How to do Spring Cleaning in the Kitchen

In the spring I like to do some spring cleaning to make the house fresh and clean. While the task of actually doing the cleaning isn’t too fun, the benefits of a freshly, deep cleaned home are great. Earlier this month I shared how to make a personalized spring cleaning plan. As well as how to do spring cleaning in the living room and bedroom.

I’m sharing today, how to do spring cleaning in the kitchen. I have to admit, spring cleaning the kitchen is my least favorite spring cleaning task. With all the cupboards and doors and drawers to clean, it can take some time. But once it’s done, I alway enjoy how nice and sparkling clean the kitchen is.

How to do Spring Cleaning in the Kitchen

The first thing you’ll need is cleaning supplies. Here’s what I use,

Long handled duster (to get to those high cobwebs and clean the corners)
Vacuum
E-cloth Deep Clean Mop
E-cloth Starter Pack
E-cloth Window Cleaning Pack
Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads

Deciding What to Spring Clean in the Kitchen

Once you have your supplies gathered you need to decided what you will be cleaning. Will you clean inside of all the cupboards or just some? Will you be cleaning the appliances or are they already cleaned each week or month? Will you be decluttering as you go along? Take a look around your kitchen and decide what needs to be done.

Here’s the list of tasks I usually do for spring cleaning in the kitchen. When I do this much cleaning, it pretty much takes me all day long.

Kitchen Spring Cleaning Tasks

• Clean the inside of each of the cupboards and drawers. Declutter each one as I go along.
• Clear off and declutter the countertops.
• Clean the light fixtures
• Wash the windows and screens.
• Rinse off the plants.
• Wipe down the outside of the upper cupboards.
• Clean the walls as I come to them, this is where a magic eraser comes in handy. Don’t forget the light switches.
• Clean the microwave and toaster oven.
• Clean all of the countertops and reseal grout if needed.
• Wipe down the front of the lower cupboards and drawers.
• Declutter and clean under the sink.
• Clean behind, under and inside the refrigerator.
• Clean the oven.
• Mop the floor.
• Clean the sink.

The list above is pretty much the order I do my cleaning in too. I like to clean from top to bottom. I also leave the sink for last.

Decluttering the Kitchen

If your spring cleaning the inside of all of the cupboards, then it’s a prefect time to declutter too. Get rid of all of the items you just don’t use or want anymore. I know I tend to build up way to many plastic containers in my cupboard and this is a great time to get them out. Be sure to donate any usable items, no sense in throwing away good stuff.

I tackle one cupboard at a time. I remove all the items from the cupboard, sorting as I take them out. Then I clean the cupboard really well with an e-cloth. Once the cupboard is clean I replace all the items I’m keeping back in the cupboard and then move onto the next one.

Cleaning the Countertops

Before I start to clean the countertops, I like to clear them off first. It makes the whole job go so much faster. Plus it’s a good time to get rid of those items that have found a new home on the kitchen counters. Place those items that need to be put away or given away into a box to deal with later. Be sure to clean the items as you are removing them so they will be ready to go back once the countertops are clean.

I like to use my e-cloth to clean the counter tops. It works really well to clean but occasionally, I’ll use my steam cleaner. If you don’t have an e-cloth or a steam cleaner, warm water and soap work really well. Rinse well after cleaning with soapy water.

Cabinet Cleaning

What your cabinets are made of will determine what you use to clean them. I have wooden cupboards. I like to use the e-cloth on those too. I love the e-cloth as it so versatile and cleans really well.

But if I’m going to use a cleaner. I usually will use Murphy’s Oil Soap. It is what my family has used forever to clean wood and I find it works really well. I have used my steam cleaner to clean the cupboards in the past too, but I’m always really careful with it since I’m sure it could damage the wood.

If you have a painted surface the e-cloth would probably work really well or just plain soap and water. Use what you know is compatible with your kitchen cabinet surface.

Cleaning the Appliances

Sometimes the appliances really need to be cleaned. It’s easy to overlook how bad they are getting. I know I keep the microwave really clean, since I clean it about once a week. But the oven can get out of hand.

One year it took me two hours to clean the inside of the oven. Right then and there I vowed never to let it get that bad. I was spoiled with my self-cleaning oven, but then the timer broke and no more self-cleaning. And the oven got really bad. I now place a cookie sheet as a drip pan on the second shelf of the oven. That has helped so much to keep the oven clean.

When cleaning the refrigerator, make sure to clean below the last drawer too. I don’t know how, but under the bottom drawer can get really bad. Be sure to take the drawer out and clean the bottom of the refrigerator. Another problem area can be the top of the refrigerator. Be sure to clear any items off the top and give it a good wipe down. Mine always build up a dusty, sticky film.

Cleaning the Floor

After all the cupboards are done and the appliances are cleaned, I will vacuum and then mop the floor. When I’m doing spring cleaning, I usually get down on my hands and knees and really scrub the floor well. I like to really clean along the baseboards and get out any dirt that has build up along there. It’s amazing to me how much can really build up.

I don’t wax my floor because it’s a no wax floor. But if your floor needs to be waxed or treated after it’s all cleaned, it would be a great time to do it.

Save the Sink for Last

I always save cleaning the kitchen sink as the last step in spring cleaning the kitchen. I use my sink to hold the soapy water for mopping and for cleaning the other items. So it only makes sense to save it and clean it as the last step.

That’s the basics for spring cleaning the kitchen. I know it’s a lot of work and sometimes I break it down into two or more days. Just so I don’t get burnt out on cleaning. But once the cleaning is done, it will be so nice. I’m always amazed at how much grease and dirt can be hiding in the kitchen. Since usually when I start my cleaning, the kitchen already looks pretty good.

What tasks do you do when you are doing your spring cleaning in the kitchen? Do you have anything to add to my kitchen spring cleaning list?

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See the other posts in the How to do Spring Cleaning series.