When it’s time for quick kitchen cleaning on the weekend, you probably start with a quick wiping of the loose particles of dirt and dust with the mop or the vacuum cleaner. However, it is much more difficult to decide where to begin when it comes to thorough kitchen cleaning, which should take place at least once a year. Check out the following tips:
1 – Get a ladder or a big chair, which will help clean the ceiling, the light fixtures, the fans, the exhausts and the windows. It’s recommended to leave window cleaning last, but make sure to clean the window frames, the curtains, the window blinds or all other objects near the windows.
2 – Leave the fridge and the freezer open to defrost while you are doing something else in the meantime. The defrosting will last a couple of hours or even more, according to the room temperature and the model of the fridge, so leave it be while you handle your other home cleaning tasks. Unplug all the cables and remove all the inner compartments such as racks, shelves, acrylic boxes and metal grids. Put them in the sink or in a big bowl to soak for a couple of hours in a pre-mixed homemade detergent of hot water, baking soda, white vinegar and dishwashing detergent. It should be much easier to wipe off the dirt with just a sponge after they have soaked for a while. When the fridge and the freezer are completely defrosted, clean all the inner walls and surfaces with another detergent for these specific type of surfaces. Rub the hardest stains with a sponge or cotton towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Add the juice of a lemon to the alcohol to enhance the pleasant aroma. Leave the doors open to enhance the evaporation rate. Polish all the surfaces with dry paper towels. Don’t forget to clean the backside of the fridge and the freezer, and pay special attention to the cooling coils.
3 – Clean the kitchen countertop, the dining table and the dining area if it is a part of the kitchen. It’s recommended to use a stronger store-bought domestic cleaning detergent in order to ensure a better sanitising effect. The kitchen sink should be next and it is enough just to sprinkle some baking soda onto the heavily soiled areas, then a tiny amount of vinegar, and to rinse everything thoroughly with just cool water. The most persistent stains can again be rubbed with a sponge. If the surfaces are tiled, then get a stiff brush or a grooming brush to rub the grout lines – that will help you with stain removal. The grout lines usually have the heaviest stains, dirt and darker spots.
4 – Clean all other kitchen appliances and furnishings. For oven cleaning – do it in the same way as with the fridge – remove the metal grids and racks, and soak them in hot water. The hot water alone is enough to degrease the dried-up darker stains and to make them easier to remove. Clean all the inner surfaces such as the vents and the lights, and remove the burner grid of the gas stove for easier cleaning.
5 – The kitchen floor is perhaps the most difficult part, especially if you keep rugs and carpets in the kitchen. Tiled floors or other hard floors are easier to clean, but the fibres of the carpets usually see the heaviest foot traffic, especially near the dining area. Hire a professional company for domestic cleaning if a quick spot clean doesn’t work according to your expectations.