How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen (With Free Checklist!)

No room is used as much as a kitchen or has as many different items that need regular cleaning and upkeep.

This is why it’s important to deep clean your kitchen 3-4 times per year. I’m talking about a really, really good clean.

How Much Time Does it Take to Deep Clean a Kitchen?

Deep cleaning is much different than regular tidying up. The amount of time it will take to thoroughly deep clean depends on how bad things have gotten.

If your kitchen is in fairly good shape, you can knock out a good deep clean in 2-3 hours.  If your kitchen has seen better days, then it’s going to take longer.

The good news is that you don’t have to do all of this in one day. You can spread your deep cleaning out over a week or limit yourself to thirty minutes per day. It’s all up to you.

What Supplies Do I Need?

You probably have most of the supplies you need, and if not, you can almost always improvise.

Here’s what we’ll be using to deep clean:

• Multi-Purpose Cleaner
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Oven Cleaner
• Rubber Gloves
• Sink Scrub (Optional)
• Stainless Steel Cleaner (If you have stainless steel appliances)
• Glass Stovetop Cleaner (If you have a glass cooktop)
• Keurig Descaling Solution (If you have a Keurig)
• Microfiber Cloths
• Vacuum/Broom/Mop

Where to Start: Set Yourself Up for Success with a Basic Cleaning

Download Kitchen Deep Clean Checklist

Before you deep cleaning, it’s important to do a regular tidying up of the kitchen. This will get the clutter out of your way, give you plenty of workspaces, and set you up to tackle your deep cleaning list.

Here’s what to do:

Load, run and Unload Your Dishwasher – You’re going to be cleaning your dishwasher, and it will need to be empty. So, get all your dishes washed and put away.

Pick up Trash – Go around the room and throw out/recycle any trash.

Put Belongings Away – Return non-kitchen items to their proper homes.

Wipe Down Counters – Knock the crumbs off of your counters and then give them a good wipe down with your favorite cleaner.

Sweep and Mop – Sweep and then mop your kitchen floors.

Once you have a good basic cleaning done, you’ll be ready to get down to business.

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Now that you have a good base, we’re going to get down to deep cleaning.

Clean Your Dishwasher

Have you ever cleaned your dishwasher? If not, you’re going to be in for a real treat.

The first time I cleaned my dishwasher and dishwasher filter, I almost threw up. Dishwasher filters get nasty – especially if you put anything other than completely rinsed off dishes in your dishwasher.

Here’s what to do:

• Remove the filter (It probably twists out. If you have trouble removing it, Google the instructions for your model.)
• Use an old toothbrush to scrub all the grime off of the filter.
• Wipe down the insides of the dishwasher with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. (Pay special attention to the outer edges and your silverware holder.)
• Once the filter is clean, reinsert it.
• Place one cup of vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher and run the dishwasher (with nothing else in it) on the quick cycle.

Clean Your Pantry (And Any Other Cabinets with Food)

Remove all food from your pantry. Sweep out any crumbs. Now wipe down everything inside the pantry/cabinets. Throw out expired food and place everything back in a neat, organized fashion.

Clean Your Stovetop

Let’s get that stove sparkling.

If you have a gas cooktop, sweep up all the crumbs or knock them on the floor. Use dish soap and water on a microfiber cloth to scrub all the grease and dirt off the cooktop.

If you have a glass cooktop, start by wiping off the crumbs and any burnt-on food with a microfiber cloth. Next, squirt a glass stove top cleaner on the top and wipe in a circular motion.

Clean Your Oven

Cleaning the oven is not fun but actually relatively easy.

To clean the oven, we’ll be using an oven cleaner. (Since oven cleaner can be harsh, use rubber gloves. )

Pull everything out of your oven. Spray the insides of the oven with the cleaner everywhere except on the heating elements for an electric oven and where the gas comes out for a gas oven. Let the cleaner sit for 20 min., or as directed, and then wipe down the oven with a damp rag.

