How to Manage Your Spring Cleaning – Spring Cleaning the Kitchen

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In our spring cleaning series (spring cleaning the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms) we are addressing the best way to spring clean and organize the most common rooms in your home to make cleaning them: manageable, easier, and less time-consuming for yourself and your loved ones. This post contains an affiliate link. We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this banner or link (at absolutely no extra cost to you).

Home » Blog » Home Safety & Cleaning » How to Manage Your Spring Cleaning – Spring Cleaning the Kitchen

Warm weather is around the corner, and hopefully you, and your family will be able to start spending some time outside. But before you start finalizing your plans for that family beach vacation, there is a room left to spring clean in your home.

Much like the bathroom, the kitchen is a room used by everyone in the house, and it can get dirty quickly. Food and drinks, dishes, pots and pans, refrigerator, microwave, oven, countertops, sink, coffee maker, and other appliances are consumed and used daily in the kitchen. With so many areas in the kitchen to clean, your regular cleaning may be missing some of these areas. 

In the last of our spring cleaning series, we will focus on spring cleaning the kitchen and addressing these areas for the year to come.

In this post, we will lay out the best, most effective, efficient way for spring cleaning the kitchen and set up a year-long routine for thoroughly cleaning your home.

Spring Cleaning Vs. Deep Cleaning

In a previous post, we mentioned deep cleaning. Spring cleaning goes beyond deep cleaning because it involves organizing and preparing your home for the rest of the year.

It is also to get rid of any dust, allergens, and even mold trapped in the home during the winter months.

Spring Cleaning the Kitchen

The problem with spring cleaning the kitchen (or cleaning in general) is that it is time-consuming and overwhelming.

A kitchen is a place where we cook our meals, store our food, and even eat, so for us to stay healthy, it needs to be clean. And like the bathroom, some areas need to be cleaned and disinfected.

So, start with a plan. Like anything in life, start with a plan and don’t deviate from it unless you have to. The key to getting spring cleaning done the quickest, most efficient way possible is to not get distracted by shiny objects, aka other stuff in the kitchen, and stick to the plan.

Here’s the Plan:

Start with the top and clean your way down. For anything you clean, start from the top and clean down, that way you are cleaning up everything that falls below as you keep going down. Spring clean your kitchen in the order below.

Start the Washer

Before you begin spring cleaning, put the dishrags, kitchen towels, and washable window coverings in the washer.

Ceiling

Wipe the ceiling with a microfiber cloth or duster to remove cobwebs and dirt. If you find any mold on the ceiling, remove it using vinegar.

Learn how to get rid of mold in your home with cleaning vinegar by reading our post – Will Cleaning Vinegar Kill Mold?

Ceiling Fans (in 3 steps)

Ceiling-Fans
Cleaning the Ceiling Fan

After the ceiling, move on to cleaning the ceiling fan (if there is one). Turn off the fan and lights.

  1. Wipe each blade with a microfiber cloth. For real dusty fan blades, cover each blade with an old pillowcase, capturing the dust in the pillowcase.
  2. Remove each light bulb and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Remove each light bulb shade and wash with soap and water, then let dry. Clean with a microfiber cloth or microfiber duster all around the light sockets.
  3. Using a dry microfiber cloth, wipe around the electric motor housing, including down the pull chains.

Walls

Run a microfiber duster or a microfiber cloth down the walls.

Windows

While your drapes or curtains are still washing, the next area to spring clean in the kitchen would be the windows. If you don’t have drapes or curtains and instead you have blinds or shades, check out this guide to cleaning them.

Wipe

Starting at the top part of the window, wipe down the window trim and all parts inside the window and window frame, including the screen (without taking the screen out) with a dry microfiber cloth. If you can fold the window in to get access to the window facing outside, wipe everything down on the outside of the window as well. Whatever dirt, dust, leaves, dead insects, or spider webs that fall to the bottom of inside the window frame, vacuum up.

Now fill a bucket with warm water and put a few drops of dish soap or Miracle II soap (affiliate link) in it.

To learn more about Miracle II soap, read our review of it – Miracle II Soap: The Ultimate Review of its Unparalleled Cleaning Benefits

Clean

Dip the dry microfiber cloth into the bucket, only partially wetting it, and clean the window and window frame again. Use the dry part of the microfiber cloth or paper towel to wipe up excess water and soap.

Clean the glass part of the window after everything else is clean. Fill a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water. Spray the glass, then use the partially damp microfiber cloth or paper towel to wipe it up, wiping it in a Z motion.

Finally, wipe the window sill and the apron underneath it.

Cabinets, Drawers, and Pantry

During the year, your cabinets, drawers, and pantry accumulate food and other things. Now would be the time to organize them. 

Remove everything and throw out anything expired, spilled, or broken. Have a bunch of lids but missing the container or containers without lids? You might want to throw some of them out or find a new use for them. 

If you have the time to do a kitchen cabinet and drawer makeover, check out this guide to organizing your kitchen cabinets and these clever ways to organize your kitchen drawers.

Once you have removed everything, vacuum the inside, then wipe down the drawers and inside the shelves with a microfiber cloth. Put everything back (in an organized manner, of course). Wipe the outside of the cabinets, drawers, and pantry with a microfiber cloth.

