Spring Clean Your Kitchen In Just One Day

Spring is just around the corner and it's the perfect time to spring clean. A little bit of effort now will allow you to enjoy more time outdoors when the weather is nice. You can easily spring clean a kitchen in one day with some planning and commitment to time. Take note of the following steps and in one day your kitchen will be perfectly clean!

De-clutter Your Kitchen! Spring cleaning is the perfect time to de-clutter your space. Clean out junk drawers and remove everything from the counter tops that doesn't belong such as junk mail, bills, etc. Make sure clutter is separated into items that can be thrown out, recycled, donated or placed in a better storage area and not the counter top! Take the time to go through your cabinets and pantry to look for anything that has expired and toss it. At the end of the day you will appreciate the clutter free space!

Dust and Wash Ceilings and Walls! Dust and Clean! A rule I always follow when cleaning a room is start at the top and work your way down. Dust your ceiling and walls and then with a mild detergent wash them. Pay extra attention to high traffic area's and corners especially if you have young children. A great tool is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. This does a great job of cleaning those hard to clean marks on the walls. Just wet it, wring it out and scrub the wall surface that is marked.
Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures Clean those ceiling fans and light fixtures. Dust has a way of accumulating on these surfaces. Cleaning them regularly is best but be sure to do a thorough cleaning several times a year. A mild soap detergent will work fine. Be sure to wring out the rag and be careful around electrical areas.
Dust Blinds and Wash Window Treatments Wash your curtains and dust blinds! Spring cleaning the kitchen is an excellent time to take down any curtains you may have and wash them. While up there be sure to dust and wipe down your blinds. I usually dust blinds first and then with a mild detergent wipe down each slat. It's a bit time consuming but you will be happy to see how clean your blinds are when you're finished!
Window Cleaning! Window Cleaning! Grab your window cleaner and do a good thorough cleaning of all your windows. Nothing brightens up a room easier than fresh clean windows! Be sure to wipe down any trim and mouldings around the window with Murphy's Oil Soap.
Cabinets! Wash your cabinets inside and out! Yes, this can be quite the chore but if you are committed to a thorough one day cleaning you will be glad you took the time and didn't skip this step. Take everything out of your cabinets and with a mild soapy detergent wipe down the inside of your cabinets. Putting everything back in place only once you are sure they are completely dry. This is a great chance to clean up some more clutter! Check expiration dates and toss any items you no longer use. If you are storing appliances, casserole pans or an item you don't use that often then consider finding a different place for it to open up more storage in your kitchen for items you do use frequently. I keep a few items stored up in a family room closet so I can have easier access and more storage for the items I use most often. Now it's time to clean the outside of the cabinets. I use Murphy's Oil Soap and wipe down the outside of all the cabinets. Once they have dried apply Milsek Furniture Polish. This will give the cabinets a really great shiny clean look and they will smell good as well. Be sure to clean any door hardware with the appropriate cleaners. Example...if you have brass cabinet pulls use a brass cleaner and polish to have them looking their best. This is one of the most time consuming parts of the spring cleaning in your kitchen but your cabinets will look fantastic!
Appliances! Appliances...another tedious task! Starting with your stove wipe out the inside. You may want to set it on the auto clean now or wait until you are done cleaning your entire kitchen as this usually heats up the kitchen quite a bit. Give the stove top a good cleaning removing all pieces that can be. I have found that cleaning the gas stove burner grates with amonia and letting them soak removes all that built up grease and grime. Be sure to spend time cleaning all the pieces on the stove top thoroughly before placing them back. Next you will want to clean your fridge top to bottom, inside and out! Start with the outside making sure to clean the top....it's amazing how much dust collects up there. I usually use an antibacterial spray for the outside of the fridge and scrub tough marks the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Turn the temp down on the fridge and remove everything. Take this opportunity to check for expiration dates and un-used items. With a mild soapy detergent clean your fridge taking out any shelves and trays that are removable. Once dry, place everything back. Repeat this step in the freezer. Wipe down the outside of your dishwasher with mild soap or anti bacterial spray cleaner. Look inside and clean it up as well. Same with your microwave oven. The Magic Eraser works wonders on the inside of your microwave too! And finally, wipe down and clean any counter top appliances such as toasters and coffee makers.
Counters and Sink! Counters and Sink! Once everything has been taken off the counters give them a good cleaning with mild soapy detergent. I go over mine with an anti bacterial spray as well. Then place everything back on your shiny clean counters once dry! Fill the sink with warm soapy water and clean. Again, once the water is drained and everything is wiped dry, I go over again with anti bacterial spray cleaner.
Furniture! Furniture! With mild soap clean all the furniture wiping down the table and chair legs, seats and all surfaces. With young children and white furniture I do this weekly. If you have wood furniture be sure to polish it. Clean trash cans too!
Floors! Finally, the Floors! Last step to a beautifully spring cleaned kitchen is the floors. Sweep them up and wash them. If you have ceramic tiles, clean the grout. If you have wood floors, then apply a good hard wood floor polish to them. Your kitchen will look fantastic and you will be happy you spent the day spring cleaning your kitchen.