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How to clean a kitchen

Supplies for your Cleaning Caddy:

  • Powdered cleanser
  • Glass cleaner
  • All purpose cleaner
  • White scrub pad (scratchless)
  • Feather duster
  • Whisk broom
  • Floor cleaner
  • 10 cleaning clothes
  • 3 Mop pads

Supplies for your cleaning apron:

  • 1 plastic scraper
  • 1 small brush
  • 2 plastic bags (with clips) – liners for your pocket

Hand carry:

  • Mop
  • Vaccum

The starting point

  • Lean the mop next to the entryway into the kitchen
  • Put your cleaning tray on the counter next to the sink
  • The strategy is to clean clockwise (left to right), never backtracking while carrying all the tools needed in the apron. You should be able to make it completely around
  • The kitchen is cleaned with many pick up and replace movements.
  • For example, pick up your feather duster, use it, then replace it. Pick up your General Purpose cleaner, spray, then wipe, spray, then wipe, replace. Pick up your small brush, use it, then replace.
  • These motions become smooth and effortless with practice.

Getting dressed

  • Fasten your apron around your waist tightly.
  • Make sure your small brush and other tools are in the correct pockets.
  • Hang the glass cleaner and general purpose cleaner handles on the loops of your apron.
  • Always use the same loop for the glass cleaner and the same loop for general purpose.
  • Be sure to always tighten and retighten spray bottle tops.
  • All tools go in the same place every time, so you know exactly where to find without looking.
  • Stick your feather duster in your back pocket. Always where pants with back pockets!
  • Whisk broom goes in the other back pocket. Use it to brush dirt and debris away from vents, corners, and walls.
  • Take enough cleaning cloths to make it all the way around. At first grab more than what you might need, then you’ll get better at knowing as time goes on

Setting up

  • Place any throw rugs near the entryway or door. Be sure you take a mental picture of where they were as you will need to remember exactly where they go. If you are on a team, you make sure to be the one that puts them back in the right spot.
  • Make sure you lay them flat, so that when you (or your partner) come by doing the floors, they can be easily vacuumed.
  • Place the trash can just outside the the entry to the kitchen whether you are on a team or working alone. This will keep the trash can out of the way and also make it easier when its time to go around collecting the trash.

Cupboards, counters, and fingerprints

  • Now you will begin moving and cleaning around the kitchen from clockwise from left to right. Starting just to the right of the sink.
  • Be in the habit of looking up. Look at high cabinets and watch for cobwebs
  • Start up high with the cabinets looking for fingerprints. Look especially near the handles or edges used to open them. For initial cleanings, use the general purpose cleaner and wipe them down. Spray the cleaner into the cloth, then wipe. Never spray directly on the cabinets.
  • You will typically be actively using 2 cleaning cloths at a time. One more damp and one more dry. As one gets too damp, replace with the one you were using that was more dry. Then replace the one that was more dry with a fresh cloth.
  • Spray the countertop in front of you.
  • Pick up items toward the back, wipe them and wipe under them, replace. Work from back to front.
  • Items to pick up would things like sugar containers, toasters, coffee makers, and small appliances.
  • When moving items on the counter, move straight forward far enough to get behind them.
  • Before you move the item back, wipe down or dust. Then put back exactly where it goes.
  • Wipe the counter where they were, then move on.
  • Dust or wipe drawer front tops as you come to them. Check drawer handles and knobs for fingerprints.
  • If there are any tight areas, especially around handles use the small brush with some general purpose cleaner. Wipe dry.
  • When cloths get too wet, place inside a liner, or grocery bag inside your apron. Be careful if placing on the floor as it can stain some surfaces
  • Be in the habit of placing the sprayer back in the loops, not on the kitchen counter. It may seem awkward at first, but it is faster and easier.

Countertop problems

Situation: You are cleaning the counter top and you come to a spot that has very stuck-on dried up food. You wipe and it seems very difficult to remove.

  • First you try wiping with a little extra general purpose cleaner
  • Next try the white scrubbing pad with some extra general purpose cleaner. Once finished place it back in its spot, exactly where it should always go. Use a plastic liner.
  • If the white pad doesn’t work, try the plastic spatula. Spray and then try to scrap off at an angle.

