How to clean your Kitchen like a Pro!

Now that we are in November the Holidays are fast approaching. This is by far my favorite time of year. From Halloween thru New Years, I love the Holidays. And, I must admit, I am one of those people who will listen to a Christmas song (or 12) prior to Thanksgiving. Much to my Husband’s dismay (hehe). However, as I tell him, it’s all part of the Holiday experience to me. I’m not skipping over Thanksgiving; Christmas music just brings me joy and makes me smile 😊

Whichever Holiday is being celebrated you are bound to be using your Kitchen for food preparation. Whether you are hosting an event or preparing food to take to an event, this is the time of year my Kitchen gets a lot of use. Some of you may think it is pointless to clean your Kitchen prior to the Holidays, however if you are hosting a gathering you certainly want your Kitchen looking its best. This is a wonderful opportunity to take the extra time to clean your interior appliances as well. Nobody wants a smoking oven when they are preparing a dinner and have a house full of guests.

Unfortunately, a few years back I had that embarrassing moment when I hosted Thanksgiving. I had a spill in my oven that I hadn’t cleaned prior to Thanksgiving. Well, it began smoking when I was cooking a few dishes, and proceeded to fill the Kitchen with smoke and smelled horrific. We had to open the windows, sliding glass door and turn on the fans to air it out. Not exactly the Thanksgiving dinner experience that Hallmark movies are made of.

So if you want to give your Kitchen a good cleaning, read on for a process that will show you How to clean your Kitchen like a Pro. This is a process that can be used for regular cleaning so if you want to include your interior oven and/or refrigerator you can certainly add that in, just plan on a little more time. As a tip, I always recommend running the self clean cycle on your oven (if it has one) the day before you plan to clean. Many ovens will run on the clean cycle for 2-4 hours and then will take another 1-2 hours to cool. By running it the day before it will be ready to go when you are doing your Kitchen cleaning.

Tools you will need:

1. 10-15 microfiber cloths
2. Scrubbing pad (non-abrasive)
3. Toothbrush
4. Cobweb duster that will reach your ceiling
5. Your favorite cleaners (glass cleaner, all purpose disinfectant, stainless steel polish) and any other Kitchen specific cleaners that you like to use

Estimated time: 30-45 minutes based on Kitchen size and build up. Plan an additional 45-60 minutes if you plan to clean the interior of your refrigerator. Another 20 minutes for cleaning the interior oven (with self-cleaning), plan 45 minutes if you don’t have a self-cleaning oven.

I have outlined the steps in detail here, and then below have a condensed version:

1. Using cobweb duster, make 1 trip clockwise swiping wall/ceiling corners, ceiling vents/fans and tops of baseboards
2. Remove obstacles (garbage cans, rugs, barstools, and anything else on the floor)
3. Starting at the right-hand side of your sink, begin cleaning counters by spraying with disinfectant spray (don’t forget the backsplash!) and scrub with scrubbing pad. Pick up items on your counters to scrub beneath them (i.e. canisters/toasters/coffee maker, etc.) as you go. Only clean the area in front of you without taking additional steps to the right. Dry countertop and any countertop items with a clean microfiber. Use same microfiber to clean cabinet/drawer fronts within reaching distance as well as wiping clean any switch plate/outlet covers.
4. Continue moving to the right repeating this process. As you come across appliances, wipe clean first with disinfectant spray to remove any grime/spills, then polish if they are stainless steel.
5. Depending on your style of stove top, spray with disinfectant cleaner then scrub with scrubbing pad or other preferred method of cleaning. If you have removable grates you can remove them and then spray with cleaner and scrub them on an area of countertop you haven’t yet cleaned. Then wipe clean with dry microfiber. Most stove control knobs will pop off if you pull them straight. Do this to clean the grease and build up behind them. Make sure you are putting them back properly to avoid accidentally turning on the stove!
6. Wipe out the interior microwave when you come to it. Use scrubbing pad if needed for build up.
7. If you have a hood vent, wipe down the exterior of it and then clean the filters by wiping them or scrubbing them. If the hood is stainless, polish with stainless steel polish.
8. If you have a table/chairs or barstools in your Kitchen area, use disinfectant spray to clean these when you pass them.
9. If you have lights within reaching distance, damp wipe them (ensure they are off and cool to the touch before wiping). Clean them before cleaning the counters beneath them.
10. If you have a sliding glass door or patio door, clean the interior and exterior of the glass with your glass cleaner.
11. Once you are back at the sink, if you have a window above your sink spray it with glass cleaner and wipe clean. Wipe windowsill clean as well.
12. Spray your sink with disinfectant cleaner, scrub with scrubbing pad and use a toothbrush to scrub base of faucet. Dry with clean microfiber. If sink is stainless steel, spray with stainless polish.
13. Dampen a microfiber with all purpose cleaner and make one trip around your Kitchen to damp wipe baseboards.
14. Vacuum then mop your floor.
15. Put back items you removed in beginning (garbage can, rugs, barstools, etc.)

Condensed steps:

1. Cobweb dust
2. Remove obstacles from floor
3. Starting at right of sink, clean counters/backsplash/countertop items as you go clockwise around Kitchen. Clean cabinet/drawer fronts/switch plate/outlet covers within reaching distance.
4. As you come across appliances, wipe clean with disinfectant spray then polish if they are stainless steel.
5. Clean stove top/control knobs
6. Clean interior microwave
7. Clean/polish hood vent and filters
8. Clean table/chairs/barstools when you pass them
9. Damp wipe light fixtures if applicable
10. Clean interior/exterior glass of patio doors/sliding doors
11. Clean window/windowsill above Kitchen sink
12. Scrub sink and faucet, then dry/polish
13. Damp wipe baseboards
14. Clean floor

Tips:

• Designate one microfiber for stainless steel polish to prevent polish from getting on countertops or cabinet/drawer fronts which will make them look streaky.
• When polishing stainless steel make sure you are going with the grain to avoid scratching the finish.

This is a terrific way to prepare your home for Holiday gatherings, however this is also a great process to use for regular maintenance of your Kitchen. Doing this every 2 weeks will keep your Kitchen clean and free of excess build up. Just as I suggested in the Bathroom cleaning post, do a quick wipe down the week in between cleanings and you will notice a significant difference in the overall cleanliness of your Kitchen.  To do this, take two microfiber cloths and spray both with your all-purpose disinfectant cleaner. Make one trip around your Kitchen wiping all countertop surfaces, appliance handles, stove top, interior microwave, spot clean cabinet/drawer fronts for spills and spot clean the floor for any spills. This shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

I hope you and your Family have a wonderfully peaceful Thanksgiving,

Cheers to a clean home!