How to keep your kitchen clean every day
To keep your kitchen clean every day, clean as you cook, and finish every night with a ten-minute close: dishes washed or loaded, counters and stovetop wiped, the sink scrubbed and rinsed, and a quick sweep of the floor. Do that daily and the weekly jobs stay small.
The kitchen gets dirty three times a day. Small daily habits keep it clean.
What does clean as you go mean?
Cleaning in the gaps while you cook:
- Fill the sink with hot soapy water before you start, and drop tools in as you finish with them.
- Wipe spills when they happen. A splash of sauce wipes off in seconds wet, and takes scrubbing once it's baked on.
- Put ingredients back as you finish with them.
- Rinse the cutting board and knife between jobs.
- Use the minutes while something simmers to wash a pot.
By the time dinner is on the table, the counter should be half clear already.
What's in the nightly ten-minute close?
- Dishes. Everything washed, or in the dishwasher and running.
- Counters. Clear them, then wipe with warm soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner. Go all the way to the backsplash.
- Stovetop. Wipe it once it's cool, before grease has a chance to set.
- Sink. Scrub the basin and rinse it, and wipe the faucet.
- Floor. A quick sweep or a vacuum where you cooked.
- Trash. Out if it's full, or if there's anything that'll smell by morning.
That's it. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen after a big meal.
What do you do once a week?
- Clear out the fridge the night before trash day
- Wipe the microwave inside and out
- Wipe the appliance fronts and handles
- Mop the floor
- Wash the dish towels and swap the sponge
- Wipe the trash can lid and rim
The monthly and seasonal jobs, like the oven, the hood filter and the inside of the cabinets, are in our kitchen cleaning schedule.
What supplies does a kitchen need?
Keep a small kit under the sink:
- Dish soap
- An all-purpose cleaner
- A degreaser for the stovetop and hood
- A stack of microfiber cloths
- A non-scratch scrub sponge and a bottle brush
- Baking soda for scrubbing and odors
- A broom or vacuum and a mop
Use products as the label directs, and never mix bleach with ammonia or with vinegar.
How do you keep a small kitchen clean?
Clutter shows up fast in a small kitchen, and it makes the daily wipe slower.
- Keep the counters as clear as you can. Only the things you use every day stay out.
- Hang what you can: a rail for utensils, hooks for mugs, a magnetic strip for knives.
- Put a tray under the oils and spices by the stove, so you lift one tray to wipe.
- Empty the dish rack every morning so it doesn't become storage.
When does the kitchen need more than daily cleaning?
When grease has built up on the hood, the oven needs a real clean, or the fridge needs emptying. Our guides walk through each: the oven, the stovetop and the fridge.
Want help keeping up?
Book Recurring House Cleaning or House Cleaning online, and put your kitchen priorities in your booking notes.
FAQ
How do I keep my kitchen clean every day? Clean as you cook, and finish every night with a ten-minute close: dishes washed or in the dishwasher, counters wiped, stovetop wiped, sink scrubbed, and a quick sweep of the floor.
What does clean as you go mean in a kitchen? It means cleaning in the gaps while you cook: rinse a bowl while something simmers, wipe a spill before it dries, and put ingredients away when you're done with them. By the time the food is ready, most of the mess is already gone.
What cleaning supplies does a kitchen need? Dish soap, an all-purpose cleaner, a degreaser for the stove and hood, microfiber cloths, a non-scratch scrub sponge, a bottle brush, a broom or vacuum, and a mop. Keep them under the sink so they're easy to reach.
Book a cleaning
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
