Kitchen Cleaning Guide

Cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a little bit of planning and some elbow grease, you can have your kitchen sparkling clean in no time.

I always approach cleaning from a perspective of organization first. I’m constantly mentally sorting out the tasks that are in front of me so that I can be ready to tackle the project as a whole by breaking it down into easy and achievable steps. It’s too easy to get overwhelmed otherwise. This is true whether you have a large or small kitchen.

It’s also easier to pick up where you’ve left off if you have an organized mind and set checklist in front of you (whether that is a literal checklist or one that’s just in your head). In fact, you can find a free printable checklist down at the bottom of this post if you want to help make cleaning your kitchen even easier!

How to Clean Your Kitchen

As usual, I’ve broken this guide down into three easy versions: the quick clean – which is the way you’d clean your kitchen if your husband rings up with ten minutes warning to say he’s bringing his boss home with him, the standard clean – which is the way you should be cleaning up daily or at least on a semi-daily basis, and the deep clean – which is the kind of clean you should aim to do once or twice a month to really make sure you are cooking and eating in a truly sanitary environment.

The trick to cleaning the kitchen is to break it down into zones. Tackle one zone at a time so that you can be sure to get it all done in an organized way. This is true whether you have ten minutes to clean or all day. The zones are as follows:

Counters and Other Surfaces
Overhead Surfaces
Cupboards and Vertical Surfaces
Dishes, Cutlery and Bakeware
Sink
Appliances
Garbage
Floors
Linens
Decor

Not all of these zones will be worked on each day, but they should definitely be integrated into your monthly routine.

Quick Clean

When time is short, a quick clean can help your kitchen look decent in a small amount of time. The best use of your time will be to focus on your counters, dishes, sink, garbage and floors (if possible).

First, clear your counters off as best as you can. Put away any food that is out, or stash it in the cupboards if you need to. Put away clean dishes, and any dirty dishes should be placed in the dishwasher or neatly in the sink. If time permits, give them a quick wash and put them away.

Sweep any crumbs or mess directly onto the floor to be swept up at the end. Give the hopefully clean counters a wipe down with a damp rag, or spray with kitchen spray and wipe off. If there is stuck-on food, a razor blade can be useful in scraping it off – just be very careful if your counters are laminate. Be sure to check your kitchen table, as well.

Once the counters are clear, use a broom or vacuum to give the floor a quick sweep to ensure all the food and dirt is picked up. Place it into the garbage, and empty the bins if they are full.

Finally, check your kitchen sink. If there are dirty dishes, wash them if you can. If you don’t have time, try to arrange them neatly so that they are not overflowing in the sink. Make them as inconspicuous as possible. Place the larger items on the bottom and smaller items on top. Nest the bowls inside of one another, plates together, and collect silverware inside of a cup. Wipe down the top of the sink of any muck that may make it look particularly gross.

Standard Clean

A standard clean is a bit more in depth, but should become part of your daily or at least semi-daily routine.

Start by clearing off all counter tops and tables. Wipe them down with a damp cloth or all-purpose cleaner. Be sure to pry up any stuck-on food or other substances that may be embedded in the surface.

After the counters are done, move on to cleaning dishes, cutlery, and bakeware. If you have a dishwasher, load it up and start it. If not, or if there is anything that doesn’t fit, wash everything by hand in the sink. Be sure to scrub any pots or pans that may be particularly dirty.

Once the dishes are done, it’s time to clean the sink. This includes wiping down the inside and outside of the sink, making sure to do the best you can. Try to get out any stains as they happen, but if there are any that are too tough, you can save them for the next deep clean.

Finally, sweep and mop the floors. If you have a rug in your kitchen, vacuum it as well. Pick it up so that you can sweep underneath it, too.

Be sure to move any appliances or furniture that may be in the way so that you can clean underneath them, as well.

Once everything looks as well as you want it to, check the garbage to see if it needs emptied or not. If it is full, OR if it has anything that will get smelly or moldy inside (such as fish or rotten fruit), be sure to empty it to the outside bins.

Deep Clean

In addition to the tasks completed during a standard clean, you’ll also be cleaning cupboards and vertical surfaces, appliances, and linens.