Picture glass, window glass, and mirrors

  • Use glass cleaner and a dry cloth
  • Spray lightly and evenly
  • Wipe with the dry cloth until its completely dry.
  • If you don’t wipe completely dry, it may leave streaks
  • Replace glass cleaner in the correct loop on your apron.
  • TIP: If you spray more glass cleaner than you need, it takes longer to clean. Spray lightly and don’t overspray.
  • TIP: Never wash cloths meant for glass with any other cloths. Residues, especially from furniture polish may stick and leave glass looking hazy and streaked.

Cobwebs and doors

  • Be sure you are looking up high
  • Knock any cobwebs down with your feather duster.
  • When you reach any doorways, look for cobwebs around them, including the top of the door frame.

Open shelves

These are shelves that may hold cookbooks, pots, pans, or other kitchen stuff.

  • Dust or wipe in front of the items on the shelf when there are many items and no room to move them.
  • If there are just a few items on each shelf, move the items with one hand, while dusting with the other.

Refrigerator – outside

  • Wipe or dust the top first – use the step stool to reach
  • Clean the fingerprints off the front, especially around the door handles
  • Clean around the hinges and nameplate – use the small brush as needed
  • Hit the vent at the bottom with the feather duster

The stove top

  • Clean the area above the stove first.
  • Spray and wipe the top of the hood.
  • Do not clean vent filters

Gas Ranges

  • Take grates from the left side and place them on top of the right grates
  • Spray and wipe the right side as necessary.
  • Use the white pad for tough areas, then plastic scraper for even tougher
  • If it still doesn’t work, go to your cleaning caddy and sprinkle a tiny amount powder cleanser on your white pad. Or touch a wet corner of your white pad to the top of the cleaner to pick up the extra powder.
  • After cleaning the left side, wipe and replace the left grates.
  • Then move the right grates to the counter just to the right of the stove.
  • Now clean the middle and right side of the stove top.
  • Clean the grates and return to the right side of the stove top.

Electric flat top ranges

  • First try spraying with general purpose cleaner, then wipe
  • If that doesn’t work, try a vinegar soak, then wipe.
  • For tougher job, touch a little powder cleanser (scratch-free) to your cleaning cloth. Rub the area until its clean.

Stove front

  • Spray knobs with general purpose cleaner. Agitate with your small brush around the edges of the knobs. Wipe clean
  • If they must be removed in order to clean, first leave them on and clean the knobs themselves.
  • Remove by pulling straight out, wipe clean, then place lined up so you know where it goes when its time to put in back in it’s place.
  • Now clean the areas you couldn’t reach with the knobs on.
  • Place the knobs back on. Be sure you do not accidently turn a knob and leave it on!!
  • Open the oven door and clean the inside on the front window
  • Close the door and finish spot cleaning the front on the oven

Middle island

  • If there is a middle island with no sink, this is probably the best time to clean it.
  • If it has a sink, save for last.

Toaster, toaster oven, can opener, and microwave

  • Use general purpose cleaner combined with white pad, cleaning cloth, and small brush to clean the outside of these items
  • For inside the microwave, spray general purpose cleaner, then wipe clean.
  • Make sure all these items go back exactly where you found them.

A reminder

You should not need to go back to any of the areas you have already cleaned. If you have to go back to clean something you missed, you did something wrong. Figure out what that is so you don’t repeat it at future cleanings. This will save you time and make your job easier!

The sink

  • You should finish up your trip around the kitchen by ending up in from of the sink.
  • If there are more than a few dishes, you will work around them
  • Using general purpose cleaner, spray and clean all around the top rim of the sink. All except the bowl.
  • Use the small brush to help clean hard to reach areas around the faucets and where the sink meets the counter.
  • Wipe clean and dry
  • Inside the bowl of the sink, run some water to make sure its wet.
  • Sprinkle a small amount cleaner on the bottom and especially around the drain.
  • Use the white pad to agitate the cleanser
  • Use the small brush around the drain as needed
  • Rinse and wipe dry. Feel with your hand to make sure that all the powder is removed