Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen 101

Since the weather is warm it’s time to grill. Well, we thought we would anyhow.

We had our meat, buns and all the fixings. What we didn’t have was seasoning for the meat. Our seasonings had either run out or was a little old which meant no flavor. We managed with some other seasonings that I had on hand but we needed our favorite burger rub. : (

We did the best we could with what we had.

Afterward, I was determined to tend to my spice cabinet and, honestly, my entire kitchen.

So here’s what I’m doing for my kitchen –

Don’t start doing anything on this list in your kitchen until you have your basic cleaning done, meaning dishes washed and put away, and counters cleared. You’ll thank me later. ; )

Purging.

Do one area at a time and start at the place that brings you the most pain. For me, I started with my spice drawer. After that, I go around my kitchen working the steps below.

1) Clear the space.

2) Clean the space.

3) Replace items you want and actually need/use.

4) Keep a list of items to replenish

 

Sounds easy right? I know an entire room is hard but if you do what I suggest you can start with a drawer and stop after you take care of that if you need to. Come back the next day and do a bit more. 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference in a just a few days. A decluttered and clean kitchen is just a few hours away. A little work today gets you closer to your goal.

 

Cleaning.

Here’s the deep cleaning to-do list.

 

APPLIANCES

Stove/Oven Area–

Oven. If your oven is self cleaning, get that process going. It will take a while, which will give you time to take care of the rest (or a part) of the list.

Clean vent hood. You’ll probably need a good degreaser for this or some hot soapy water.

Clean or replace drip pans. You’ll need scratch pads like Brillo for this job.

Stove top. If you have a stove top that opens, open and clean underneath.

Remove stove/oven and sweep and mop behind. You’ll also want to wash the walls and cabinets sides before returning your appliance. You’ll want to wait for the self-cleaning cycle to end before moving the appliance out.

 

Refrigerator/Freezer Area –

Clean the outside of the fridge. I use a multi-surface cleaner followed by window cleaner. If you don’t have a stainless fridge you can skip the window cleaner step.

Take everything out of the fridge. Sort and purge as you remove items.

Remove glass shelves and drawers and wash with hot soapy water.

Repeat for freezer.

While empty, remove appliance and clean behind. Wash walls and sweep/mop floor.

Let fridge come back to temperature and replace items. I like to put like items together to help keep my fridge organized. Example – I put all drinks on my top shelf with new items in the back so opened containers get used first.

 

Coffee pot –

Clean your coffee pot on the outside. Wash pot and filter area with hot soapy water. Clean underneath coffee pot.

Keurigs can also be cleaned this way too. Wash outside. Wash drip pan, tank, and tank lid in hot soapy water. Rinse and let dry. Remove K-cup holder and wash well. You may want to use a thumb tack to clear the holes in the bottom.

 

Microwave –

I like to heat a bowl of water and vinegar for a few minutes to let boil. Once hot, leave the door closed for another few minutes (it’s like magic). Remove the bowl and wipe inside while the inside is wet from the boiling water/vinegar solution.

 

Dishwasher –

Remove trays and clean the inside of your dishwasher. Wipe trays if needed.

Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into bottom of dishwasher and let run on normal cycle. This will help break down any blockages in the pipes and sanitize the inside of your dishwasher.

Refill rinse aid, if you use.

 

LINENS

Wash any linens in your kitchen area like oven mitts, rugs, curtains and table linens.

 

WINDOWS

Clean windows and window tracks.

 

DECORATIONS

Dust and clean all decorative items.

 

LIGHTING

Clean light fixtures and ceiling fans.

 

CABINETS

Throw away expired food and wipe the shelves down.

Wipe the fronts of all your cabinets.

 

FURNITURE

Clean your table and your chairs. Make sure you move the furniture to clean underneath well.

Clean any other pieces of furniture you have in your kitchen.

 

SINK AREA

Clear and clean out underneath your sink.

If you store cleaning supplies in the kitchen, go through those and get rid of items you do not need.

Wipe down backsplash.

Shine your sink.

 

FLOORS/WALLS

Walls and baseboards – Give your walls and baseboards a good wipe down.

Check upper areas for cobwebs and remove if necessary.

Sweep and mop the floor.

 

TRASH

Wash out trash can then sanitize.

 

 

 

What would you add to the list? Drop me a comment below to let me know.

 

Happy Kitchen Cleaning, y’all.