How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

We’ve been talking about cleaning and organizing this week and today I want to talk about how to deep clean your kitchen. 

I find the kitchen to be one of the most important rooms in the house to get clean. So this is what works when you want to deep clean your kitchen.

Step one: Do a declutter

You need to start with a clear space before you get to cleaning. So take a bit and do a decluttering of your kitchen and return things to their proper places. If you are stuck for ideas of what to declutter in the kitchen head over to 100 Things to Declutter From Your Home Right Now. The kitchen section will give you a few ideas of what you can toss. 

1.  broken or unwanted magnets 

2. old and expired food in your pantry 

3. broken utensils or cooking tools 

4. cleaning supplies that you don’t use or like  

5. Recipe books that you don’t use. Mostly because you get all your recipes online.

6.  excess baking trays, pots, pans, dishes that you don’t need (these can be donated if in good condition)

7. Any paper clutter like receipts, manuals, bills, etc. put away what needs to be saved and toss the rest 

8. Anything in your fridge that is past it’s prime or you know you won’t use. 

9. Any old or almost empty spices and oils that can be trashed or bottled together to save space. Do you really need 3 half filled garlic salts? Nope 

10. Novelty cups that never get used but take up space. You know the ones from amusement parks, sporting events, restaurants, etc. 

11. Extra tupperware or pieces without lids 

12.extra plastic bags from stores. We use to have tons of these until California stopped using them and you have to pay for them. 

13. Any paper or plastic plates, cups, and utensils that are not going to be used. Donate or toss them!

14. baby/kid cups, plates, and utensils that are no longer needed 

15. broken appliances or parts from old appliances you no longer have  

16. ketchup, sauce packets, straws from fast food/take out 

17. empty jars or bottles that you don’t need 

18. mostly empty bottles of cleaning sprays 

Step two: Start at the top

This is one of the best cleaning tips that I’ve learned. It makes so much sense but I had never really thought about it until I read it somewhere. The best way to clean is to clean from top to bottom. Meaning that you clean the higher up surfaces first and then work your way down. That way as you clean and gunk falls it lands on areas that have not been cleaned yet.

As you can see in my kitchen that would mean I should clean my upper cabinets and the microwave before moving down to the counters, the sink, and stove. Then after that level, I move on to the floors which get swept and mopped and any dirt and debris from the kitchen are gone. 

Step three: Cleaning the surfaces

The biggest area in your kitchen is the counters and keeping them clean can make a big impact on how your kitchen looks. That’s why clearing the clutter on your counters is the best idea for how to deep clean your kitchen. I have found that storing less on top of the counters tends to make it easier to keep them clear. Mess tends to attract mess so the more stuff you have out the more you will tend to leave on them.

There are plenty of cleaning supplies you can get to clean your counters. I have recently started using a combination of baking soda and dish soap on, especially greasy and difficult spots. I’ve been trying to use more natural and DIY cleaners so that I can save money and use fewer chemicals. 

Step four: Cleaning appliances

How to clean your appliances will depend on the types of appliances that you own. I’m sharing some of what I do as well as links to other helpful posts I have found on how to clean your kitchen appliances. 

I have a glass top stove and use a multi-purpose cleaner to clean it as well as the DIY mixture of baking soda and dish soap I use on the counters for tough spots. Such as on spots where food as spilled over while cooking.  

To clean my microwave I’ve been using the Angry Mama which uses just vinegar and water to help get the inside of your microwave clean by releasing steam to make it easier to wipe down. 

How to Clean your Dishwasher

How to Clean Your Fridge 

Step five: The final steps

The lasts steps for how to deep clean your kitchen are to wipe down and disinfect the sink. I do this by wiping it down with vinegar and water I like using my cleaning brush to get rid of any grime around the faucet and in the corners. Then it’s time to do the floors  Sweep or vacuum the floor. Spot clean or mop the floor as needed. Shake out any area rugs and wash as needed.

Hopefully, this post has shared with you some ideas on how to deep clean your kitchen.