To even begin a deep clean, you’ll need to first ensure that all dishes are cleaned and put away.

Prep your kitchen by removing all kitchen linens & decor. Linens in the kitchen include things like dish towels, oven mitts, pot holders, and tablecloths. These items should be washed on a regular basis – at least once a week, if not more. Dish towels can usually just be thrown in with your regular laundry load, but oven mitts and pot holders may need to be washed separately.

Tablecloths should be washed after every use. If they are particularly dirty, they may need to be soaked in a sink full of warm water and laundry detergent before washing.

All decorations, bric-a-brac and stands should be removed from surfaces.

Spray disinfectant into sink & onto counters & let sit for 15 minutes. Pull out floor appliances & vacuum any crumbs/debris.

Clear all counter space. Pull out counter appliances such as toasters, blenders, and stand mixers, and remove any crumbs.

Next, clean any small appliances that need it – this could include the coffee maker, toaster oven, stove top, and so on.

Wipe down the outside of the fridge, and if you have stainless steel appliances, give them a quick once over with a stainless steel cleaner.

Wipe down entire fridge including inner shelving & baskets. This is a good time to get rid of expired food and do an inventory of any shopping that needs done, too!

Clear the top of the fridge and dust it.

Moving on to the dishwasher, you will want to wipe around the dishwasher seal, and clean out the drain. You can use a natural drain cleaner like baking soda and vinegar, or a chemical one. Run it through the hottest water cycle using vinegar & baking soda.

Clean the microwave inside and out. Be sure to wash and wipe down the turning plate, as well as underneath it.

Wipe down the stove, including the knobs, removing them if you can so you can clean underneath. Remove & clean oven racks.

Lock oven door and start self-cleaning mode. Wipe down any remaining residue after self-cleaning is complete.

Dust top of high surfaces including cabinets. Buy an extendable duster to make this much easier.

Scrub and rinse the sink and surrounding counter space, being sure to work out any stains that may be apparent.

Using a damp cloth, wipe down the walls surrounding the kitchen sink & stove. These can gather a lot of food splatter and grease, so you may want to use a degreaser on them once in a while, as well.

Next, move on to cleaning the vertical surfaces in your kitchen. This includes wiping down the front of cupboards, backsplash, and any other wall space. If you have a window over your sink, give it a quick wash.

Wipe down inside cabinet doors and shelves. Throw out expired items as you find them.

Now is a great time to organize your pantry and throw away expired items. You can also assess whether there are items you may want to donate to food pantries, as you may find there are canned goods or other items your family just isn’t getting around to eating. Rather than letting them expire, donating them is a great way to make space.

Check your kitchen table, making sure it is clear and clean. If you have any special care instructions for it, such as a wood or marble or granite polish, use it now. It’s also important to check your kitchen chairs/stools to be sure they are cleaned. A lot of food gets caught on chairs and is forgotten.

Empty, rinse out, and disinfect trash and compost bins. Dry them, and replace the bags.

Vacuum or sweep, and mop the kitchen floors.

Bring back the freshly washed kitchen linens, placing them in their correct spots.

Take any of the removed decor, dust and/or wash it and replace it where it belongs.

Cleaning Supplies

In my kitchen, I have a little caddy full of my favorite cleaning supplies, along with a few accessories that I use every time I clean. I find it very useful to be able to pull it out to have everything I need to clean whenever I’m ready. To make your own kitchen supply caddy, here are some cleaning supplies you may want to consider.

Cleaning Schedule

It’s important to develop a cleaning schedule for your kitchen so that it stays clean and organized. This could be a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, depending on your needs.

Daily tasks might include things like washing dishes, sweeping the floor, and wiping down surfaces.

Weekly tasks could include mopping the floor, cleaning the fridge, and cleaning linens.

Monthly tasks might include deep cleaning the oven or stove top, defrosting the freezer, and polishing stainless steel appliances.

No matter what kind of schedule you develop, be sure to stick to it as much as possible. A little bit of daily or weekly cleaning will go a long way in keeping your kitchen clean!

Free Printable Checklist

Grab your checklist below to help you keep track of your kitchen cleaning. Just click on the graphic to download. Then print it out, and get started cleaning today!

Kitchen Cleaning Guide