24 Ways to Keep a Kitchen Clean When Life Gets Messy
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Want to know how to keep a kitchen clean? You’re not alone. Kitchens are notoriously hard to keep clean. When you really stop and think about everything that happens in the kitchen, it’s pretty surprising. You can easily probably think of over 40 different activities that take place!
From meal prepping and nightly cooking to hanging out, socializing, entertaining, playing games, helping with homework, enjoying a few cocktails, and of course making your morning coffee. There’s just so much going on. No wonder it’s one of the hardest rooms to keep clean.
The kitchen is definitely where the messiest messes happen. But don’t worry, it’s totally possible to keep your kitchen clean and beautiful. I’m going to share 24 tips to help you maintain a clean kitchen that you adore and can actually think clearly in.
1. Stock up on Your Cleaning Supplies and Tools
To keep a kitchen clean you must always have cleaning supplies and tools ready to go. If not, it will be really hard to keep your kitchen clean. Gather those supplies together either in a cleaning caddy or under your kitchen sink for ease of access.
Here are some of my go-to cleaning supplies that I love for my kitchen:
Microfiber Cloths
Microfiber cloths are my absolute go-to for cleaning kitchen surfaces. They’re reusable, eco-friendly, and and help you save money by cutting down on paper towel use. I keep paper towels on hand for the really messy jobs, but for most of my kitchen cleaning these cloths do the trick.
I’m not a fan of those basic, ugly-looking brooms. I like my cleaning supplies to look nice too. I bought this white and brown one, and I love it. It’s definitely come in handy with my toddler who’s in a serious mess-making phase right now.
An everyday purpose cleaner is great for cleaning kitchen counter surfaces, spills, and so much more. Make sure you have an all-purpose cleaner in your cleaning product lineup. I personally like this onebecause it’s more eco-friendly and has cleaner ingredients. .
Bamboo Scrub Brush
Bamboo scrub brushes are perfect when you need to wash dishes in a hurry. The bristles handle stuck-on food without scratching your pots and pans, and honestly, they just look so much nicer by the sink than a plastic brush. It’s like a little bit of kitchen décor that actually earns its keep.
I’m obsessed with Scrub Mommy and Scrub Daddy sponges. They last much longer than regular sponges, tackle grime without scratching, and somehow even make cleaning dishes fun. I primarily use them to clean dishes and use a regular sponge to tackle surfaces. That way, I never mix up my dish sponge with my cleaning sponge.
To make your appliances shine, I swear by this cleaner. It leaves everything streak-free and sparkling. The shiny appliances instantly make my whole kitchen feel fresh and spotless.
Whether you store your cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink, in a caddy, or in a dedicated cleaning closet, make sure everything is organized and easy to access. Know exactly what cleaning tools and solutions you’ll use in each area of your kitchen.
2. Get Everyone in Your Household on Board
If you live with multiple people in your household, maintaining a kitchen isn’t a one-person job. Have a conversation or household meeting to get everyone on the same page and share the responsibility. Express why it’s important to you and why it needs to be done.
3. Designate a Logical Place for Everything in Your Kitchen
Give every item in your kitchen a specific home so nothing gets left out or misplaced. Make sure everyone in your household knows where things belong. Constantly putting items back or fixing where others placed them is a hassle. It’s actually something that irks me a lot.
4. Invest in Kitchen Organization Systems
One of the most effective strategies for how to keep a kitchen clean is having solid organization systems in place. When everything has its own place whether it’s spices, snacks, or storage containers. It’s way simpler to keep things tidy. So definitely grab some drawer organizers, bins, or shelf dividers to cut down on clutter and make finding things a breeze. Good systems usually means less mess and way quicker cleanups.
5. Break Your Kitchen Into Zones for Easier Maintenance
Learning how to keep the kitchen clean while working in the kitchen starts with understanding the seven kitchen zones. These include the food prep zone, cooking and baking zone, cleaning zone, daily dishes and utensils zone, food storage zone, drink zone, and serving zone. If you stay within the proper zone while completing each task, it helps contain the mess and maintain order.
For example, chopping and seasoning in the food prep zone keeps the mess confined to one area. Spreading tasks into the drink or cleaning zones creates more mess to clean up. Staying in one zone makes cleanup quicker and helps keep the kitchen more organized and functional.
6. Don’t Leave Things in Your Kitchen That Don’t Belong
Another simple way to keep a kitchen clean is by making sure items that don’t belong are removed by the end of the day. When random things are left on counters or on floors, clutter usually builds up fast. This happens even quicker in smaller kitchens.
For example, my son brings his toys into the kitchen all the time. I make it a point to return them back to their proper place so the mess doesn’t pile up. Staying on top of little habits like this can make a huge difference in how you maintain a clean kitchen.
7. Clean as You Go
I know it’s so tempting not to clean up after cooking, baking, or doing anything in the kitchen, but cleaning as you go is so important for keeping a clean kitchen. Wipe up those spills, wash the dirty dishes, clean the counters and stovetop, and take care of any mess you see as you go.
8. Make it a Goal to Have a Empty Sink
I know an empty sink isn’t always realistic. Sometimes we’re in a rush, or our attention is pulled to our kid hanging from the curtains. But coming back to a sink filled with dishes stinks. Try to clean your dishes when you can right after you’re done eating. A clean kitchen sink is just so much more inviting.
9. Don’t Wait to Run the Dishwasher
A great way to have an empty sink is by not waiting until your dishwasher is filled to the brim. If you hold off until it’s overflowing, dirty dishes pile up in the sink making your kitchen look messy (and smell worse). Running the dishwasher when it’s almost full helps you stay ahead of the clutter and keeps the kitchen looking neat.