Big Appliances

Refrigerator: The refrigerator is a great invention, and it’s come a long way, especially in recent years with the creation of smart refrigerators. But they still don’t clean themselves or throw out expired items. You’re going to have to do that.

Spring cleaning the refrigerator is more than just throwing out any expired condiments. It also includes cleaning the outside of it and the condenser coils and fan blade. To do that and give your refrigerator a thorough cleaning, follow this step-by-step guide.

It’s also important to remember that out of every appliance in the kitchen, the refrigerator is one of the most dangerous to your family’s health. If you don’t organize it, clean it properly, or throw out expired food, your family can get sick.

Oven: Most every kitchen has two appliances. One is a refrigerator and the other an oven. You may not use your oven every day and tend to forget about it after you use it, but have you cleaned it lately? It probably needs a good cleaning. Read our post – Clean Your Oven Naturally in 6 Easy Steps, to learn how to remove burnt-on food and make your oven like new again.

Toaster Appliances

Toaster: If you haven’t taken a good look inside your toaster in a while, then you probably should. Your toaster over time can accumulate quite a bit of crumbs. 

How to Clean Your Toaster:
  1. To remove those crumbs and clean your toaster first, unplug the toaster.
  2. Use a small brush or toothbrush to clean the inside of it. Remove the crumb tray and discard the crumbs.
  3. Wash or wipe it with a microfiber cloth. Take the toaster outside or over your sink and turn it upside down. Shake it.
  4. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the outside.
  5. Place the crumb tray back into the toaster.

Toaster oven: Want something cooked crispy with melted cheese on top, and you need it quickly? Then, the toaster oven (the combination of a toaster and an oven) is the appliance to do it. 

But cooking in the toaster oven can leave the combination mess of a toaster and an oven. Over time, this mess, if not cleaned up, can potentially lead to a fire and the smell of burnt food every time you use it. To avoid this, clean your toaster oven in five easy steps using this guide.

Small Appliances

Coffee-Maker-small-appliances-

Coffee Maker:

If your mornings are like most parents’ mornings, it’s probably centered around the coffee maker. Your day doesn’t start until you make your coffee.

With this constant, daily use, hard water minerals can build up inside the coffee maker and mold and other germs. This can cause your coffee maker to brew slower until eventually it won’t brew at all.

Check your coffee maker manual for cleaning instructions and cleaning frequency, but most recommend cleaning it at least every sixty days. If you haven’t cleaned yours in a while, clean it now in 3 simple steps:

  1. Fill the reservoir with a solution made of half water and half vinegar. Put a paper filter in and brew the solution. Once it has completed brewing, let it cool down. After it has cooled, remove the carafe or pot and paper filter and dump it out. Now fill the reservoir with cold water and brew again. Let it sit again until it cools, then dump it out.
  2. Wash the carafe or pot and any other loose parts with a dishrag, water, and dish soap or Miracle II soap (affiliate link).
  3. Wipe the coffee maker down and warming plate with the dishrag. Let all the coffee maker parts dry before making coffee again.

To learn how to clean your coffee pot and maker with apple cider vinegar, read our post – Will Apple Cider Vinegar Clean a Coffee Pot?

Microwave:

The invention of the microwave oven has changed the way busy moms and dads feed their children. A couple of minutes is all you need, and the leftovers or microwave-ready meals are ready to be served. 

This quick and frequent use overtime can result in foul odors and hard-to-remove splattered food. To remove the splattered food and foul food odors, try spring cleaning your microwave oven using vinegar and follow the steps below:

  1. Heat a cup of vinegar in a coffee mug. This will soften up the splattered food.
  2. Wipe down the inside of the microwave with a microfiber cloth, scrub sponge, or paper towel. Spray more vinegar in the microwave to clean hard-to-remove stains, if necessary.
  3. Wash the microwave plate in the sink.

Countertops and Stovetops

Whether you have a stovetop, cooktop, or range, you should clean it regularly. Same with your kitchen countertops.

So there isn’t much spring cleaning to do here, but if you are cleaning it regularly, are you also sanitizing them to kill germs (bacteria and viruses)? If you haven’t started sanitizing the high-touch areas in your home, you should make it part of your regular cleaning routine.

Disinfect:

After cleaning your countertops and stovetops, sanitize them to kill the germs using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

  • Hydrogen peroxide: To get the most out of hydrogen peroxide’s disinfecting properties, spray or pour it on the surface of the countertop or stovetop and let it sit for at least 60 seconds, then wipe.
  • Isopropanol 70% or higher (Rubbing Alcohol): To get the most out of isopropyl alcohol, apply it to the kitchen countertop or stovetop surface and let it sit for at least 30 seconds, then wipe it up.

Check out our article – The Fundamental Guide to Sanitize Your Home: Tips and Tricks to learn how.

Kitchen Sink

Kitchen-Sink
Stainless Steel Sink

Spring cleaning the kitchen sink may not be much different than the weekly cleaning you do now, but this is an area you also don’t want to forget the additional step of disinfecting.

