Spring Clean Your Kitchen

The Plan

One of the biggest tricks of the trade is simply having a plan and following a system. Start at the entry point to the room, pick a direction, and starting at the top, clean the first thing you come to. Top to bottom, left to right (or right to left!), then loop through the center of the room for tables, chairs, and islands. Otherwise, you may miss areas and do a lot of back tracking wasting time and energy. Straighten up areas as you get to them and make a pile right outside of the room for items that don’t belong in the kitchen, but don’t put them away until you are finished cleaning.

Getting sidetracked is the number one time-zapper when cleaning the house, so if you know you’ll have lots of things to relocate, place a basket right outside the kitchen doorway as a temporary holding spot.

The Tools

You’ll need plenty of microfiber cloths. These reusable gems grab and remove dirt and germs. Dry dusting shelves and knick knacks with microfiber cloths is much more effective, and allergy-friendly, than feather dusters or cotton cloths. Damp microfiber cloths clean a multitude of surfaces without the need for any cleaning product. Brown walnut scrubbie pads are gentle enough on most surfaces and won’t scratch like green pads will. Do not use them, however, on stainless steel.

A HEPA vacuum or high-filtration vacuum will not only suck up the tiniest of dust and dirt particles, but actually cleans and filters the air at the same time. Invest in the best equipment you can and you’ll have less dust recirculating and resettling on freshly cleaned surfaces. And finally, wearing an apron helps you be more efficient as you can keep tools, such as a plastic scrapper and small paint brush for getting into corners and crevices, easily at hand.

The Products

Organic or green multi-purpose cleaners are readily available at grocery stores and superstores. Look for products that disclose all ingredients and are free of synthetic fragrance and colors. Powdered cleanser such as Bon Ami provide extra scrubbing power and dish soap is great for tackling grease. Vinegar has sanitizing properties but don’t use it around natural stone as it can etch the surface. When it comes to stainless steel product use, less is best. Try buffing out smudges with a dry microfiber cloth first, then move on to a damp cloth with touch of dish soap where needed, and then back to a dry cloth to buff.

The Time

An average sized kitchen can be spring cleaned in two hours. You may need to adjust depending on the number of people living in your home, if you have pets, and how long it’s been since you’ve done a deep cleaning. But by all means, give yourself a limit so you don’t get wrapped up in details such as organizing the junk drawer rather than wiping down the ceiling fan blades. Clutter clearing is a whole other task best saved for a rainy day.

The List

For kitchen spring cleaning, you’re focusing on all the extra details that will make your kitchen sparkle!

●Self-clean the oven the night before so all you need do is wipe out the debris

●Vacuum and wipe down the fridge vent or face grill

●Clean inside the fridge and freezer. This is a great time to check expiration dates.

●Degrease the stove hood

●Wipe the ceiling fan

●Crevice vacuum all edges of the room and under the edges of large area rugs

●Wipe the feet and legs on chairs and furniture

●Clean inside the microwave (boil a cup of water in it to steam clean and loosen grime first)

●Remove flatware and clean out all compartments in the tray

●Pour ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the sink drain and let it fizzle for a while before rinsing away. For garbage disposals, grind a one inch piece of lemon for a fresh, natural scent.

●Wash pot holders

●Wipe inside garbage cans and recycling bins

●Replace dish towels with bright spring colors!

Spring cleaning your kitchen can be a great way to freshen your home for a new season. No time for house cleaning? Trust Harmony Clean, Inc. to give your house green cleaning you can trust.