How to Clean Your Kitchen Fast
Maintaining the kitchen is not usually the most enjoyable house cleaning task.
Food splatters on the stove, dust on the counters, crumbs on the floor, and dishes piling up in the sink means that the kitchen is one area of your home that needs extra attention.
Whether you’re expecting company, or you’ve been extra busy lately and it’s simply time to get your kitchen back in order, we’ve laid out the steps for getting your kitchen back in shape fast, no matter how much time you have.
If You Have 20 Minutes To Clean Your Kitchen
Gather your cleaning supplies before you begin:
- 2 rags
- An all-purpose kitchen spray
- Dish soap
- 1-2 clean kitchen towels
- Broom and dustpan
- A garbage can
- A basket or container for removing things that don’t belong in the kitchen.
Step 1: Set a timer
Step 2: Start by soaking your dishes. Fill your sink with hot water and dish soap and submerge all of your dirty dishes so they will be easier to clean or load into the dishwasher.
Step 3: Once your dishes are soaking, start working on your countertops, kitchen islands, tables, or any other surfaces in small sections.
Throw away any garbage in the trash.
Then, toss any items in your basket that do not belong in the kitchen.
Tidy up remaining items by putting them in their appointed cupboards and drawers.
Finally, give each surface a wipe with your all-purpose spray and a clean rag.
Step 4: Now that your dishes have been soaking, you can quickly wash and stack them onto a drying rack or clean towel.
If you have a dishwasher, you can simply load and set that instead.
Step 5: Once your sink is empty, spray the bottom, sides, handles, and faucet and give it a good wipe.
Step 6: While you wait for your dishes to air dry, quickly return any basket items to their proper places elsewhere in the house.
Step 7: Dry your dishes if needed, put them away, and give your countertop one last wipe down.
Step 8: Finally, give your floor a thorough sweep, and take out the trash if needed.
If You Have 30 Minutes To Clean Your Kitchen:
Gather the supplies above, PLUS:
- 3 rags total
- Half a cup of white vinegar
Step 1: Set a timer
Step 2: Start by soaking your dishes on the non-disposal side.
Step 3: Follow the above steps, but then:
Bonus step 1: Fill a small glass bowl with equal parts vinegar and water, and turn your microwave on for five minutes.
Bonus step 2: While you wait for the microwave to finish running, spray a clean rag and quickly wipe down the exterior of all of your kitchen cupboards.
Bonus step 3: Once the microwave beeps, carefully remove the bowl of vinegar and dump it down your garbage disposal. The vinegar will help freshen any odors coming from your disposal and drains.
Take out the glass microwave plate, and either wipe it down or wash it in the sink like a dish.
Then take a wet rag and wipe the rest of the microwave’s interior.
The water and vinegar mixture should ensure that cooked-on food wipes away easily.
If You Have 45 Minutes To Clean Your Kitchen
Gather the supplies above, PLUS:
- 4 rags total
- ½ cup kosher salt
- A scrub sponge or powdered cleaner (like Ajax)
- A mop and all-purpose floor cleaner
Step 1: Set a timer
Step 2: Follow the steps above, and then:
Bonus Step 1: Bring your wastebasket over to the fridge, and toss out anything that’s expired. Wipe down the interior shelves. You can even take out any drawers and wash them in your sink or dishwasher.
Bonus Step 2: Pour a cup of ice into your garbage disposal, turn it on, and then add a half cup of salt.
The combination of ice and salt will grind away any residue and eliminate disposal odors.
Bonus Step 3: Sprinkle your powdered cleaner on the surface of your stove, and scrub off any cooked-on food with a clean, damp rag.
If you’d prefer, you can also spray the stove down with your all-purpose cleaner and scrub with a scouring pad instead.
Bonus Step 4: Finally, give your floor a thorough sweep and mop with an all-purpose floor cleaner, and take out the trash if needed.
Whether you have 20 minutes or an hour, it is possible to get your kitchen tidied up and smelling fresh fast!
Now that your kitchen is in shape, try these daily maintenance tips to keep things in order all throughout the week:
- Keep Your Sink Empty – Once your sink is clean, make it your mission throughout the week to keep it that way.
It’s much easier to take 5 minutes to wash, dry and put away a pot or a dish than it is to deal with stacks of dirty dishes and overflowing sinks.
If you have a dishwasher, teach your family to rinse and load their dishes after each use.
- Keep Basic Cleaning Products Close – Make sure you have easy access in your kitchen to an all-purpose cleaning spray and clean rags.
You want to make it as easy as possible to reach for these items and give your counters or cupboards a fast wipe as needed.
To save even more time, you can always invest in some all-purpose wipes for small daily spills.
- Tidy As You Go – Get in the habit of putting items away as you prep meals and do your cooking.
If you’re waiting for a pot to boil or meat to brown, be on the lookout for food you can put away, utensils you can rinse, or surfaces you can wipe.
If you stay on top of the small messes before they get big, you’ll have to deep clean less often.