I know it’s been quiet here! I promise I’ve been working on my Spring Cleaning, but I’ve been going a bit out of order (typical) and not being very consistent. We went on a little spring break trip (hoping to post on that soon!), Easter was a busy couple of weeks, and now we’re in the swing of baseball/t-ball season. I’m still working on my kitchen deep clean, but it’s been slow-moving as we get into another busy time of year.
Brace yourself, the kitchen may just be your biggest Spring Cleaning project. I personally like to tackle it pretty early on while I’m still feeling the most motivated. Just like the laundry room, you could turn this into a big thing (my list has 27 items), but I’m going to hit the 5 things I think will make the most impact:
Wipe down your cabinets
This first one is something you can do quickly or go super detailed with. If you’re just wanting to get this visually clean, take the time to wipe down all of your cabinet doors.
Wanting to do more? Do you have tops of your cabinets (not flush with the ceiling)? If you haven’t looked up there in awhile, get ready… it could be pretty gross. My cabinets near my stove are the worst because of the grease that builds up up there. My cabinets further away usually just need to be vacuumed to get rid of dust and some dead bugs.
Still going strong? Go through your cupboards one by one and look for things you can declutter. If you have any food items, check expiration dates and toss things you know you aren’t going to use. Is your mug collection getting out of control? See if you can pare down to just your favorites. Do you tend to hoard plastic containers for leftovers or meal prep? Again… see if you can pare down.
Clean Your Dishwasher
If you’re like me, you may have never realized that you have to clean something that cleans your things for you. In fact, the dishwasher in our current home is the first dishwasher I have ever cleaned. First of all, you need to clean your dishwasher filter(s). If you don’t know where yours is, find the make & model and Google it. Mine was on the bottom and just twists out. I filled my sink with hot soapy water and let it soak while I did the rest of the cleaning.
Next I found a filter on the door of my dishwasher. This was one gross: it had black moldy slime, and I was not excited to deal with it. But it honestly was a pretty quick job: I sprayed it with some kitchen cleaner, let it sit for a bit, then wiped it out. I even used a Q-tip to get in the nooks and crannies! After that, I wiped down the seal of the dishwasher. There was a lot of random food particles in there, and it was another pretty quick and easy job. Then I went back to my soaking filter. I used a cleaning toothbrush to give it a gentle scrub, rinsed it thoroughly, then twisted it back into place. Once all of that was done, I put a cup of vinegar on the top rack and ran a normal cycle. Lastly, wipe down the front of your dishwasher. Done!
Clean Your Stove/Oven
First of all, pull your oven out from the wall. If you haven’t done this in awhile, prepare for the worst. I do this twice a year now, but I didn’t used to! So it used to be really gross back there. Now it’s not too bad: usually a few stray dry pasta pieces, some dust, and maybe a dead bug. So it’s generally just a quick vacuum & mop of the floor. Next check out the sides of your oven. I usually have a few messy drips that have dried on, so I spray the with kitchen cleaner, wait a bit, then scrub off any dried on food/stains. Slide your oven back into place.
Now for the inside. You have options here: if your oven has a self-clean button, you can use that. My last oven had this option, and I used it once. If you remember your mom doing this when you were a kid, you may remember that this process can stink. Your oven will lock itself, heat itself as high as it can go, and burn off any food inside (which is why it can smell). This usually takes several hours. After it cools and unlocks, you can wipe out the ash left behind. Another option is the steam clean. This is what my current oven has (my last oven actually had this option as well). You will have to add some water, then let your oven use steam to loosen any tough stains or burnt on food inside. This is probably perfectly fine if you clean your oven often. If you don’t have either option (or you just like scrubbing!), you can wash your oven by hand. The best way to deal with tough spots by hand is with a baking soda and water paste. Whichever option you go with, make sure you wipe it out thoroughly.
After the inside is dealt with, just do a thorough wipe down of the outside of the door, the stovetop, and the knobs. Then you should be done!
Clean Your Refrigerator/Freezer
This is another appliance that is not too bad if you do it regularly (at least twice a year). Just like the oven, pull the fridge out so you can vacuum and mop under it. Before you push it back in, get a stool to check out the top of the refrigerator: you’ll probably have 1) clutter to toss or items to organize, and 2) a lot of dust to vacuum or wipe up. Then wipe down the sides of the fridge if it needs it. Push it back into place and get ready for the big job.
Time to empty out the freezer! Take everything out and see how the inside looks. Ours is usually pretty clean, so a quick wipe down is all it needs. Next you want to check out all the frozen food. Is anything really old or just not likely to be eaten? Toss it. Are you not even sure what that meat is? Toss it. Anything you want to keep, organize it as you put it back in.
You’re going to do the same thing with the refrigerator, although this will probably be a bit more time-consuming. Pull everything out and start at the top shelf and work your way down wiping out crumbs and scrubbing any spills or sticky spots. Pull drawers out to dump out crumbs and give a thorough wash with hot, soapy water. Clean up the shelves of your refrigerator door as well. Go through all your food, and check expiration dates. Toss anything that’s past its date, moldy, or just not being eaten. As you put things back in, try to organize by category. If you have clear bins sitting around, these can be really helpful for corralling like items!
After the inside is clean, wipe down the front of your refrigerator (toss any old coupons, photos, reminders, lists, etc). After this, your fridge should be sparkling!
Clean Out Your Pantry or Food Storage
Cleaning out your food storage space will probably be pretty similar to cleaning out the refrigerator. Empty your pantry or cupboards, then wipe everything down and vacuum the floor. Then it’s time to declutter and purge: toss expired foods, throw out stale items, and relocate anything that doesn’t belong. Organize things as you put them back in (baskets and bins are really helpful here again!).
Once you’ve tackled your big appliances and food storage areas, your kitchen should be feeling and looking a lot cleaner. These are things that really need to be done regularly to prevent gross messes, keep on top of your inventory of food and kitchen items, and keep your appliances in their best condition. I personally feel like having the kitchen super clean and tidy makes the whole house feel cleaner!
On An Even Kiel 