How to Deep Clean a Kitchen : A Blueprint to a Spotless Kitchen
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Oof. There’s no project quite like undertaking a deep clean of the kitchen. It’s typically the most frequented spot of any home, and where the days begin and end.
It’s vital to keep it clean for our health and sanity.
However, it is a bit overwhelming to do a deep clean of the kitchen.
Here’s how to manage a kitchen deep clean session without stressing.
Why Do A Deep Clean
While we all hopefully manage to keep our kitchen relatively clean from day to day, the regular use and cooking of food leads to a buildup of grease on cabinets and walls.
It can get pretty gross, so a good, solid deep cleaning is necessary.
When to Do A Deep Clean
The best time to do a deep clean is when seasons are starting to change and you’re about to change to fall, winter, spring, or summer decor.
There’s no better feeling like fresh decor in a sparkling clean home!
Plan your deep cleaning for a day with limited activity.
You don’t want to get knee-deep in grit and grime then have to stop midway to run an errand or head to an appointment.
Enlist your family’s help by giving them tasks off this list to make it go much quicker!
Avoid grocery shopping the days before your deep cleaning day so there’s less to work around.
Once your fridge is nice and clean, it’ll be much easier to place new groceries inside.
What You Need for a Deep Clean
Now it’s time to assemble your deep cleaning kit.
You’ll need vinegar, baking soda, Bar Keeper’s Friend, microfiber cloths, Windex, vacuum, a mop & bucket or floor steam cleaner, and a lemon or two to freshen things up.
How Often to Deep Clean a Kitchen
I aim for a deep cleaning session for my kitchen every 4 months. If your family is larger and the kitchen more active, you may need to do it more frequently at every 3 months.
With a bit of regular maintenance, it’ll save you from having to do a full deep clean as often!
Where to Begin with Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen
Normally, I recommend a top-down approach of cleaning with gravity working in your favor. That way, as you’re dusting, it falls toward the floor which gets cleaned last.
There’s a few steps to take first, though.
You want to start with things that take lots of hands-off time, like washing curtains and dishes.
Move & Clean Under Appliances
Moving appliances is no easy task, but so much dust and grime collects underneath it’s important to take the time to do this step every 6 months or so.
Pull out the fridge and clean underneath, then do the same for the oven. Vacuum behind it and wipe off any food gunk stuck to the sides or underneath.
Clean the Oven
If your oven has a cleaning cycle, start the self clean right after moving the oven back in place.
This typically takes anywhere from 2-4 hours, so let it do it’s thing while you get to the rest of the kitchen.
Load Dishwasher or Wash Dishes
Since this is another task that takes some hands-off time to run, load up the dishwasher with any dirty dishes in the sink.
If you don’t use a dishwasher, wash them and set them in a drying rack.
Wash Kitchen Curtains and Dish Cloths
You’ll also want to toss any kitchen curtains and dish cloths in the wash to run the cycle before getting into the nitty-gritty cleaning below.
Don’t forget to take them out to dry after the wash cycle!
Clean Fridge
If you haven’t cleaned out the fridge in who knows how long (hey, it happens!) then work on that next. Here’s a helpful guide on the best way to clean out your fridge.
Be wary of getting too deep into one project that you run out of time and energy to tackle the rest of the kitchen, though.
At the very least, wipe down the top of the fridge, the handles, and wipe the front. If you have a stainless fridge, shine it up with some Bar Keeper’s Friend stainless cleaner and polish.
Clean Small Appliances
Wipe down the exterior of any appliances you keep out. If you regularly use an Instant Pot, add a cup of water with a splash of vinegar, then set it to manual for 5 minutes.
That will help get rid of any gunk stuck inside, and help remove smells from the seals.
Put a cup of water with lemon in the microwave and boil for three minutes, then let it sit for a few more minutes to soften any stuck food before wiping.
Scrub The Range Hood
Nothing gets grimier than the location above the oven and stove. If you have a range hood with a removable filter, take that out to soak.
Wipe down the range hood with water and a bit of Dawn dish soap to cut the built-up grease.
Wipe Down Cabinets
All those sticky cooking hands do a number on the cabinets. Give those a good wipe with an oil-based wood cleaner to add shine.
Don’t forget to clean the inside of the cabinets too.
While working in the cabinets, take out any expired food and toss it. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can take 30 minutes to organize the food inside.
Scrub the Sink
A shiny sink is a key part of making a kitchen feel truly clean.
Close the drain and fill with hot water and vinegar, then let sit for a few minutes. Drain and sprinkle Bar Keeper’s Friend inside and scrub away.
If you have a disposal, you can use an old toothbrush to clean out the yuckiness that gets trapped underneath, then toss the lemon we used in the microwave and grind it up to make the room smell lovely.
If there’s grime trapped in the seams on the side of the sink, use a knife or pan scraper with a rag to get underneath the crevices.
Fill the sink with hot water, then wipe and dry. Splash a bit of vinegar on a microfiber cloth and wipe for a spotless shine.
Dust and Vacuum Drawers
Dust tends to build up in the corners of the drawers. Take out the utensils and give it a quick vacuum or dusting. Got a junk drawer? Make it more useful or even consider getting rid of it with these tips!
Wipe Counters
Sanitize your countertops with warm soapy water and a light scrubbing. Wipe them dry.
For extra sanitizing, wipe down with a vinegar/water solution and let air dry.
Empty Trash Can and Wash It Out
The dirtiest spot in the house is the trash can. Once you’ve emptied the trash can, take it to the bathtub or garden hose to spray it out.
Wash with warm, soapy water and rinse, then let air dry.
Now Tackle The Floor
You’re almost done! The final task is to thoroughly clean the floor.
To go old school with a mop and bucket, add 1/4 cup vinegar to a quart of water. Wet the mop and wring it out, then start in the far corner and work your way out.
Avoid putting a dirty mop in the cleaning solution by rinsing it out in a tub or bathroom sink. That keeps you from wiping dirty water all over your kitchen floor.
If steam is safe for your flooring type, a steam mop like this one works great for sanitizing. The high heat kills germs and easily removes grime. Plus, I think it’s way easier than using a mop!
How to Maintain a Deep Clean Kitchen
Now the intense labor is done, so enjoy it while it’s spotless for the next 20 minutes! Put up caution tape to keep the fam from messing up your hard work, maybe?
It’s way easier to maintain a deep clean than it is to actually do the deep clean! Here’s a few tips to tackle weekly so you don’t need to go through this entire process as often.
- Wipe cabinet doors
- Wipe range hood
- Clean inside microwave
- Clean small appliances
- Scrub sink
- Use a damp mop for quick floor touch-ups
- Clean fingerprints off fridge
