Today’s busy lifestyle sometimes gets in the way of taking care of things around the house like earlier generations did, but we still want a picture-perfect home when someone drops in for a quick visit. Here are some kitchen spring cleaning tips to help you tackle just one room of the house for your deep-down spring cleaning this year.
Clutter
Get rid of clutter to get a clear look at what needs to be cleaned. The kitchen is a gathering spot for many families, and often a dumping ground as they come home, drop their car keys, deposit the mail, extra coupons or papers, and other stuff that can be grabbed quickly again, or sits there – waiting to be put away. Take time now to look at countertops and take care of miscellaneous items laying around. While you’re assessing here, consider some organizing tools that might prevent the clutter in the future, like a docking station for phones, a hanging organizer for keys, and other neat tools.
Top-Down
Gravity can be a helper if you start at the top and clean the ceilings, light fixtures, and ceiling fans first. The dirt and dust that falls from these areas can be quickly vacuumed up as you work down the walls and toward the floor. Take a few extra minutes to disassemble the light fixtures and wash thoroughly; it might brighten up the room a bit!
Once the ceiling and corners are clean, use a mild cleaning solution to wash down the walls and windows. Don’t forget the tops of doorframes, and all around the window frames also. Now is a good time to declutter the top of the refrigerator and thoroughly wash the top and sides.
Spring Clean the Big Areas
The big things like the range hood, oven, cooktop, and refrigerator definitely need a seasonal cleaning at a very minimum. Eliminating built-up grease and grime will make the cooking area cleaner, and prevent potential safety hazards. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning the range hood, and test it to be sure it is working properly.
The refrigerator operates more efficiently if you pay attention to the hidden areas, like vacuuming the coil area and completely scrubbing built up grime from door gaskets to get a tight fit. Check the seals to be sure they aren’t cracked or loose. Throw out any dated food, and completely wash shelves and drawers, one-by-one.
The Small Stuff
You know that one drawer that gets a lot dumped into it? Sometimes called the junk drawer, it can collect a lot of little stuff. Take time to dump the junk drawer out, replacing only what is useful, and even adding compartments to the drawer for some of those items. A silverware storage container is perfect to help sort battery sizes, paper clips, note pads, pens, and other items you want to find quickly in the drawer.
Take the time to dump each drawer in the kitchen, thoroughly washing and drying the inside, and consider some type of organization before storing everything back. The same goes for each cupboard and shelf, empty first, wipe clean, and organize as you put things back.
If all of this seems overwhelming, know that there is help available. ServiceMaster by the Border helps with deep cleaning jobs, including kitchen spring cleaning in your home. We even tackle the tougher jobs of cleaning the oven and reaching high and low to get rid of all the dirt and grime!