Get The 411 On Cleaning Your Home: The Kitchen
Why A Cleaning Your Home Series
It’s September. School’s back in session, routines are settling in… and suddenly, you feel that familiar urge to get your home back in order.
If you’re itching to declutter, deep clean, and finally tackle those spaces you’ve been ignoring all summer—you’re in the right place, sweet mama.
Welcome to the Get the 411 on Cleaning Your Home series!
We’re diving into practical, step-by-step strategies to help you refresh every corner of your home—starting with one of the busiest and most important spaces of all: the kitchen. 🍽✨
Let’s roll up our sleeves and bring peace, order, and purpose back into your home—one room at a time.
Over the past few years, I have discovered that finding a good house cleaner is difficult. As a realtor, I am often asked to recommend a person or a company that cleans well. I have to say, I’ve been disappointed by most of the cleaners I’ve hired.
It’s not fun when you hire a cleaning person, and pay good money, and you have to come home and finish the job because they didn’t do it correctly.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a certain standard of cleanliness that I expect. Some might say I’m picky, but I’m a good cleaner and I have high standards. I credit my mama with teaching me well!
When I was just 11 years old, my mom—who was raising four of us on her own—had to work two jobs. As the oldest, I naturally stepped into the role of keeping the house in order. It gave me plenty of practice, and it’s where I first learned what it meant to maintain a clean and cared-for home.
My Son
When my son was 24, he moved out of our home and into a house with roommates. This particular son was NOT my neatest child. So what I’m about to share surprised me.
He had become accustomed to living in a clean home (ours), and when the house he currently lived in felt dirty, he didn’t like it. He was frustrated with his roommates for the way they cared for their home.
He didn’t enjoy it when they cooked eggs and left drips on the stove, or when the sink was left dirty and the counters felt sticky and unclean.
He was visiting our home for dinner one evening, and he asked me to give him a lesson on what I used to clean the kitchen. He asked me to write a list of cleaning products so he could go to the store and buy them all.
The real reason he wanted to learn? So he could teach his roommates how to clean. I was equal parts shocked, amused, and completely delighted.
This is the same child I once had to threaten with a cleaning fee just to get him to tidy his room—and now he’s the one frustrated because his roommates won’t clean up after themselves?
All I can say is… karma is real, my friends. 😚
My Daughter & Son-In-Law
My daughter got married last year, and during our first visit to their new home, I noticed their Corian sink had some pretty stubborn stains. I couldn’t help but think, surely I can help get that looking better for them. Mom mode: activated. 😉
The next morning, I rummaged through their cleaning products and went to work on the sink.
My daughter and son-in-law could not believe how good it looked. They had no idea they could get it clean. They had resigned themselves to the fact that their sink would be dirty and there was nothing they could do about it.
The very next day, I ordered a few of my favorite go-to cleaning products from Amazon and had them shipped straight to their doorstep. They were thrilled—and best of all, they’ve been able to maintain that clean sink. ✨
They also had an older electric stove and weren’t quite sure how to clean it. I showed them that the burner coils can be removed to clean underneath, and that the drip pans lift right out so they can be easily washed in the sink. A little know-how goes a long way!
These are the kinds of things I used to assume everyone just knew—but I’ve come to realize, how would they know if no one ever taught them?
We all start somewhere, and learning the little things—like how to clean an electric stove—is part of growing into the rhythm of home life. My oldest son and daughter-in-love had the same experience in one of their first homes, and they figured it out, step by step, just like we all do.
Give yourself (and others) grace in the learning process—it’s a journey, not a checklist. 💛
My Experience As A Realtor
As a realtor, I’ve been in countless homes. I am always shocked when I show clients a home and it is not clean. If nothing else, a home for sale should be clean when you put it up for sale, right???
When I have a new listing, I give my clients a list of what to clean when they prepare their homes for the market. You would be surprised how a clean home sells better than a dirty one.
The Question of “Clean” Cleaning Products
Before I dig deeper into putting together a plan and how to clean the kitchen, I want to preface my post by saying I understand that “clean products” are all the rage right now. I think that’s great, but if I’m being honest, I don’t always feel like they clean very well.
I’ve adopted an “I’ll try clean products” attitude, and if they work, I’ll use them, but if not, I’ll stick with my tried and true cleaning products. I use both in our home, and I’ll share both in this post.
Let’s Differentiate Between Dirty and Messy
Before we dive in, I want to start by saying there’s a big difference between a house that’s messy and one that’s dirty. If your home is a little cluttered or things are out of place—trust me, I get it. My home has had its share of messy moments, too. That’s real life, and it’s okay.
But what I want to talk about today is the kind of dirt and grime that builds up over time—the kind that can affect your family’s health and the way your home feels. That’s where deep cleaning comes in.
