How to give your kitchen a post-Christmas deep clean in eight easy steps
Your step-by-step guide to deep cleaning a kitchen.
Between the pandemic and the summer, our kitchens have never been as busy. As the world begins to open up again, now is the time to clean away the Christmas clutter, find a new home for all of those appliances you got as gifts, and give the oven a much-needed clean.
The right tools will make your cleaning journey a seamless one. Assemble what you need before you begin so you don't waste time looking for something in the middle of cleaning. If your hot water is heated by immersion, put it on.
- A soft mop and bucket
- A duster with a retractable handle
- Microfibre cloths
- Sponges
- Dish soap
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Vinegar
- Brush and dustpan
- Hoover with attachments
Prep the oven for your deep clean the night before. Remove the racks and soak them either in your bath or in a large basin in hot water and dish soap. Give the oven a good wash with lots of warm soapy water and then apply a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water to the walls, base and glass. Leave overnight.
Put all your clutter away. Identify the appliances that sit on your kitchen counter and that you don't use, wipe them with warm water and dish soap and put away in a cupboard. Sort through all papers and any extra clutter that may be sitting on your countertops and find a home or discard.
Boil the kettle and pour the entire jug down the drain. This will loosen any grime that is clinging to the pipes. Buff baking soda into your sink with a soft cloth and sprinkle with vinegar. Leave to sit for five to ten minutes before rinsing thoroughly with hot water.
Place a towel or newspaper under your oven. Sprinkle vinegar over your now dry paste, and watch the grime lift off the surface like magic. Wipe away the mess with a damp cloth and give a final wash with warm soapy water to remove any residue.
Cleaning expert at HomeHow.co.uk, Joyce French says that a clean fridge begins with an empty one.
"Next, all shelving, drawers and door racks can be washed in the sink with regular liquid and warm water. With glass shelves, wait until they warm up to room temperature before washing them otherwise they can crack. Avoid using the dishwasher as some plastic can deform in a hot wash which can cause problems fitting them back into the fridge."
She recommends leaving everything to air dry on the draining board and once dry store away until you are ready to put them back. This will reduce the risk of bacteria reentering the fridge.
Look for any trapped food in the spray arms, remove the filter and give it a scrub and a rinse with hot water. Place equal quantities of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda at the bottom of the dishwasher and run a cycle.
Remove any knobs, burners or burn covers from your stove and hoover any debris that is stuck in hard-to-reach areas. Give the entire cooker a wash with hot soapy water before replacing the knobs and burners. Wash the cooker hood with warm soapy water and check if the filter needs to be changed
Empty your cabinets, throwing out any out-of-date food and wiping down before refilling. Sweep or hoover, and dust the light fixtures, corners and tops of cabinets. Wipe down the counters, and the cupboard doors. Fill your mop bucket with warm soapy water and wash the floor with a soft, well wrung out mop.
