what to clean, how to clean it, and what order to clean it in. But first, here are a few pointers to keep in mind if you want to make your kitchen cleaning session short and sweet.
Some Points to Keep in Mind When Cleaning Your Kitchen
To make your kitchen cleaning experience as enjoyable and efficient as possible, keep the following tips in mind:
- Don't go too deep with this cleaning: You're aiming for a thorough clean rather than a deep clean of specific things. If you're tempted to clean the inside of your oven, deep clean your dishwasher, disassemble your toaster, or scrub the grout, put it off for now and schedule it for later.
- Make use of the appropriate tools: Any work becomes more pleasurable and successful when you have the correct cleaning tools on hand. You may want to have a razor blade scraper on hand in the kitchen for scraping crud off your glass stovetop, for example. Keep in mind that, although white vinegar is an excellent cleaner, the acid in vinegar may harm natural stone counter surfaces such as granite.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning the Kitchen
Depending on how often you use your kitchen, the cleaning procedure detailed in this article should be done weekly or biweekly.
Here's how to spruce up your kitchen in just an hour:
Jump to:
- 1. Make sure your countertops are free of debris
- 2. Wash the dishes after emptying the dishwasher and dish drainer
- 3. Dust the refrigerator and cabinet tops
- 4. Keep small appliances clean
- 5. Wipe off any other items that remain on your countertops
- 6. Clean the outside of your stove and oven
- 7. Clean your countertops
- 8. Give your sink a thorough cleaning
- 9. Empty the refrigerator
- 10. Wipe off the exteriors of your major appliances
- 11. Clean your rubbish can by emptying it and wiping it down
- 12. Vacuum, sweep and clean the floor
- 13. Put the final touches on it
- If You Need a More Thorough Clean:
1. Make sure your countertops are free of debris
You can't clean correctly around garbage that doesn't belong in your kitchen, to begin with. Remove anything that doesn't belong on your countertops from one corner of the kitchen or one portion of the counter. It's possible that now is a good moment to use the laundry basket approach. Put stuff away from one by one immediately, rather than bogging oneself down or increasing the risk of distraction. Simply remove them from the counter. After all of the countertops have been cleared and the kitchen has been thoroughly cleaned, you may place items where they belong.
2. Wash the dishes after emptying the dishwasher and dish drainer
Starting with vacant locations to put your newly cleaned dishes ensures that bottlenecks do not impede your cleaning efforts, whether your kitchen is very clean, to begin with, or you have some floating filthy dishes or pans that still need to be washed. If your dishwasher is almost full of filthy dishes, wash any remaining dishes first, then run the dishwasher before continuing to clean. Wash any and all dishes that have accumulated on the counter, even the water bottles that have accumulated next to the sink.
3. Dust the refrigerator and cabinet tops
Cleaning from top to bottom makes sense no matter which room you're working on. You'll be sure to clear up any debris and dust that gets displaced and settles on the next lower surface this way. Starting at the top, dust the overhead light fixtures, the top of your refrigerator, and the tops of your cupboards in the kitchen.
4. Keep small appliances clean
After that, clean your tiny appliances rapidly. You don't want to spend too much time or effort cleaning this, but it is a good time to shine and clean your microwave, coffee machine, toaster/toaster oven, or stand mixer. Start with the insides, removing crumbs from toasters, and putting your coffee maker through a vinegar cycle. Wipe off the interior of your microwave after steaming it with vinegar. Wipe down the outside of each little appliance to finish. Use a microfiber cloth dipped in a white vinegar solution or a little all-purpose cleaner to clean the surface. (However, don't put vinegar on stainless steel since it will dull it.)
5. Wipe off any other items that remain on your countertops
A tray of cooking oils, a rack of cups, or an urn containing culinary tools may be out on your countertop in addition to other small gadgets that receive frequent usage. Check to see whether these objects are clean. Dust, wash, or wipe down trays, and wipe down any bottles or containers while you're doing it. While you're at it, think about what you've been storing on the countertops that you might place in a cabinet or drawer instead. This is also a good opportunity to clean your dish rack (after emptying it, of course) and wash your drying mat.
6. Clean the outside of your stove and oven
Again, a complete oven cleaning may be better left for another day, but a quick exterior cleaning goes a long way toward achieving a spick-and-span kitchen. Begin from the beginning: If you have a gas stovetop, remove the grills (you may want to soak them if they're dirty) and wipe the surface underneath with all-purpose cleaner; if you have electric burners, clean them with diluted dish soap (again, wipe the surface underneath with all-purpose cleaner); and if you have an electric glass stovetop, simply wipe it down with warm soapy water.
Wipe off the front of your oven with an all-purpose cleaner, white vinegar, or diluted dish soap after the top is clean. Remember the knobs and the display!
7. Clean your countertops
After you've washed all of your dishes, dusted them, and cleaned all of your small appliances, it's time to treat your countertops like royalty. Remove everything off your countertops, even the items that reside there, such as your tray of cooking oils or your urn of cooking tools, working in parts. As needed, use a credit card or a pan scraper to remove crumbs lodged between the countertop and the oven. Wipe off your countertops carefully with a microfiber towel and a cleaner suited for your counter type. To make the counters sparkle, buff them dry. Repeat with each counter portion.
8. Give your sink a thorough cleaning
Cleaning your sink thoroughly is not as difficult as it may seem. Rinse it out first. Use a scrubbing cleaner like Bon Ami or Bar Keeper's Friend, then use a detailed cleaning brush to get into the nooks and crannies. Scrub the faucet, as well as any sponge holders or soap dishes. Rinse everything thoroughly. Fill your sink with hot water and add bleach to the water to finish. Drain after ten minutes of sitting.
If you have trash disposal and want to keep it smelling fresh, put lemons (or lemon peel) or any other citrus fruit down the drain and run it (with water running).
9. Empty the refrigerator
This isn't the time to thoroughly clean your whole refrigerator, but go through your shelves and remove anything that's expired, wipe off any spills, and put items back where they belong.
10. Wipe off the exteriors of your major appliances
Wipe the exterior of your refrigerator and the dishwasher with a damp cloth. If necessary, polish with stainless steel cleaner.
11. Clean your rubbish can by emptying it and wiping it down
While now isn't the best time to fully clean your garbage can, make it as clean as possible within the kitchen by emptying it, vacuuming out any crumbs in the bottom, and cleaning it down inside and out with a disinfectant wipe. Do the same with your compost and recycle containers.
12. Vacuum, sweep and clean the floor
Sweep the kitchen floor with a broom to pick up any bigger crumbs or dirt, particularly around the cabinet toe kicks. Also, push your broom beneath the refrigerator and oven. After sweeping, suck up the tiny dust and grime using a vacuum cleaner. To remove dirt and grime, follow up with a thorough mopping.
13. Put the final touches on it
Replace your sponges, rags, and dishtowels with new ones, light a candle, and arrange some cut flowers on your counter or table as the finishing touch to your freshly clean kitchen.
If You Need a More Thorough Clean:
Exterior cabinet door cleaning, pantry cleaning, and cleaning beneath your appliances are all deeper cleaning activities you may wish to include (in addition to oven inside cleaning, etc.).
Remember that decluttering your kitchen, including the countertops, inside cabinets, and the inside of your refrigerator and pantry, makes a tremendous difference in the way it feels and how clean and tidy you and your family can maintain it.
