Everyday tips to keep your kitchen clean

How to keep your kitchen cabinets and surfaces spotless

The kitchen may well be the heart of the home, but that also means it will be the room in your home that attracts the most dirt and dust. And every so often, you probably look around and realise just how grubby your kitchen has become, but can’t face the thought of spending a day tackling it.

And then you see images – like the one below – of a wonderful minimalist bedroom, and wonder how on earth you

So in this article we look at ten little things you can do regularly to keep your kitchen clean. Things that won’t take up much time or effort, and that you can build into your normal daily routine. 

1. Put everything in its right place

This is a simple but key factor to keeping your kitchen clean. Limit the opportunity for dust and dirt to settle, and you will be off to a great start! Use clever kitchen storage solutions to make the most of every inch of space. For example, ceiling high handleless kitchen cabinets and a kitchen island – both in Stone Elm – as shown in the stunning kitchen below.

2. Sweep the floor daily

A kitchen never looks clean if there is dust or debris on the floor. So it really is worth giving it a quick sweep or vacuum most days. You could fit this in while waiting for either the kettle to boil or a pan to heat up.

Your floor will also benefit from a wet clean at least once a week. This prevents dirt building up. Microfibre mops have become a popular option for this because they clean floors thoroughly without the need to rinse. 

3. Wipe surfaces daily

Aim to give all your kitchen surfaces a quick wipe every day, particularly after use. If you use antibacterial spray, leave it on for a minute or so before wiping off, to give it time to take effect. If you have quality laminate worktops, they are more stain resistant, so a soft cloth and warm soapy water will probably do the job. 

Make sure you dry your worktops thoroughly, especially around the sink and any joints. This will help to prevent damp penetrating the seals. If your surfaces are smeared, try using white vinegar on a paper towel to give them a smear-free finish.

4. Descale sinks and taps

If you live in a hard water area, limescale will build up quickly. You can tackle this with limescale remover or a combination of water and either white vinegar or lemon juice. Spray any traces of limescale as soon as you see them, then dry your sink with a tea towel to help slow down the build up of limescale.

5. Descale small appliances

Any small appliance using water – such as kettles or coffee machines – will also need regular descaling. You can do this using either a commercial scale remover, or a combination of white vinegar and water. Kettles can be left to descale overnight, but follow the manufacturer’s instructions for appliances such as coffee machines.

Many people now prefer to keep small appliances hidden away where possible. Check out DIY Homefit’s extensive range of kitchen cabinets to see some ideas for flexible storage solutions that can help you to do this.

6. Keep on top of hob spills

Nothing is worse than a food spill that is baked into a hob. Long-term spills can be tackled effectively with biological laundry detergent and may also need careful scrubbing – depending on the type of hob that you have – perhaps with a toothbrush.

The trick is to keep on top of any spills and wipe them away as soon as the hob is cool enough for you to do so.

7. Clean the fridge and freezer as you go

Let’s be honest, when was the last time you cleaned your fridge?! We’ve all had the experience of finding all kinds of forgotten items at the back of the fridge or freezer! So first of all it may be time for a deep clean, but then after that try to clean as you go. If there are partially used items in the fridge, or frozen leftovers in the freezer, make sure you remember they are there and use them within the recommended timeframes. 

It can help to keep your fridge clean if you line the drawers with kitchen towel. And try to get into the habit of scraping any ice from your freezer on a regular basis so it doesn’t build up and make the freezer difficult to access. Make sure both fridge and freezer shelves are wiped clean as often as you can, to avoid debris becoming stuck on them.

8. Clean the oven after each use

The oven can be another source of kitchen horror! But you can avoid this if you get into the habit of giving your oven a quick clean after every use. Just a quick wipe with a soft damp cloth will probably be enough, but you can also use commercial oven cleaner or bicarbonate of soda to tackle any build ups of grease or grime.

It’s also a good idea to line the bottom shelf of your oven with either a baking tray or an oven liner. An oven liner is a non-stick, dish-washable sheet that will catch any debris or spillages from the oven, and prevent these sticking to the bottom of your oven and causing it to smoke.

9. Deep clean one large appliance a week

As well as doing the small day to day cleaning tips, it can be helpful to have a plan in place to deep clean your large appliances. For example washing machine, dishwasher, oven and fridge freezer. 

Then as well as the ongoing little cleans, you know that there will be a more thorough clean coming up. Even if you just do one appliance a week, everything will get a good clean once a month or so.

10. Clear up the kitchen before bedtime

Last but not least, a really good daily discipline to get into is making sure your kitchen is clean and tidy at the end of the day. Who wants to walk into a messy kitchen first thing in the morning? It can get your day off to a really bad start. 

So wherever possible, make sure everything is put away, nothing is left lying around cluttering the place up, and there are no glaring patches of dust or dirt. A few minutes of effort last thing at night can greatly brighten your day first thing next morning.

We hope that the above tips are useful and help you to start keeping your kitchen as clean as possible without taking too much time or effort. For further inspiration, take a browse through our gallery of kitchen pictures to see how good a clean, uncluttered kitchen will look in your home..

Remember to check back here soon for more lifestyle tips from DIY Homefit.