Let’s clean your kitchen! The best tip that I can give you to keep your kitchen clean is to always clean up after every meal; wash countertops, load dishes, sweep floors.  But, kitchens need deeper cleaning at least twice per month. Let’s get started!

 Always clean every room from top to bottom. In the kitchen we start with high dusting the ceiling, lights, and the tops of your cabinets. Take a quick inventory of the fronts of your cabinets. If they have fingerprints, Wash them with a wet terry cloth rag and wipe them dry to prevent spotting. Only use gentle cleaners on your wood cabinets such as a neutral floor/wood cleaner from your professional janitorial supply store, or with only water.

Next, we’ll wash your microwave. Microwaves usually have food stuck hard to them due to the high heat involved in cooking foods.  Liberally spray professional degreaser inside the walls, ceiling and inside the front door of your microwave, and let the chemical work for five minutes. This process should make it easy to wipe the microwave clean with a wet cloth. Take the plate and stand out and wash them with the degreaser in the sink.  Wipe the microwave out with a dry cloth to prevent spotting. Clean the outside of the microwave, and then wipe it dry to polish it. If you have stainless steel on the outside, wash in the direction of the grain with a wet cloth, then dry in the direction of the grain with your dry cotton cloth.

Let’s tackle the fridge. We won’t clean the inside of it; that is a chore for another day. Use a glass cleaner to clean all of the prints off the outside front and sides of your fridge. Open the doors and wash the prints off the inside of the door trim pieces. Take the ice dispenser tray out and soak it in vinegar for ten minutes, then scrub the white mineral deposits off it. Clean around the dispenser with vinegar. Place the tray back after drying it. If your refrigerator is stainless steel, you can use Endust or a similar cleaner. Wipe the fridge with the grain until all finger prints are gone. You can scrub the fridge first if it is sticky, then wipe with the Endust to get the streaks off.

Let’s move on to the counters. Sanitize the counters with a professional disinfectant, and let the disinfectant sit on the counters for 10 minutes to kill all the bacteria. Wash them with a wet cotton rag, and then dry them with a cotton cloth. Remember to clean beneath and behind all items on the counters. Also, wash the backsplash clean of all grease and grime. Behind your stove you may need to use degreaser.

The process to clean your stovetop and oven is different depending upon the type you have. If you have a gas stovetop, take all the pieces off and put them in your sink. Fill your sink with hot, soapy water and scrub them clean. Use a wet SOS pad to get off the remaining buildup. You can use the SOS pad on buildup on the stovetop as well, but be careful! It can easily scratch. A regular electric stovetop can be treated the same way. If you have a glass top, don’t use an SOS pad. Only use a non-scratch pad (usually white in color) on your glass top. You can use degreaser or hot, soapy water to clean it, and then wipe it dry to get rid of streaking and fingerprints. I like to take off all my knobs and clean under them. Wash and dry the front of your oven to finish it.

Let’s do the floors. I like to vacuum my floors so I can use my vacuum edger to get up under the cabinets and fridge. One the floor is vacuumed, it is time to mop. You can use your sink to wet your mop and rinse it. Use hot, soapy water or spray the floor as you go with a floor cleaner. You can use a plastic scraper as you go to scrape up sticky spots your rag can’t get.

Now that the whole kitchen is done, it is time to clean the sink. Sprinkle Comet in the sink and spread it around with a wet sponge. Let it sit for 10 minutes to bleach. Scrub the sink well with the sponge and rinse the sink. Dry it all down with a dry cotton rag to polish. Enjoy your clean kitchen!

Please go to www.happyhomesmaids.com for more cleaning tips and information about maid service in Boise, Idaho. Author: Stephanie Curtis, Happy Homes Maids