The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Spring Cleaning  

In the natural world, spring is a season for renewal and growth. Simply spending time outdoors during the spring can leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated. These same experiences are yours to enjoy inside your home after spring cleaning. Because the kitchen is recognized as the heart of the home, it makes sense to start spring cleaning in the kitchen. Use this comprehensive guide to kitchen spring cleaning for the best results. how do you get rid of pet odor in the house and keep the bad smells away?

Why Spring Is the Perfect Time for a Kitchen Deep Clean

After a long, frigid winter, your home can feel stuffy. With so much time spent indoors, the space can be cluttered and uninviting. In the kitchen, this often translates to dirty food prep surfaces and appliances. Foul odors, baked-on food and grease, and other messes are also common.

Spring cleaning gives you the opportunity to renew and refresh your kitchen. Essentially, it involves wiping away the grime from the last several months or year. This reset leaves you with a sanitary, fresh-smelling and organized kitchen.

Decluttering: Start with Cabinets, Drawers, and the Pantry

The first step in any deep cleaning project is decluttering. Clutter has a way of building up over time. Most commonly in the kitchen, this is because pantry items are pushed to the rear when you re-stock it. In addition, items aren’t returned to their proper spot after using them. In the cabinets and drawers, dishes and other items are tossed haphazardly over the days, weeks and months as you use them.

To declutter your kitchen, start in the pantry. Pull everything out of the pantry, and wipe down the shelves. While your items are on the countertop, group similar items together. Toss out expired items. Consider if containers and other organizational features will benefit you. Put the most used items at eye level when you return the items to the pantry. Repeat a similar process with every cabinet and drawer.

Cleaning Appliances: From Fridge to Microwave

From the range fan and hood to the fridge, microwave, stovetop, oven and dishwasher, the major appliances in your kitchen can get crusted with sticky or greasy messes. Mold can grow in some areas, and dust can gather in others. The combination of these things can make your kitchen unsanitary and smelly.

Diluted vinegar is effective at cutting through grease and lifting many types of stains. It can be used with fresh lemon for a clean scent. Diluted vinegar is generally safe to use when cleaning each of these major appliances. To fight tough odors, making a baking soda paste using a small amount of water. Cover the surfaces with the paste, and let it stand for at least 15 minutes before wiping it off. Baking soda and vinegar produce extra energy through a chemical reaction when they are combined together. For extra cleaning power, spritz the baking soda paste with vinegar before scrubbing your appliances.

Tackling Grease and Grime: Walls, Backsplash & Cabinet Doors

Your cabinet doors and pulls as well as the backsplash and walls can easily get coated in grease and grime over time, so they need your attention. Disinfecting wipes are suitable for cleaning off the grime. A more environmentally friendly approach is to wipe down these areas with a grease-fighting dish soap and warm water. Avoid oversaturating cabinetry and walls as this may result in water damage.

If your backsplash grout is discolored, take advantage of the whitening power of baking soda. Use the baking soda and water paste as well as a toothbrush to scrub the grout lines. Then, rinse with fresh water.

Floors, Rugs, and Mats: Often Forgotten but Important

Your kitchen rugs and mats need to be cleaned every week or two when you clean the rest of your home. If it has been a while since you last cleaned them, toss them in the washing machine or clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While they are being washed, focus on sanitizing the floors.

The care instructions for flooring vary by material. Always research the specific care instructions for your flooring before cleaning it with a new product. While there are many commercial floor cleaners available, diluted vinegar with a few drops of dish soap work well on many surfaces. After cleaning, use a second mophead and clean water to wipe off the soapy residue. Remember to wipe down the baseboards as well.

Refreshing Small Appliances: Coffee Makers, Blenders & Toasters

It’s easy to overlook small appliances like the toaster, blender and coffee maker on cleaning day, but these items require regular attention. They can get coated with filth, and this filth can lead to a pest infestation, mildew growth and other problems. It can also minimize the life and performance of your small appliance.

Before cleaning any of these appliances, always unplug them. Remove items that can be disassembled, such as the coffee maker filter or toaster crumb tray. Run these items through the dishwasher or handwash them in the sink. Most parts of your blender are likely dishwasher safe. Shake out loose crumbs from the toaster. Wipe down the exterior of these appliances with soapy water.

To remove grease and limescale, use diluted vinegar. You also need to clean the interior of your coffee maker. To do so, run straight vinegar through the machine over the course of several cycles. Then, run several cycles of fresh water to clean out the vinegar and grime.

Eco-Friendly Products for a Safer Kitchen Clean

Many commercial cleaning products are made with harmful and even toxic chemicals, and these are the last things that you want to introduce in your food prep area. For many areas of the kitchen, safe, eco-friendly ingredients can be used as alternatives. These include lemon, vinegar and baking soda. The specific recipes and techniques used to clean appliances and other surfaces vary, so do your research before you start cleaning.

How to Maintain a Fresh Kitchen Year-Round

Even after spring cleaning your kitchen, it can get dirty again fairly quickly. Staying on top of your chores in the kitchen is essential for year-round benefits. How can you maintain a clean kitchen without hassle?

• On a daily basis, tidy the kitchen by returning items to their main location. Incorporate this step into your routine so it becomes second nature.
• Wipe down the counters and sink after each meal or snack.
• Clean out any appliances used after each use.
• When you bring a new product or item into your kitchen, remove another item. This minimizes clutter.
• Unload the dishwasher every morning. As you go about your day, load the dishwasher as you make dirty dishes.

Cleaning your kitchen is often labor intensive and messy. Thankfully, there’s no reason why you need to do this work yourself to enjoy the benefits of a clean kitchen. The Cleanzen housekeeping team is ready to drop by your home soon for spring cleaning services, and we can continue to visit your home throughout the year for ongoing cleaning. Book Boston spring cleaning services for your home today.