Take your racks outside, spray them with cleaner, let them set in a safe place, and then scrub them down with a damp rag.

Clean Your Sink

Did you know that your kitchen sink harbors more germs than your toilet? Pretty gross, right?

How to Clean Your Sink with Vinegar and Baking Soda – Sprinkle baking soda all over the sink. Rub it in a circular motion with a cloth. Pour white distilled vinegar over the baking soda. Rinse with warm water and dry with a cloth.

How to Clean Your Sink with a Store-Bought Cleaner – Not into using vinegar? Don’t use it. You can buy a sink cleaner. I like this one. Just squirt on, scrub with a damp cloth, and then rinse off.

Clean Your Refrigerator

Cleaning the refrigerator is my least favorite deep cleaning chore. It feels like such a pain when I’m doing it, but it is always worth it afterward!

• Remove everything from the fridge, tossing out any expired food
• Sweep out all of the crumbs
• Using hot soapy water and a microfiber cloth, wipe down the refrigerator, scrubbing any sticky spots
• Use a magic eraser for the stubborn spots
• Wipe everything down with a dry towel
• Put your food back in the fridge

Since freezers don’t receive quite the damage that refrigerators do, a quick wipe down with a dry microfiber cloth with probably be sufficient—bonus points for organizing the food in your freezer.

Clean Your Microwave

Remove all crumbs from the microwave.

Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave that mixture for five minutes. Wait another five minutes before removing the bowl. (Be careful when you do, it will be hot!)

Now wipe down your microwave. The steam from the mixture will allow you to very easily remove any stuck-on food.

Clean Your Coffee Maker

Standard Coffee Maker – Empty any used coffee grounds. Now fill the pot with a water-vinegar solution – for every one cup of white distilled vinegar, add two cups of water. Run the coffee pot with this solution. Run with just water two times afterward to remove any lingering vinegar.

If you’ve never cleaned your coffee maker, you’ll be surprised at the gunk that comes out!

Keurig – For a Keurig, wash all the removable parts with hot soapy water. To get rid of the mineral build-up inside the machine, I recommend using Keurig’s descaling solution.

The Finishing Touches

Wipe Down the Baseboards

Spray a microfiber cloth with your favorite all-purpose cleaner and wipe down all baseboards and trim work. If you have a ceiling fan in your kitchen, wipe down the blades with this same cloth.

Wash the Windows and Window Tracks

Pull out your vacuum or shop vac, open up the windows and vacuum the tracks. If you haven’t done this in a while, you’ll probably find a collection of bugs in there. After the tracks are swept, wipe them down with an all-purpose cleaner.

Last, use a glass cleaner to wipe down your windows.

Knock Down Any Cob Webs from the Ceiling

Take your broom or shop vac hose and hunt down all the cobwebs hiding in the corners of the ceiling and walls.

Wipe Down Your Cabinets

Wipe down your cabinets with soap and water, vinegar and water, or a mild cleaner. If you’re using something new, BE SURE TO DO A SPOT TEST. I didn’t spot test once, and the cleaner I used stripped the stain off my cabinet.

Clean the Outside of Your Appliances

If you have black or white appliances, use your favorite multipurpose cleaner to give them a good wipe down. Scrub any stuck-on food off of the appliances.

If you have stainless steel appliances, use a stainless-steel cleaner. This is the one I use.

Wipe Down Your Trash Can

Wipe down the outside of your trashcan with a disinfecting cleaner. Scrub any stuck-on messes.

Re-Wipe Down Counters

Now that you’ve done all that deep cleaning, your counters are probably a little dirty. Wipe them down again for good measure.

Do a Final Sweep and Mop

Do your final sweep and mop!

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen – You Made It!

You’ve officially conquered the how to deep clean your kitchen challenge! While it was a lot of work, you now have the pleasure of getting to enjoy a super clean kitchen. Perform some weekly maintenance to keep your kitchen looking great.

Download Whole-House Deep Cleaning Checklists