How to Spring Clean Your Kitchen (Plus Kitchen Cleaning Tips!)
Cleaning your kitchen for spring is a great way to start the season off right. While many consider wiping down cabinets or rearranging your fridge the only tasks required to spring clean your kitchen, we're here to tell you otherwise. The tasks below will help you keep your kitchen squeaky clean, even leading up to a major spring cleaning session.
Following a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual cleaning in the kitchen list will give you a tidy, healthy space to create recipes.
Daily:
Wash and Put Away Dirty Dishes
Whether you have a dishwasher or manually wash your dishes and utensils with hot soapy water, it's best to clean them daily and put them away. Allowing dishes to sit in a warm, damp environment encourages bacteria to grow. Plus, if you allow dishes to sit, you'll have to spend hours scrubbing them later.
Pro Tip: If you prefer doing your dishes all at once, set aside a specific time daily to get them done. This will help build a habitual routine.
Clean Your Cutting Board
Depending on how often you use your cutting board, this may be a daily or weekly task. Anytime you use it, even when cutting bread, you'll want to wash the board with hot water and mild dish soap. Make sure to use a dry cloth to get as much of the moisture off as possible, as this will help prevent wooden cutting boards from splitting.
Wipe Spills and Messes
If you make a mess in the kitchen, whether dripping juice on the counter, spilling sauce on the floor, or those pesky grease spots after cooking, it's best to clean it up immediately. You can usually count on warm water, dish soap, and paper towels as your kitchen cleaning essentials for a spill.
Clean That Kitchen Sink
Your sink can harbor harmful bacteria if not cleaned on a regular basis. Always clean your sink after handling raw meat. We recommend cleaning your sink after you've done your dishes to make it easier. Use soap and warm water to clean it and then follow up with a disinfectant like diluted bleach or white vinegar. Be sure to clean that drain as that's where there will be the most grime (and bacteria).
Clean as a Countertop
Countertops are used on a regular basis so we recommend cleaning them daily and deep cleaning once a week. Again, anytime raw meat is used on these countertops (even with a cutting board) we recommend cleaning them down to prevent any contamination or bacteria from spreading onto other surfaces.
Weekly:
Replace Your Sponges
Depending on use, sponges can last up to two weeks. Be sure to wring them out before putting them away. Even sanitized sponges can harbor bacteria over time. Replace your sponge before they begin to smell. If it smells, toss it out.
Use a Baking Soda Cleaning Solution for Stainless Steel
To avoid costly stainless steel cleaners, mix 1/4 cup of baking soda and a small amount of water to form a paste. This paste works well on stainless steel refrigerators, smaller appliances, and sinks. It can even help get rid of water stains. After mixing the paste, use a microfiber cloth to rub it onto surfaces and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then, wipe it away with a soft, damp cloth.
Sweep and Mop the Floors
Cleaning your floors once a week ensures you aren't tracking crumbs around the house. Sweep or vacuum the floors first to pick up loose food bits or crumbs. Then, use a mop and soapy water to clean the floors.
Monthly:
Check Your Inventory
Checking your inventory once a month is a great way to keep your shelf staples stocked. Look over oils, vinegar, dry baking ingredients, and pantry items to get an idea of what you need to replenish. Check your freezer to dispose of expired ingredients (or those frozen ripe bananas you said you would use for banana bread that has been sitting there for months.)
Replace Spices
Don't wait until you create a recipe to check your spice levels. Instead, make it a monthly task to refill any low spices. This cleaning task ensures you won't ever run out when cooking.
Pro Tip: Avoid grocery shopping more often by purchasing spices in larger, bulk containers. Then, you can refill your spices for at least a few months without making an extra stop at the store.
Don't Forget the Garbage Disposal
If you use the garbage disposal regularly, you'll want to clean it out every month to avoid any issues with odor. You can make an easy at-home cleaning solution using half a cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar. Sprinkle the baking soda down the disposal, then pour the vinegar on top. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes before running the garbage disposal with hot water.
Wipe Down Your Kitchen Trash Can
Anytime something leaks in your trash can, or you notice an odor, it's time to clean it. Generally, this will be about once per month. Start by emptying any trash inside the can. Then, rinse it out with an outdoor hose or in your bathtub. Dry the trash can with paper towels before spraying a disinfectant on the exterior and interior. Take a long nylon bristle brush and scrub the inside of the trash can. Dry it again with more paper towels, replace the bag, and it's ready to use.
Yearly:
Clean Small Appliances One-By-One
Spring cleaning is an ideal time to deep clean small appliances, like your coffee maker, toaster, blender, and microwave. Weekly wipe-downs will help save you time during a deep cleaning. If you have extra time, check the manuals for these appliances, as they may note necessary maintenance, such as a bulb or filter change.
Sharpen Kitchen Knives
Crafting meals with dull knives is dangerous, as it's easier for the knives to slip while in use. Generally, it's best to sharpen your kitchen knives about 1-2 times per year to help keep them in good shape.
Pro Tip: Ensure you hone your knives after every few uses, so they stay sharper for longer.
Deep Clean Cabinets and Get Rid of Unused Items
Spring kitchen cleanup is a great way to eliminate unused items, such as bakeware, cracked mugs, chipped plates, or damaged pots and pans. Start by pulling all items from the shelves and separating them into keep or discard/donate piles. Once everything is out of your cabinets, you can deep clean them with warm soapy water and cleaning cloths. Then, use a clean damp rag or cloth to wipe any remaining soap from the cabinets. Ensure you clean the outside of the cabinets and allow the shelves to dry completely before placing the items you're keeping on the shelves.
Clean the Oven Interior
This task is best done seasonally, as grime, crumbs, and other food particles can build up quickly. A quick homemade solution for cleaning the oven's interior can be made using baking soda, water, and vinegar. Make a paste with 1/2 cup baking soda and water. Use a clean paintbrush to spread the mixture around the oven. Then, mix white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. Pour into a reusable spray bottle, then cover the inside of the oven with the solution. You can spray the extra solution on sections with stubborn spots. Leave the solution overnight. Then, wipe the solution off your oven using water and a clean rag.
The above helpful tips and spring cleaning tasks will ensure your kitchen is up to par year-round. A clean kitchen gives you more space to create your favorite recipes. You can use our Recipe Finder to explore 1,000,000+ dishes if you need recipe inspiration.
