A recent study found that the dirtiest room in your house isn’t the bathroom, it’s the kitchen.
In fact, the study showed that the kitchen contains more bacteria from fecal matter than any other room.
Whether it’s the holiday season, omicron, or just plain disgust, there are some kitchen cleaning tips that will completely change how you clean.
Here’s our guide on how to deep clean a kitchen.
Start with the Dirtiest Item (If This Applies)
If you regularly clean your kitchen and all of your appliances, cabinetry, and plumbing, skip to the next step. But, if you have a big cleaning project to tackle, like a neglected oven, cleaning a sink, or a large spill, start there. Tackling the dirtiest item first will ensure that the dirt from that area won’t contaminate other parts of the kitchen (or beyond).
Work From Top To Bottom
If you have a soffit, you know too well how much dust can get trapped above your cabinets. If you’ve ever tried to clean that dust, you know how pieces of it will fall down onto your counters and floor. This is why it’s best to start from the top of your kitchen. Start with lighting, cabinets, walls, doors, and door frames.
Take Inventory
Deep cleaning is the time to reconsider how much you need all of the “stuff” you’ve acquired in your cabinets and drawers. Do you really need 16 water bottles? Or 20 coffee mugs? When is the last time you used that fondue set?
Make it a point to acknowledge all of the items you interact with as you clean and reconsider what you actually need. Donate items that still have life in them, discard broken or unfixable items. Be sure to physically move and wipe down decorative vases, plants, small appliances, cookware, and glassware. Then, thoroughly clean the surfaces they occupy.
Have the Right Tools and Supplies
Deep cleaning doesn’t require a lot of expensive cleaners. In fact, most cleaners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which kill millions of people every year. A jug of vinegar and a sack of baking soda will get you pretty far. But, it also helps to have effective tools.
Cleaning tools can be purchased or made from random objects lying around your home. But, researching the most effective cleaning techniques can literally save you hours of time. There are definitely some “made for TV” products that are all hype, but some cleaning gadgets, like joy soap, can change your life.
Don’t Miss “Hidden In Plain Sight” Spaces
There are some surfaces and corners in our kitchens that we’re so used to seeing that we forget how “dirty” they actually are. For example, when is the last time you sanitized your coffee or espresso maker? Or disinfected the sink drain? Be on a mission to uncover every nook that germs and dirt might be hiding.
How to Deep Clean a Kitchen
This article only scratches the surface of how to deep clean a kitchen. We haven’t even gotten into how to clean the insides of your cabinetry and appliances. But, following these simple steps should save you time and make cleaning more effective.
Click over to our “lifestyle” section for more tips.