How to Clean Your Kitchen Sink (safely and naturally)

How to clean a stainless steel or porcelain kitchen sink:

  1. Cover the surface of the sink with warm water. Sprinkle baking soda over the sink.
  2. Wipe the baking soda (paste) around the sink using any type of rag or cloth. Use an old toothbrush to brush the paste around seals and cracks.
  3. Pour some vinegar (vinegar will help eliminate any water spots) around the surface of the sink then wipe the paste and vinegar together around the sink.
  4. Next, wash off the cloth and start using it to remove the paste and baking soda. Keep washing the cloth off and wiping and removing the paste.

After cleaning the kitchen sink, disinfect it the same way you did the kitchen countertop and stovetop.

Under the Kitchen Sink

When was the last time you took a good look under your kitchen sink? You probably don’t think much about it until there is a leak or you run out of cleaning supplies. That’s why now is a great time to clean and organize it.

Trash Can: Do you store your kitchen trash can under your sink? There’s no need to explain how dirty a trash can get, especially one that is used for the kitchen and stored under the sink. If you have neglected to clean and disinfect your trash can in a while, do it now in 3 steps:

  1. Remove the garbage bag and any remnants left in the garbage can.
  2. Wipe the inside and outside of the trash can using a microfiber cloth.
  3. Use the previously mentioned procedure to disinfect it.

Light Switches and Doors

Light Switches: Until recently, you probably weren’t thinking about how often light switches are touched. They are high-touch areas in your home, so try to clean them often (more than just the springtime). 

To properly clean a light switch, use a dry microfiber cloth to go over the light switch and plate. If there are visible smudges, partially wet the microfiber cloth and wipe it down.

Doors: Much like light switches, door handles are also high-touch areas in your house. Try to clean them often as well. 

To clean a door in your kitchen, wipe it all down with a dry microfiber cloth, including the frame and trim. For any visible smudges, partially wet one corner of the microfiber cloth and use it to wipe them.

Once you have cleaned the light switches and door handles, disinfect them.

Floors

Finally, we come to the last area and the final step to spring cleaning your kitchen. Before cleaning the kitchen floor, take a dry microfiber cloth or duster and wipe down the baseboards or floor trim just above the flooring. Then, vacuum the floor.

To get the best cleaning for your floors, use a microfiber mop head and one of the cleaners from our guide – 10 Non-Toxic Floor Cleaners: Our Guide to Floor Cleaning Products.

Conclusion (Spring Cleaning All Year Long)

You can clean these kitchen areas on different days throughout the spring, or you can clean them all on one busy, long day.

Once your kitchen is spring-cleaned, here is what you can do to keep it tidy and clean for the rest of the year:

  • Make a cleaning schedule for the rest of the year, scheduling a thorough cleaning every season.
  • Every week go beyond your usual cleaning and clean one of the areas you previously spring cleaned. Since you already spring-cleaned these areas, it will be much easier and quicker to clean them.
  • Hire a home cleaning service. Only have time for one thorough spring cleaning a year? Hire a house cleaning service to clean your whole house weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and maintain that spring clean.

To read the other parts of our spring cleaning series, click the links below:

How to Manage Your Spring Cleaning – Spring Cleaning the Bathroom

How to Manage Your Spring Cleaning – Spring Cleaning the Bedroom

In the comments below, let us know which all-year spring cleaning routine you prefer.

10 thoughts on “How to Manage Your Spring Cleaning – Spring Cleaning the Kitchen”

  1. Hi, thanks for this article. It encouraged me to clean my kitchen. I’ll definitely try your plan and tips.
    Thanks again.
    Tanya

  2. Spring cleaning in the kitchen is always important, I usually notice how dirty every thing is when I do my spring cleaning. It’s a great way to clean up to bottom and it makes sense. Thank you for your useful hacks, I usually have a really bad time cleaning the windows I will try your way next time.

    • You’re welcome Nataliya. I always use vinegar and water to clean the windows and mirrors and it always works. Give it a try!

  3. Hey,

    This is a really informative article and is something that my girlfriend would be happy that I’m reading. We both clean the kitchen, but since coronavirus it seems we can’t get it clean enough. We are wiping worktops, door handles, fridge and everywhere else every 5 minutes.

    I am going to try your recommendations just to see if we can get it to that level of cleanliness we are looking for. I’ll let you know how I get on.

    Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.

    All the best,

    Tom

    • You’re welcome Tom. It’s good to hear you are consistently cleaning the high-touch areas in your home. I hope the post helps!

  4. Your article has motivated me to spring clean my house as well! I liked the way you broke down the areas for easy doing and also not getting overwhelmed.

    Many Thanks

    Habib

    • You’re welcome Habib. I’m glad to hear you are going to start spring cleaning. I hope the post helps!

  5. Hi. It really lot of work to spring cleaning a kitchen! Thank you for sharing your plan on how to do it. If I didn’t come across your article, I won’t exactly know where to start. I don’t think I can complete in one day. I might need 2 days to complete…:-)

    • You’re welcome Janet. Spring cleaning is a lot of work. I hope this plan can help you get it done quickly and efficiently. Thanks!

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