Some call the kitchen “the heart of the home”… and we all know how important heart health is. If you’ve followed the daily cleaning routine, your kitchen’s probably in pretty good shape already. Now, really revive it with a thorough Spring Cleaning. Here’s how to clean your kitchen until it sparkles.
You will need
Two boxes or bags for clutter
A trash can and/or recycling bin
A long-handled duster (see note below)
Step stool
Cleaning cloths
Baking soda
Spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner (or use a homemade mix)
Glass cleaner (or make your own homemade window cleaner)
Oven cleaner (if yours is not self-cleaning)
Rubber gloves
Furniture polish (or use a homemade mix)
Broom
Mop
Liquid dish detergent
Water
Patience and maybe a good playlist
Steps:
Start with a clean sink
- Empty your sink of any dirty dishes. Either put them in the dishwasher, or hand wash them and put them away. (You’ve already deep cleaned your dishwasher, right?)
Get rid of clutter and trash.
- Gather all items in the kitchen that belong in other rooms. Put them in one of the boxes/bags and set aside.
- Gather all knickknacks and other items you no longer want to keep. Put them in the second box/bag for donation. Set aside.
- Pick up all trash from the tables, counters and kitchen desk. Put it in the trash can.
Let the light in.
- Remove all curtains and take them to the laundry room for washing, which you’ll do later.
Work top to bottom.
- Using your long-handled duster, dust the ceiling fan. (I have a multi-attachment cleaning kit with an extension pole that has a wonderful bristled brush which slips right over the fan blades and cleans them. I love that thing!) Since kitchen fans get greasy, it’s not a bad idea to get on your step stool and spray each blade with cleaner to remove any build-up.
- Remove any pictures or art from the wall and wipe it down with a clean, wet rag. Polish glass picture fronts. Place on the table while you dust (below).
- Dust, in order: the ceiling, the top of shelves, the top of window frames, the corners, the walls, the window casings and sills, the cupboard fronts, and the baseboards.
- Using the glass cleaner, clean light fixtures, windows and other glass surfaces.
- Return pictures to walls.
- Using your step stool and spray bottle of cleaner, de-grease the tops of your cupboards if they don’t reach all the way to the ceiling. (You’ve already done the top of your fridge when you spring cleaned your refrigerator, right?)
Clean the cupboards and drawers.
- Working one cupboard or drawer at a time, remove everything and clean the interior. Now is a good time to go through and discard expired spices, or donate unwanted gadgets.
- Clean the outside of each cupboard and drawer, including their handles. Be sure to get the hinges both inside and out. It’s surprising how much dust can build up on those things.
Move on to counter tops and small appliances.
- Give the inside of the sink a quick scrub and rinse, then fill it with warm, soapy water.
- Remove everything from the counter tops. Clean the counter tops with warm, soapy water. Make a paste of baking soda and water to use as a gentle abrasive on stubborn food spills.
- Before returning small appliances and other items to the counter tops, wipe them down with warm soapy water. Check their bottoms to find less obvious spills, too.
- If you have a microwave, boil a cup of water in it and let sit for one minute. This will loosen any cooked on food. Use a paste of baking soda and water to remove stubborn spills. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Now, for the big stuff.
- Clean the stove top.
- Spray and wipe down appliance fronts.
- Polish any wood furniture. (Now is a good time to remove sticky buildup from your dining set and cover any scratches on the wood if needed.)
- Sweep the floor.
- Using a damp, soapy cloth followed by a clean, damp cloth, wipe down the baseboards.
About that oven…
- Open the windows for ventilation. Put on the rubber gloves.
- Spray the oven with oven cleaner and let it sit according to the label.
- While the oven cleaner does its thing, wash your kitchen curtains in the laundry room.
Tackle the trash can.
- Empty the trash can and take it outside. Scrub with 2 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar using a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse well and let dry in the sun. Place a couple of folded paper towels in the bottom before putting a new bag in. They’ll help catch spills and keep your trash can nicer between cleanings.
Finishing steps.
- Finish cleaning the oven. Be sure to wear rubber gloves!
- Wipe the front of the oven to remove any spilled cleaner.
- Return the dried curtains to the windows.
- Return the clean trash can to the kitchen.
- Mop the floor.
Reward yourself for a job well — and thoroughly! — done by ordering out. After all, you wouldn’t want to mess up your nice, clean kitchen, would you?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I always do quick cleaning after I use the kitchen. I want to make sure that I really remove items that I do not need as I do not have household help and I want to do my own kitchen deep cleaning in under two hours.
Thanks for the tip in placing paper towels to catch drips in the trash can. I use plastic bag liners but I still find some drips every time I clean. I’ll try that next time.
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