Setting aside time to regularly deep clean is a gift to your home and your people.
Here are four reasons why deep cleaning matters:
And finally, you’ll feel so much better when your space is clean, even if it’s not always tidy.
A dirty home isn’t healthy—for anyone living in it.
You’re less likely to invite others in if you’re self-conscious about the mess.
Teaching your children to clean equips them for adulthood.
I hope that this cleaning series will help you as you navigate and maintain your home. I have two posts that will also help as you seek to establish a clean and organized home:
Steps to Organize and Simplify Your Home
Ways to Declutter, Simplify, & Purge Your Home Today
How To Keep Your Kitchen Uncluttered and Clean
First, I suggest having a drop zone somewhere other than your kitchen. Counters and islands can easily become the place for everyone to dump everything.
This could be in a closet, laundry room, mud room, or on a wall that most people don’t see when they enter your home.
Second, do not clutter your counters with unnecessary items. If it can go away, put it away. My number one tip for keeping your kitchen in order is to have a place for everything.
It’s time to get rid of duplicate items you don’t use. I would suggest storing the things you use only a couple of times a year in another location.
For our home, there are certain things I have to have on my counter. I keep my toaster, mixer, a crock with spoons, coffee pot, and mugs, and a sweet little light for ambiance on my counters. I have some cutting boards leaning against my backsplash and a tray that gathers salt & pepper, a butter dish, and olive oil.
If my counters are too empty, the kitchen feels sterile and cold to me. That’s just me, though. You do you.
Keeping my island clear is also a priority. The island is the center of our kitchen. The only thing on it is a wooden tray or vintage box in the middle, where I usually have flowers, a candle, and a bowl of fruit.
The Food Nanny, one of my faves from Instagram, says to “Put your kitchen to bed at night.” In other words, clean it up before you go to bed. When you wake up to a clean kitchen, your day starts sooooo much better! You can hit the ground running and not feel weighed down by a messy kitchen.
How to Clean A Range
Gas Range
I love gas to cook with, but some people think it is more difficult to keep clean. I don’t think so. To maintain your gas stove, it is best to clean it regularly. Many people leave the dirt and grime for weeks, which can cause a problem down the road.
Remove the grates and clean the top with soap and water. You may need to scrub. If you haven’t done this in the past, you may need to scrub. I like to use a Dobie pad to remove any dried-on dirt.
If you aren’t familiar with Dobie, it is a scrubbing pad that works great and is not abrasive like some other pads. I also like the new sponge with the smiley face, Scrub Daddy.
About once a month, wash the grates in the sink with soap and hot water unless they get really dirty from a specific dish you’ve cooked recently, then you may need to do it more often.
After using the soap and water on the stovetop, spray with Glass Cook Top Heavy Duty Cleaner & Polish and wipe with a cleaning rag or paper towels.
If your stove has a stainless front, be sure to grab some Weiman Stainless Wipes. They also offer a spray, but I have found the wipes work best. I only do this about once a week on all my stainless steel appliances. You can also purchase a microfiber cloth to shine afterward, but I don’t find this necessary.
Most stoves today have a self-cleaning mode for the inside of the oven. Do this regularly to keep your stove from getting too dirty. If yours does not, you can use Weiman or Easy Off Oven Cleaner. They are very toxic, and the smell is bad, so I would recommend using a mask and opening your doors to let fresh air in.
Electric Stovetop
For an electric stove, you either have a glass top or a coil top. The glass is easier to maintain. I use Glass Cook Top Heavy Duty Cleaner & Polish. It is a white scrub and works great. I also like to take a razor blade to scrape off dried-on gunk. It works great. And then shine with the Weiman Cook Top Daily Cleaner
For an electric stove with coils, this is more challenging but can be cleaned. If you lift the coils and pull, you can remove them to get underneath and clean the belly of the stove better. The drip pans that sit inside the receptacles are easier to remove and clean in the sink.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you scrub, you can’t get them clean. You can replace those for a nominal fee at any home store. Amazon has Replacement Drip Pans for relatively cheap.
You can use the Weiman Glass Cook Top Heavy Duty Cleaner & Polish to help remove some of the dried-on food on the electric stove, too.
Microwave
The best advice I can give you is to buy a splatter cover for your food. You can purchase one in glass, silicone, or plastic. The less splatter, the less dirty your microwave. But if you forget or if you don’t have one, I suggest wiping it down when you first notice splatter so it doesn’t get caked on.
If your microwave is extra dirty, you can put a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups of water and 2 Tablespoons of Vinegar and cook on high for 5 minutes. It will boil and be hot, so be careful when opening. This will allow for easier removal of grime. Remove all removable parts from the microwave, wipe them down, and then place them back in the microwave.
