So, you’ve spring cleaned your kitchen and want to keep it clean with just a few minutes each week. Or maybe you didn’t get to do spring cleaning, but you’d like to get a routine that will keep the Health Department away. Here’s how.
Start with the clutter: Toss the obvious trash, and sort through what’s left. See this tip for dealing with papers you’ll need for next year’s taxes. Everything else that belongs in another room should go in a bag and be set aside until you’ve finished cleaning. Now, put away the gadgets and other things that belong in the kitchen.
Do the dishes: Take care of any dishes that are sitting out. Either wash, dry and put them away, or put them in the dishwasher and run it.
Wipe everything down: Clean any food spills on your cupboard and drawer fronts. Wipe the backsplash. Wipe appliance fronts. Wipe the stove top. Wipe spills off the floor of the oven.
Get the small stuff, too: Wipe down small appliances, light switches and door knobs. If you have a landline, now is a good time to wipe down the phone, which is a bacterial breeding ground.
Clean the microwave: Loosen cooked-on food by heating a cup of water for a minute. (Add a slice of lemon to it for a nice fragrance if you like.) Remove the turntable if you have one, and wash it. Wipe the inside of the microwave and return the turntable.
Rummage through the fridge: Dispose of any spoiled food, but save useful kitchen scraps. Wipe down any spills on the refrigerator shelves or floor. Now’s a good time to change out the paper towels lining your produce and meat drawers, too.
Disinfect the sink: Sinks are nasty places full of bacteria. Use a homemade mix and a clean cloth to disinfect yours. Or, fill it with hot water, add 1/4 cup bleach, and let it sit before draining, scrubbing and rinsing clean. (Don’t mix bleach with other household cleaners!)
Empty the trash and scrub the trashcan outside, rinsing with your garden hose. Let it air dry and the sun will finish the disinfecting job for you.
Sweep and mop: Use a bucket for this, never your sink. (See that bit about bacteria above!)
Every few cleanings, make time at the beginning to dust your ceiling fan, the tops of your cupboards and refrigerator, and the baseboards. Your kitchen will stay almost as nice as it was when you finished spring cleaning, so maybe you won’t have to do it next year!
Ready for the printable?
Printable Weekly Kitchen Cleaning Routine (.pdf)
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Great list. I need this. Toss out the clutter….ugh! I know my counters should have less stuff on them and they do look neater when it’s not there.
Clutter builds up on mine, too. Everyone in the house walks in through the garage and sets stuff down on the island (grrr) or the kitchen desk. But do they pick it up later? No, no they do not. That task falls to me, and I’m pretty ruthless about getting rid of stuff that’s not tax-related, irreplaceable or mine. Every so often I wind up tossing out something my husband or kids claim was super important (Fantasy Football team picks or the latest weird-looking rock my son found outside) and they get better about picking up after themselves. For a while.
I cleaned out my kitchen like this today! I reckon it will take about three hours to get back to messy… the only way to keep it clean is lock my husband in the shed
Thanks for linking up today!
LOL! It really does get quickly messy, doesn’t it? Kind of like doing laundry — you spend all day washing, drying, folding, hanging and putting away… and when everyone goes to bed the laundry hampers are full again. *sigh*
This is a great list! I really, really do need to clean out my kitchen especially the clutter! Have a great day
Thanks, Raquel, you have a great day, too!
What a fabulous checklist, think I should stick this to the fridge!
I’m so glad you found it useful, and thank you for the nice comment!