Kitchen Cleaning and Organizing

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where you cook, visit and entertain so it’s important to keep it clean and organized.

You only need four household items to keep your kitchen clean – dish soap, vinegar, baking soda and bleach. The dish soap is an all-purpose cleaner and degreaser. The vinegar is a cleaner and deodorizer. The baking soda is a deodorizer and has scrubbing power. And the bleach is a disinfectant.

I keep a spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner (2 tbsp dish soap and 2 cups water) under my kitchen sink to clean up spills and spot clean throughout the week.  I also spray it on greasy or stubborn, baked-on dishes.  Just let it soak for a few minutes and you’ll need very little elbow grease to get them clean. 

When you are cleaning special surfaces be sure to refer to and follow the manufacturers cleaning recommendations for that product.

General guidelines for organizing kitchen

• Store things where you use them.
• Group like items together.
• Store most frequently used items in the most accessible places. Keep heavy items below waist level and infrequently used items on higher shelves or in another part of the house.
• De-clutter annually, at least.
• Keep small kitchen items in clear plastic bins with labels.

Lighting

• Wipe lighting with a damp cloth.
• Replace light bulbs as needed.

Windows and window coverings

• Clean windows with a vinegar solution.
• Clean window coverings as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Oven and Stove

• How to clean your oven.
• Clean the inside as per manufacturer’s instructions.
• Remove the dials and soak in warm soapy water.
• Remove the burners and drip trays, if applicable. Wipe underneath with warm soap water. Do not wash coil burners. They are designed to self-clean. Wash the drip trays in warm soapy water and dry completely before reassembling.
• Wash the back and top of the stove with warm, soapy water. Shine with a dry cloth.
• Wipe the hood with hot, soapy water and dry.
• Soak the filter from the hood in hot, soapy water and then scrub lightly with a plastic scrub brush. Rinse with hot water and allow it to dry before putting back in place.
• Pull out the oven to clean sides, walls and floor. Put furniture coasters under the feet of the oven to make it easier to slide in and out.

 Microwave

• Wipe inside with warm, soapy water. For stubborn residue, heat 1-2 cups of water in a microwave safe dish on HIGH for 3 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes with door close, then wipe clean.

Refrigerator

• Clean interior with solution of 2 tbsp baking soda and 1 litre of hot water, rinse with a damp cloth and towel dry.
• Discard any expired product.
• Vacuum refrigerator grill and coil.
• Pull out the refrigerator to clean sides, top, walls and floor.

Freezer

• Defrost.
• Discard expired/freezer burned product.
• Wipe down shelves and interior with solution of 2 tbsp baking soda and 1 litre of hot water. Rinse with a damp cloth and towel dry.

Dishwasher

• Wipe door panel control panel with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.
• Clean filter as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Cabinets

• Wipe down with warm, soapy water.
• Re-organize and de-clutter as necessary.
• Discard any expired product.
• If you have a space between the cabinets and ceiling, carefully climb up and wipe down the top of the cabinets where grease and dust tend to build up.

Countertops

• Clear off the counter completely and clean with warm soapy water.
• Clean the backsplash with warm soapy water.
• De-clutter leaving only the essentials on the countertop. This is your working space so it should be free of unnecessary things.

Sink

• Scrub sink using a paste of 1 part baking soda to 3 parts water.
• Soak the faucet in 1 part vinegar to 1 part water to clear it of any mineral deposits.
• Flush the drain by pouring 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Cover the drain with plug and let sit for 5 minutes. Then flush with 2 litres of boiling water.
• De-clutter and clean under the sink.
• Wash down garbage, compost and recycling bins.

Floors and baseboards

• Wash baseboards and floors with a warm soapy water.

You may find these posts helpful as well:

Making your own cleaning supplies

Guidelines for cleaning

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Reference:  Stewart, Martha. Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, 2006.