A Detailed Checklist To Ace Kitchen Deep Cleaning

A Detailed Checklist To Ace Kitchen Deep Cleaning

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Many of us spend a lot of time in our kitchen. Whether we’re experimenting with recipes, or having family dinners, the kitchen essentially becomes the heart of a home. Kitchens experience a lot of traffic, so keeping them clean is essential. While you may have a daily or weekly cleaning routine to keep it spick and span, there are times when your kitchen needs a little more attention. This calls for a deep clean to make sure all the sneaky crevices and corners are free from dust. It can sound daunting, but not if you have the right checklist in hand. Get ready to find out the ultimate kitchen deep cleaning checklist to cover every part of your cooking space! 

A Detailed Checklist To Ace Kitchen Deep Cleaning

What Do You Need To Tackle Kitchen Deep Cleaning?

Before you begin your battle against your dirty and cluttered kitchen, you need the right weapons- cleaning supplies! Here’s a list of items that will help you while deep cleaning: 

  • Dish soap
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Long-handled scrubber
  • Toothbrush
  • Paint for touch-up
  • Soft sponge
  • Knife, pipe cleaners, or paintbrush to get in crevices
  • Stainless steel cleaner
  • Degreaser
  • Floor soap
  • Multipurpose cleaner
  • Baking soda 
  • White vinegar

What Should You Have On Your Deep Cleaning Checklist? 

If you start dreading cooking or hosting in your kitchen, it could be an indication that you need to deep clean the area so you can enjoy your space, and feel confident sharing cheese boards and drinks with your friends in your kitchen. Although it may sound like a task, it can become easy if you divide and conquer the areas with this detailed deep cleaning checklist: 

Interiors Of The Kitchen

While people only see the exterior of a kitchen, only you know the real mess of the interiors. You can start by tackling the inner areas where you store dry goods and kitchen staples.

Pantry

To begin with the theme of ‘food storage,’ the first stop is the food pantry. Start by removing the food, and throw away things that are expired, moldy, inedible, or empty. In case you have unopened items that you won’t use but are still good for consumption, donate them.  You can then vacuum or wash the shelves using soapy water or a food-safe cleaner. Once it’s clean, start thinking about decluttering and organizing the storage. Place the daily-use products like cereals at eye level or on easy-to-reach shelves. Or arrange and group items by type, and put food with the closest expiration date towards the front. We recommend investing in airtight containers to prevent cooking essentials from going stale. Once the shelves dry properly, you can put the food items back in their places. This will make your next lasagna dinner so much easier because everything is in its place! 

A Detailed Checklist To Ace Kitchen Deep Cleaning

Refrigerator 

Next up is the refrigerator, which gets cluttered easily and is prone to constant spills. When it comes to cleaning a fridge, the best way to approach it is to remove all the food, and discard the waste items. Wash the shelves and every nook and cranny of the fridge and freezer with cleaning spray or soapy water. If the produce shelves are removable, you can take them out to wash in the sink. When the shelves dry properly, gently place them back in the fridge and freezer. Place your food on them and arrange items by type and, the ones with the closest expiration date at the front. You’re one step closer to acing your kitchen deep cleaning. 

Cabinets

Lastly, and most importantly, it’s time to declutter and then organize the kitchen cabinets, cupboards, and drawers. Remove all the food items from the cabinets and cupboards and put them on a kitchen table or countertop. Clean the shelves either with a vacuum or wipe them down. Start working on the cabinet set-up and organize them to maximize storage and enjoy ease of use. You can get storage organizers as per your needs and also install shelf liners to protect your cabinets. After that, you can restock by grouping items together. Put them back in the cabinets, cupboards, and drawers, but make sure you make the frequently used things more accessible.

Exteriors Of The Kitchen 

People often wonder where do I start deep cleaning my kitchen? Well, the exteriors can be a good point to begin, which includes the elements that are out in the open and visible to all. Here it becomes even more imperative to keep them neat and tidy. This includes:

Lights

Light fixtures work as magnets for dirt. They have layers of dirt, grime, and even grease that come from your various cooking adventures! To clean the light fixtures, start from the ceiling and dust the cobwebs with the help of a broom or a dry cloth. Move on to lightbulbs and check if any of them needs replacing. Vacuum or wipe the light fixtures, bulbs, and fans. 

Appliances

The appliances are the life of any kitchen. It’s time to inspect all these appliances and ascertain whether it’s time to replace them or not. For easy cleaning, use non-toxic cleaning wipes. 

A Detailed Checklist To Ace Kitchen Deep Cleaning

Oven: Wipe the exteriors of the oven with a cloth and run the self-cleaning cycle to get rid of gunk stuck on the insides of your oven. 

Stovetop: Scrub and polish the stovetop to make it regain its shine.

Microwave: Besides wiping down the microwave to remove food debris, you can put a few lemon slices in a bowl and run the appliance for some time to eliminate the funky smell. 

Dishwasher: Put only vinegar on the dishwasher’s top shelf without any utensils and run a cycle to remove all the residue.  

Other Small Appliances: Don’t overlook the appliances like your coffeemaker and toaster as they can also accumulate a lot of dirt. Take a clean paintbrush to remove the crumbs from the toaster, and use a damp cloth to wipe down the exteriors. Now let’s consider other areas of the kitchen that could benefit from some deep cleaning. 

Sinks

Cleaning sinks can become a task because debris can easily accumulate in them, especially if you don’t clean them regularly. You can start by scrubbing it from top to bottom with the help of an appropriate cleaner based on the material of your sink. If your porcelain sink has scuff marks, you can also use this method. When you complete scrubbing, rinse it with water until it is clear. When it comes to fighting odor, run the garbage disposal system with disposal tablets or sliced lemons to freshen it up. 

Countertops

Countertops tend to be very cluttered in most kitchens. All things, essential and nonessential, find their way to the countertops. Now it’s time to consider whether you need all this stuff right on the countertops or if it can find a new home. Recycle the extra papers, store away appliances you don’t use, and remove knife blocks, dish drainers, and even canister sets. Then, clean both countertops and backsplash with a good cleaner without missing the corners.  You can also use a tooth and soap water for better cleaning, especially for tough spots. Certain countertops require additional cleaning or sealing, like granite countertops. Once they are dry, you can put the items back on the countertop. 

Windows & Doors

If you enjoy the golden sun shining through your windows while you cook your favorite meals, you can’t forget to clean them. Remove the curtains, and wash or dry clean them. If you have blinds or shades, dust them. When it comes to cleaning window frames, you can either use a dust cloth or vacuum brush attachment to remove the dirt. Spray the window with a glass cleaning spray and enjoy the shine. 

Floorings

While many homeowners don’t realize it, floors tend to accumulate a lot of dirt. Roll up the rugs or carpets, shake them, and wash them if necessary. If you have moveable furniture like chairs, a small island, or even a bar cart, move them to another room. Then sweep or vacuum the entire floor while giving more attention to corners where gunk accumulates. Lastly, mop the floor with a good cleaner to make it sparkling clean. 

Garbage Cans

Garbage cans can get gross very fast. Start by emptying and removing the contents of the can. Use a hose and scrub it well. Once it’s dry, install a garbage bag inside and put it back in its place. 

Final Thoughts

When you start thinking of carrying out a deep cleaning of your kitchen, it might seem scary and exhausting at first. With the support of this kitchen deep cleaning checklist, your cleaning will be manageable, and enhancing your space will feel more simple than you imagined. Now that you know what essentials you need, and the areas to target, it’s time to put on your cleaning gloves, and make your kitchen pristine again!