Let’s Declutter and Clean The Kitchen

Last Updated on September 30, 2019 by lydiaf1963

After living in many different places I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the design, rather than the size, of a kitchen is that makes it a joy to cook in. Still, even if you dream of a complete remodel there are things you can do to stop fighting your kitchen and make it work better. This plan to declutter and clean the kitchen will go a long way towards making your space more efficient.

Whether your kitchen is large and airy as shown in the photos above (nothing like my kitchen, by the way) or a cramped space with barely room for one person they all have things in common like a sink, somewhere to cook, somewhere to store food and somewhere to store plates, utensils, cookware, etc.

We’re going to start with a general clean up and then dive into more specific decluttering and organizing. I’ve split the work into two (or more) days but, if you’re up for a marathon, go for it!

Day One: General Cleaning

Keep reading for a clean kitchen or skip ahead to Day Two: Decluttering.

Supplies You’ll Need to Clean and Declutter Your Kitchen

• paper or cloth towels
• heavy duty cleaning gloves
• your favorite cleaning chemicals (I like soapy water and either ammonia or cleaning vinegar for most things)
• a bucket, mop, broom, etc
• sponges, scrubbies, scrub brush (whichever you prefer to use)
• a couple boxes to sort items into either for donation or to store in another area of the house
• heavy duty trash bags
• motivating music

Clear the Counters and the Sink

Start by clearing the counters of anything that doesn’t belong. Then either wash the dishes or load up the dishwasher so the sink is clear.

Empty the trash and squirt some dish soap into the trash can. Add hot water and let it soak while you continue.

Fill the sink (or your bucket if you prefer) with warm, soapy water and start wiping down the countertops, the cabinet fronts and the wall between. I like to start with the wall closest to the door and work my way around the room. You can also take this opportunity to clean windows, shelves, etc as you come to them.

As you clean the counters move canisters and large appliances to the side so you can clean under and behind them. You can give that sort of thing a quick wipe, but don’t get caught up in cleaning the stuff on top on the counters or inside an individual cabinet, we’ll deal with it later.

When you come to the stove, dishwasher, microwave and fridge you can choose to give them a wipe now, or wait for a more thorough clean later. I have a ceramic top so I take care of it when I come to it. When I had a stove with burners I cleaned that as a separate task. The same with the fridge, especially if there are a lot of things hanging from the outside.

Cleaning the Stove, inside and out

As mentioned, I have a ceramic top at the moment, but when I had a gas stove cleaning the burners and oven was my least favorite thing to do.

Start by removing the grills, elements, drip pans etc. Let them soak in warm soapy water. Spray the top of the stove with degreaser (or whatever cleaner you prefer) and give it a few minutes to loosen any built up grime. Meanwhile clean the front (and sides if necessary) as well as around the controls. Open the oven door and brush or wipe out the accumulated crumbs and the inside of the door.

Does your oven need cleaning? See How to Clean Your Oven from Cooking Light. Only want to clean the oven window? This video shows you how to do it.

Now that the top of the stove has soaked, wipe all the cleaning product up. Use a scrubby sponge to work on any remaining grime. Finally, clean up the burners, grates, etc that have been soaking in the sink. Dry them and return them to the stove.

Cleaning the Microwave

Measure a 2 cups of water in a large measuring cup. Add a wooden spoon or chopstick to prevent the water from superheating and exploding (true story, this happened to a former coworker…the safety department had to release a memo about how to use the microwave for making tea). Then microwave for five minutes (long enough to bring it to a boil and release some steam.) Let it stand for five minutes or so with the door closed to let the steam do its work and to allow the water to cool down. Then carefully remove the mug of water and wipe down the inside of the microwave with a cloth.

Cleaning the Fridge…Just the Outside

Since we’re on a mission to declutter and clean the kitchen take a look at the outside of your fridge. How many take out menus are there? Drawings? Cards? Since you want to wipe down the entire surface you might as well sort through the stuff hanging from the fridge. If you still can’t get rid of the drawing your son made when he was seven, consider putting it in a frame and hanging it somewhere else. The take out menus can be put into a binder.

Depending on your situation the top of your fridge may have also become a storage area. Take the time to remove the items and clean the top of the fridge as well. For the most part, warm soapy water does a great job of cleaning the grime and fingerprints from the outside. If your fridge is stainless you probably already have a favorite cleaner. I like wipes that clean and polish at the same time, others prefer to use vinegar. This article explains how to use vinegar on stainless appliances.

If you haven’t yet done so, don’t forget to clean out the trash can and the lid if it has one.

Do you have pets? Give their bowls a clean, too!

Now that you’ve finished cleaning, give the area around the sink a good clean. I like to actually scrub the sink as opposed to the usual wipedown. Then sweep and mop the floor and call it a day. If you have one, be sure to run the dishwasher. Then after it has been emptied you can clean and disinfect it with vinegar and baking soda as demonstrated in this video.

Congratulations, you’ve cleaned your kitchen thoroughly from top to bottom! Next, we’re going to declutter and organize.

Let’s start decluttering!