For outside of the microwave, wipe regularly. I like to use a little window cleaner for the glass and stainless wipes for the trim. If you don’t have stainless, then you can spray the entire front with window cleaner.
Refrigerator
I like to clean the fridge once every couple of weeks. It makes it easier to find things, and it keeps old food from rotting away in the fridge. I will wipe it down with a sponge of hot water and soap. I don’t like to spray anything inside my refrigerator.
Pull out the drawers and trays and give them a good clean in the sink once every six months.
Again, for the stainless steel fridge, use the Weimens Stainless Wipes for your best removal of fingerprints.
It’s quite easy to allow science projects to start growing in your fridge by setting up a schedule where you regularly clean out your fridge, which prevents that from occurring. Also, if you do it more regularly, it won’t be such a daunting task.
Sink
To me, the sink is important to keep clean. I like to use Barkeeper’s Cleanser. It works best in my opinion. You can use it on Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Brass, Ceramic, Porcelain, Bronze, and more. It also works great on cookware. I love it for my Dutch Oven. It gets it pretty clean!
Dishwasher
Your dishwasher can get quite grimy. You can buy a special cleaner and run it empty. Most dishwashers have a filter that needs to be cleaned out once a month or once every few months.
For the front of your dishwasher, if it is stainless steel, you know what I’m going to say Weiman Stainless Wipes. If it is not stainless, the window cleaner or Weiman Stove Top Spray works wonders. Don’t forget the sides of your dishwasher, too!
Counters
For regular cleaning, use a sponge. Pump a little dish soap and give your counters a good wipe. The one thing I love about a sponge is that you can stick it in the dishwasher to clean.
My favorite counter spray is Method Daily Granite Cleaner, Apple Orchard. It’s a plant-based cleaning agent for granite, marble, and other sealed stones. I have quartz countertops and I LOVE this spray. It has a light scent and gives my counters a nice shine.
About once a month, remove everything from your countertops, wipe them down with soap and water, and then give them a good spray with the Method Cleaner. It’s amazing how little bits of dirt and grime can get behind the objects on your counter.
Floor
I believe that our floors get neglected. I can’t possibly go through every type of floor, so I’ll stick with the most popular. For ceramic style, linoleum, Permastone, and laminate, I like to use Mrs. Meyers Clean Day. It smells great, cleans well, and is not as toxic as some other floor cleaners.
I love the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop, Bucket Floor Cleaning System. This, by far, is my favorite mop. I have two mop heads, so I can replace and wash them regularly. You can just throw them in the washing machine. They pop on and off so easily.
Mopping is a great way to clean your floors; however, I do think it is important to get down on your hands and knees and give them a good clean every once in a while.
That way, you can get all the nooks and crannies that a mop can’t get. I also like to take my Dobie and scrub some spots where caked-on dirt lies (of course, throw the Dobie away when you are finished cleaning the floors 😛)
Don’t forget to change the water in the bucket three or four times so you are not cleaning with dirty water.
And while you are down on the floors, give the baseboards a good wipe down too!
Cabinets & Drawers
Front Panels
Put some Mrs. Meyers Clean Day in some hot water and wipe your cabinets down with a sponge. It will break through the grime and dirt, and you will have fresh cabinet fronts. The cabinets near your oven can get quite grimy. They may need a little extra soap and elbow grease.
Inside
Cleaning out your cabinets and drawers twice a year will help maintain your clean kitchen. It is always amazing to me how dirty they get! Crumbs and dirt build up quickly.
Take one week and do a couple of drawers or cabinets a day. It makes it more manageable and not overwhelming. For any of you with a Lazy Susan cabinet, they get so dirty for some reason! Remove everything and give it a good wipe-down.
Miscellaneous
Wipe down any pendant lighting with a good glass cleaner. They get very dusty and grimy. Don’t forget to wipe down the window ledges and chair rails. And, when was the last time you emptied and cleaned the tray at the bottom of your toaster? I recommend emptying that every couple of months.
Cleaning Your Home Conclusion
I hope this gives you a little boost as you tackle your kitchen deep clean! I’ll wrap things up with a quick story about my husband and me—we like to say he handles the “big stuff” in the kitchen, and I come in to “fine-tune.” 😄
Let’s just say… shiny counters aren’t really his strong suit. And honestly, I’ve yet to meet many husbands who really see the crumbs and streaks like we do.
Of course, I know he can do it—he just doesn’t notice the details the same way I do. But over time, I’ve let go of the frustration and learned to embrace our differences. In our home, we each have our roles—and we celebrate them! We’re a team, and like every good team, we play to our strengths. 🙌
Now that you know how to clean the kitchen, you can check out part 2 of the series. Get The 411 On Cleaning Your Home: The Bathroom.
Happy Cleaning Mama!
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