Since the bathroom tutorial was a hit, I figured the next area to tackle would be the kitchen. It is probably dirtier than the bathroom and yep, we make food there.
You will need:
· Common Sense
· Rubber Gloves
· Surface appropriate cleaner, polish or disinfectant
· Magic Eraser
· Cleaning cloths
· Glass cleaner
· Toothbrush
· Dobie
Begin by decluttering the counter tops. Mail, coupons, notes, these things do not belong here! Use a junk drawer, desk area or better yet, throw the garbage away. Last option is my favorite.
1. Again, work in a left to right top to bottom manner. Spray your counter tops with your surface cleaner and microwave with the glass cleaner to give it time to loosen things up. Use the magic eraser to wipe/scrub the counter top and wipe it clean with a cloth. Work in small sections, that way you are less likely to miss things. As you wipe clean the sections, thoroughly wipe down any appliances or knick knacks in them. Be sure to reach down and take care of the front of your dishwasher as you come to it. Same when you come to the fridge, clean what you come to. Clean any glass with glass cleaner. Other cleaners will make it streak. Yes you have to tell some people this.
2. The Microwave. What fun. If you don't use a paper towel to cover dishes now, you will after you clean a dirty stained microwave. As said in step 1, it is important to pre-spray the microwave. It makes wiping it out so much easier. Make sure to use glass cleaner in there. Work from the inside out. Most microwaves are above the stove, so if debris fall, it’s no big deal. If the microwave is not above the stove, you would want to clean it out first before cleaning the countertop below it.
3. The Stove. This is my least favorite, I must admit. It can be very difficult to cut through the grease and dirt that gets on a stove. Even after you clean it, it will streak and look awful. Many companies make very specific stove top cleaners. I would shop around, but there is always dish soap.
So, apply whatever concoction you use on your stove and use a magic eraser or a dobie to scrub it like crazy. You need thick suds, unless you are using a creamy base cleaner. Scrub for a good thirty seconds to a minute and don’t just get areas where you saw spills.
Rinsing can be tricky and cause a mess itself. I recommend getting a wet cloth or sponge to water down the scrubbing . Then dry and polish. You may need a few rags for this. Do your best. Polishing with vinegar works well. Use with a coffee filter and your flat top will sparkle!
4. Details, details, details. When you have more time to spend, these things are completely necessary. Empty the crumb tray from the toaster or toaster oven. I do this almost everytime, It just keeps things from getting backed up.
Wipe down your cabinets with a decent wood oil or green cleaner as to not harm wood. So much dust, food splashes, finger prints and more are happening on your cabinets. Show them some love.
Take a toothbrush and scrub the edge of where the counter meets the back splash. Yummy. Also, toothbrush the drains and around fixtures by the sink. You can also use it to detail the knobs of the stove, which should be periodically removed and washed.
Baseboards light switches and door frames. Wipe them. They’ll love you for it.
5. Scrub that sink! Bon Ami and a dobie works best. If you don’t have Bon Ami, Bar Keepers will do. Rinse and dry, making sure to shine the chrome on fixtures.
6. Make sure to vacuum or sweep your floor before you mop or hand wash. If you have tile with grout in the kitchen, I recommend getting a mop with removable parts so that you can screw on a scrub brush. Grout gets so nasty.
Go about your mopping business and have a ball. Another option here is to mop the whole house if you have hardwood everywhere and do all of your cleaning at once.
7. The time has come for double checking. Get eye level with your counter tops! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Bend down and look at them as if you were going to lay on them! A good percent of the time you will have missed a hardened food spill or crumb.
Well look at that….you did it!
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