10. Empty Your Dishwasher Right Away
Finish the job by unloading your dishwasher as soon as it’s done. When it sits full, dirty dishes can pile up in the sink. If you want a clean kitchen, make it a habit to load and unload the dishwasher right away.
11. Wipe Down Kitchen Countertops
Kitchen countertops attract crumbs, spills, germs, and so much more. In the evenings before you settle down for the night, take a minute or two to do a quick wipe down.
12. Do a Quick Sweep, Vacuum, or Mop After Dinner
Kitchen floors get dirty fast, so make it a point to stay on top of it by either sweeping, vacuuming, or mopping after dinner. I personally can’t stand when food, dirt, and grime stick my feet. It’s the absolute worst when you’ve got a piece of macaroni stuck to your foot. It’s a sensory painful experience. If you’re like me, a quick floor clean after dinner will save you from that!
13. Keep Your Countertops Clutter-Free
When I walk into a kitchen the first thing I notice is the kitchen countertops. If they’re cluttered with lots of stuff, the whole kitchen instantly looks super messy and disorganized. Be selective about what’s on your countertops. The goal is to keep as little as possible on your kitchen countertops.
Paperwork and mail tend to be kitchen countertop clutter culprits. To keep things under control, create a system for handling them as soon as they arrive. Set up a filing system for important papers and make it a habit to sort through your mail right away.
15. Don’t Forget to Clean the Sink
The sink can totally be overlooked as a place that needs cleaning, since it’s the place where we do the cleaning. How ironic! A study by the USDA found that 34% of kitchen sinks are often contaminated after meal preparation. Not going to lie, I need to step up my sink cleaning game myself after this statistic. Make it a point to disinfect your kitchen sink regularly as part of your kitchen cleaning routine.
16. Maintain Decluttered and Organized Kitchen Cabinets
When your kitchen cabinets are decluttered and organized you are less likely to store extra items on your countertops. Like I said before, keeping your counters clutter-free is key to making your kitchen look neat, orderly, and super clean.
17. Keep an Evening Quick Clean Kitchen Checklist Handy
A daily evening cleaning checklist is a simple tool that helps you stay consistent and keep your kitchen clean. After a long workday day, it’s easy to forget what needs a quick wipe or tidy-up. Having a visual checklist helps you remember and keeps you on track. Keep it on the fridge or save it on your phone for easy access.
18. Create a Schedule for Kitchen Maintenance
When it comes to keeping your kitchen clean, it helps to break tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance.
Daily maintenance includes the small tasks you do every day to keep messes from piling up.
Weekly maintenance is the tasks you have to do once a week to maintain a neat kitchen.
Monthly maintenance includes choosing one or two days a month to give your kitchen a deeper clean.
Here are some examples of what can go under each category:
Daily Maintenance
Clean dishes after meals
Wipe up spills
Wipe down kitchen counters
Clean the dinner table after eating
Do a quick sweep or vacuum
Weekly Maintenance
Clean out the fridge before your next food shop
Tidy the pantry and other food storage areas
Disinfect the Sink
Vacuum the floors
Monthly Maintenance
Disinfect the sink thoroughly
Deep clean the counters
Vacuum and mop the floors
Clean the surface of all large appliances
Run the self-cleaning cycle on the oven
Clean the inside of the fridge
Clean the inside of the microwave
Wipe down the kitchen cabinets
Reorganize the kitchen cabinets
19. Run the Self Cleaning cycle on The Oven
I’ve definitely been guilty of neglecting my own oven maintenance over the years. But running the self-cleaning cycle every three months is very effective. After the cycle finishes and the oven cools down, be sure to wipe down the inside. Why is this so important? First, leftover food residue can burn during cooking, releasing smoke and smelly odors into the air. Two, a clean oven heats more efficiently, saving you time.
20. Maintain Other Kitchen Appliances
As part of your monthly kitchen cleaning routine, don’t forget about other appliance maintenance. Believe it or not, it’s not just your oven that needs to be maintained. Your coffee maker and dishwasher need attention too. Dishwashers should have their filters cleaned, door seals wiped down to prevent mildew, and spray arms inspected and wiped with a damp towel. Coffee makers often need a descaling which, you can easily do using the vinegar method. If you have other appliances, be sure to include them in your cleaning schedule as well.
21. Create a Chore Chart for Your Kids
Get your kids involved in keeping the kitchen clean by creating a simple chore or routine chart. Assign age-appropriate tasks like clearing their belongings from the kitchen daily, helping with the dishes after dinner, or mopping the floors once a week. Be consistent with enforcing the chart, and you’ll notice less nagging and a lot less work for you.
22. Turn Kitchen Cleaning Into a Habit
A big part of learning how to keep a kitchen clean is turning it into a daily habit. If we don’t make it a priority, it becomes difficult to stay on top of it. Allowing the kids to leave things scattered all over the kitchen only makes it harder to keep clean. Like I mentioned before, the key is getting everyone in your household on board. When it becomes a shared habit, it no longer feels like such a chore.
23. End The Day With a Kitchen Reset
Tidy up your kitchen at night so you can wake up to a clean, clutter-free space. Evenings get busy, between helping the kids with their routine, late calls, and unexpected tasks, it’s easy to miss finishing the kitchen. Make it a habit to come back and reset your kitchen before bed, completing your evening tasks and setting yourself up for a fresh start in the morning.
24. Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
Finally, don’t be hard on yourself if your kitchen is not spotless all the time. Life happens, and some weeks it’s not possible to keep everything clean. You can always get back on track later and continue your clean kitchen routine.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this post on how to keep a kitchen clean. Maintaining a clean kitchen doesn’t have to be hard. Get everyone in your household involved, stick to a cleaning schedule, do a quick nightly reset, and of course don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve got this! Now go enjoy your fresh and tidy kitchen.
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