Weekly Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

With this checklist to clean your kitchen, you’ll complete everything in an order that doesn’t spread dirt. Do it all at once, or a few steps each day throughout the week.

No matter how busy life gets, try not to skip cleaning your kitchen each week. It’s not just about getting rid of grease, dirt, and crumbs to make things look nice. Dirty kitchens attract household pests and can spread food-borne illnesses. But when your kitchen is clean, your entire home feels cleaner, too.

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

The larger your kitchen is, or the longer it’s been since you’ve cleaned it, the more time it will take to complete the checklist from start to finish. That’s just how cleaning goes. That’s why I’ve divided the printable checklist into sections, so you can do them all in one day or just one or two, depending on how much time and energy you have.

Equipment and Materials You Need

• A box or bag to collect clutter
• Microfiber cloths
• Long-handled duster (optional)
• All-purpose cleaner or soapy water
• Homemade soft scrub or baking soda, lemon, and salt
• Homemade glass cleaner
• Broom or vacuum
• Mop
• Homemade floor cleaner or your favorite brand

Steps to Clean Your Kitchen

1. Tackle trash and clutter. Grab a bag and pick up everything that belongs in another room. Put this bag aside until you’re done cleaning. Next, put away things left sitting on your counter that belong in drawers or cabinets. Toss any trash you find, too, and keep going until your countertops and table are clear.

2. Empty the sink. If you’ve been following my daily cleaning routine, your sink is already empty. Otherwise, wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher. Don’t scrub the sink yet, though: you’re just emptying it, so you’ve got room to work.

3. Clean the dusty spots. Grab a long-handled duster and use it on the blades of your ceiling fan, tops of your cupboards and fridge, over recessed lighting bulbs, and on your window trim. Don’t worry about getting these areas spotless — that’s more of a deep-cleaning concern — but go over them lightly to keep dust under control.

4. Clean the grimy spots. Using a microfiber cloth and all-purpose cleaner or a spray bottle of soapy water, clean your kitchen table and chairs. Then wipe your cabinet doors and drawer fronts, appliance fronts, and stove top. Be sure to clean the knobs and the drip trays under gas burners. Wipe spills off the floor of the oven. Rinse your cloth often to remove dust, and change to a fresh cloth if yours starts to look grimy.

5. Clean counters. Pull small appliances forward, wipe them on all sides, and then wipe the area where they usually sit to get rid of greasy or dusty buildup. If you have a toaster, clean the crumb tray. If you have granite counters, buff them to a shine with a lint-free cloth when you’re done. (Try my homemade granite-safe disinfectant spray. It’s great for marble, too.)

6. Clean the microwave. If you use sponges, this is a good time to clean your kitchen sponge. since that process helps loosen grime. Then, remove the microwave turntable if you have one and wash it. Let it soak if needed. Then wipe the inside of the microwave with a damp microfiber cloth and return the turntable. (Here’s how to clean a really dirty microwave if a simple wipe-down won’t do.)

7. Dispose of any spoiled food. Rummage around in your fridge and toss any old leftovers, spoiled produce, or food that’s starting to look or smell “off.” Clean any spills on the refrigerator shelves or floor. Consider lining the produce drawer with paper towels to absorb humidity and drips. They’ll make weekly touchups easier since you just need to swap them out. 

8. Clean the sink. First, wash your sink with hot water, dish soap, and a microfiber cloth to remove greasy dirt. Then, scour it lemon juice and table salt or homemade soft scrub to get rid of any stains. Get rid of garbage disposal odors by running it with a slice of lemon, or use baking soda and white vinegar to clean your drain.

9. Polish glass surfaces. Using a microfiber cloth and homemade glass cleaner, polish the inside of windows, picture fronts, and any other glass surfaces in the room. Polish the faucet and light fixtures, too.

10. Take out the trash. If it’s a nice day, rinse your trash can outside. Let it air dry, and the sun will disinfect it, too. If the bottom of your bin often looks gunky, try lining it with an old newspaper then sprinkling a layer of baking soda on top of that. The paper will catch drips, and the baking soda will help absorb them while killing odors, too.

11. Clean the floor. Cleaning the kitchen floor is the final step that pulls it all together. Pick up floor mats or area rugs and any chairs or stools that are in the way. Use the long-handled duster to go over your baseboards, then sweep or vacuum the floor. Finally, mop it using a homemade floor cleaner or your favorite mopping solution, and let it dry before you put everything back.

Printable Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Ready for the printable checklist? Slip it into a plastic page protector to make it reusable — just cross off things as you go using a dry-erase marker or crayon. When you’ve finished the checklist, wipe it clean and it’s ready for reuse next week. And don’t forget to check out my other house cleaning checklists, too!