Cleaning the kitchen can be a real headache, especially if there are piles of dishes in the sink, evidence of meals on the furniture and worktop, and dried food remnants. The floor is often better left unmentioned. Sometimes, cleaning the kitchen is a real challenge. Of course, there are many guides on how to do it, but do you really have time to read when you need to quickly tidy up the kitchen? If not, take a look at our tips, where we'll tell you step-by-step how to tackle the mess in the kitchen.
First things first – where to begin?
Cleaning the kitchen is a challenge, especially if you don't do it too often. The first step should be to put away everything that doesn't need to be out. Next, get rid of everything that unnecessarily takes up kitchen space – empty bottles, jars, and packaging from food products. You'll be surprised how much counter space you can recover by getting rid of empty ketchup, cookie, or cereal containers.
While tidying the countertop and kitchen table, move all dishes—cups, bowls, glasses, and plates—to the dishwasher or sink. Do the same with dirty pots and pans on the stove. Now you can start the dishwasher or wash the dishes by hand. The first stage of cleaning is behind you.
Stage two – let's start cleaning
Once you've slightly cleared the space on the kitchen counter, table, and cabinet tops, you'll likely see various stains: grease marks, traces from wet cups and jars, spills from juices or coffee, perhaps sticky remnants of jam or honey stuck to the table. You'll have to deal with them. At this stage, we simply wash the tables, counters, and those spots on the kitchen cabinets that are within reach without climbing on a ladder - save the tops for general cleaning.
This is the best time to clean walls and cabinet fronts, as well as the surfaces of the fridge, dishwasher, and oven doors. Traditional detergents and soft cloths are usually sufficient. If you regularly clean the kitchen, you only need to wipe the mentioned surfaces with a damp sponge.
Let's move on
The third stage will involve thoroughly cleaning everyday kitchen appliances. It's time to wash the stove, how you do this depends on the type of stove. A smooth glass top can be cleaned with dishwashing liquid, while a gas stove will require cleaning the metal grates where pots are placed.
After the stove, it's time to clean the oven. If you don't have the luxury of a self-cleaning oven, you'll have to do it manually. In cases of particularly heavy dirt, it might be worth using products specifically designed for oven cleaning. When rinsing the sponge after washing the stove and oven, you can immediately clean the sink. Use warm water and dishwashing liquid for this.
And that's almost it...
Finally, there's sweeping and mopping floors. If you don't have a cleaning robot, you'll need to arm yourself with a long-handled brush and mop, along with a bucket of warm water. The steps described above can be considered basic kitchen cleaning—a somewhat simplified version. You can extend it to include cleaning the inside of the fridge and windows. ☺ For most of us, however, daily stove cleaning and wiping the most visible dirt suffice.
Further kitchen cleaning tips
We've covered the three most crucial elements for cleaning the kitchen. We also have a few more tips that might help to ease and speed up this process:
Clean in the right order - it's best to clean from top to bottom, otherwise you'll dirty what has already been cleaned.
Store food items immediately once they're no longer needed – they will stay fresh longer and won't occupy space on the counter or kitchen table.
Regularly dispose of food scraps – cores, bread crusts, uneaten sandwiches, and crumbs have no place in your kitchen.
Use home cleaning methods in the kitchen – cleaning with baking soda or lemon slices is truly effective and significantly cheaper than using traditional cleaning products.
Keep lids closed while cooking – how does this relate to cleaning? Steam rising from the pot can settle on furniture, and it may contain fine grease particles, which can quickly turn into greasy stains marring cabinets.
Equip yourself with appropriate cleaning tools; a long-handled brush, mop, and a set of sponges and microfiber cloths will definitely speed up kitchen cleaning.
Engage household members for help, it's worth teaching children from a young age that the kitchen is a shared space everyone should equally care for.
During a deep clean, the list will undoubtedly expand, but these ten tips should be enough to keep your kitchen clean.