28 Time-Saving Kitchen Cleaning Tips & Steps for a Full Deep Clean

The kitchen is probably my favorite room in the house.

I love to cook and I love eating so it only makes sense.

But I don’t love the clean up, and I really don’t love cleaning up the mess and dirtiness that builds up over the months.

You know, the grease stains that cling to your baking pans and oven glass, and even the crumbs in the toaster.

And that’s why I decided I’d find some of the most helpful tips for a full kitchen deep clean.

That way you can make your own homemade cleaning products and try new time-saving hacks that’ll make kitchen cleaning so much simpler.

Now you don’t have to wait for company to come over to finally do a top-to-bottom scrub of the kitchen to get rid of those messes you’ve been avoiding. You can just live with a clean kitchen after a good deep-cleaning with some tips and steps that’ll make it a lot more simple for you.

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Dishes

Don’t you hate getting a sink full of dirty dishes? It’s kind of stressful, but it’s the first thing you need to focus on when you do a kitchen deep clean.

And here’s a quick solution to save you time:

1. Put all the dishes in your sink.
2. Squeeze some dish soap and fill it with water to the limit.
3. Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide.
4. Slice up a lemon and add it to the sink.
5. Then add 2 cups of vinegar.
6. Sprinkle some baking soda into the sink.
7. Wait 15 minutes, go take care of a different part of the kitchen, come back, & clean.

Everything comes off with basically no effort!

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Sink

Clean Your Stainless Steel Sink with Baking Soda

When learning how to deep clean a kitchen, this step should never be skipped.

And this tip is the best solution for cleaning your dirty steel sink without using harsh chemical cleaners.

All you have to do is sprinkle a light amount of baking soda all over your sink, especially with the corners and drain. Get an old toothbrush (or other type of brush), run tap water, and scrub in circles.

That’s it! You’ll have a shiny stainless steel sink in minutes.

How to Clean Your Kitchen Faucet

Faucets are known for getting dirty, so try using vinegar to clean it up! Such an easy kitchen cleaning tip!

Get the Full Tutorial from Mom 4 Real

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Pots & Pans

Clean a Scorched Pan With Vinegar & Baking Soda

It’s always a huge annoyance when your pans get scorched.

But with just some vinegar, baking soda, water, and a scratcher, you don’t have to soak it for a week straight in hopes of getting it off.

Get the Full Tutorial from Apartment Therapy

Egg Shells as a Homemade Abrasive

Another great idea is to bake saved egg shells for 20 minutes at 200 F, and run through a small blender.

Then once they’re basically dust, save them in a jar for later.

And when you do need them, pour it onto your pans with baked on food and use a brush to scrub it off!

This is probably one of my favorite kitchen cleaning tips I’ve learned so far!

Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide for Baking Pans

I love baking, but I hate it when my new baking pan gets those grease and burn stains.

Thankfully though, with just some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, it comes off fast.

Get the Full Tutorial from One Good Thing

Dish soap & Scotch-Brite Extreme Scrub Sponge for Baked on Grease

These types of pans are the best, especially when it comes to making dishes like lasagna.

But too often, that clear glass gets stained with baked-on grease.

And if you want a kitchen cleaning solution, then using dish soap and Scotch-Brite Extreme Scrub Sponge will get it right off!

Get the Full Tutorial from Ask Anna

Cast Iron Cleaner

This tip is super easy and smart. You just need to sprinkle a generous amount of salt on the pan, cut a potato in half, and scrub in a circular motion with the potato half.

After removing the salt, put some oil on the cast iron pan, and easily wipe it off.

Copper Pots Cleaner

Instead of buying new copper pots, give them the new look with this trick.

All you have to do is sprinkle the surface with some salt, pour a little bit of vinegar over it, and scrub with a sponge.

Also, do this tip for your baking sheets and other metal cookware, you’ll thank me later!

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Dishwasher

When it comes learning how to clean a kitchen, you can’t skip the dishwasher.

While it might be a cleaner itself, it can accumulate quite a bit of dirt, so making sure to get it taken care of is essential.

So here are a few steps for dishwasher cleaning:

1. Take out the filter and spray arm(s) and clean them out with hot water, dish soap, and a toothbrush (or toothpick for small hard to reach spots).
2. Wipe down the outside and door gasket with a warm wet cloth.
3. Let it run through a cycle with a cleaning pod.

Fresh Lemon Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

If you want a non-toxic way to clean your dishes, then try this super easy to make recipe.

All you need are diced lemons, water, kosher salt, and white vinegar. Simple right?

Get the Full Tutorial from Bren Did

Sanitize Your Dishwasher with Lemonade Kool-Aid

Your dishwasher cleans your dishes everyday, so it does make sense to clean it out as well.

And to make this task easier, use lemonade Kool-Aid instead of a detergent cleaner.

Fill your empty dishwasher’s detergent compartment with lemon Kool-Aid and run a normal cycle. The citric acid will help remove buildup and sanitize your appliance.

Dishwashing Detergent Tabs

If you want a quick and simple way to clean your dishes with no toxic ingredients, then this is a great recipe!

All it requires is baking soda, borax, Epsom salt, vinegar, lemon essential oil, and an ice tray.

Get the Full Tutorial & Ingredient Measurements from Krazy Coupon Lady

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Stove

Clean Glass Stovetop With Baking Soda and Lemon

If your glass stovetop is greasy or has some baked on food, then just follow this method:

1. Sprinkle some baking soda and squeeze lemon juice over top.
2. Use the lemon half to rub the baking soda and lemon juice mixture around.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. Use a microfiber cloth (not paper towels) to clean it up.

Clean a Gas Stovetop With a Baking Soda Paste

Stove cleaning for a gas stovetop can seem a bit more difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Maytag suggests using a paste made up of 3 parts baking soda and 1 parts water, and leaving it on the stovetop surface for 20 minutes. Then finish the cleanup with a soft cloth or sponge.

But if your mess is an easier cleanup, they say to work dish soap and water into a lather, let it sit for 5 minutes, and scrub it away until gone.

Clean Grates With a Non-Abrasive Scrubbing Pad or Dishwasher

There are two simple ways you can clean your grates, according to Maytage:

1. Take each grate and wash them in the sink with a non-abrasive scrubbing pad, dish soap, or a mildly abrasive cleaner.
2. If everything checks out on your owner’s manual, you can pop them into the dishwasher and let them get clean that way. Also, scrubbing them before putting them in can make make the cleaning process better.

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Oven

Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda, Water, & Vinegar

With a mixture of baking soda and water, you can easily clean and disinfect your oven.

According to The Kitchn, it takes a 1/2 cup of baking soda and around 3 tablespoons of water to create the paste.

And once the paste is created, you’ll wanna remove the grates and spread the paste all of the interior of the stove, but keep it away from the heating elements.

Then, once it’s sat for 12 hours or overnight, take a damp cloth and clean up as much of the paste as you can, and spray vinegar over it all.

And to finish up this kitchen cleaning hack, just take a damp cloth and go over it as many times as needed until it’s perfectly clean.

Cleaning the Racks in a Dishwasher, Sink, or Tub

This will depend on the size of your oven racks, but here are two ways you can clean them:

1. Pop them in the dishwasher and run them through a cycle.
2. Again, this will depend on the size, but either in your sink or bathtub, let them soak for 2 hours in hot water and dissolved normal dishwasher-detergent tablets.

If you try the second method, just turn them as needed, and put some old towels underneath to protect your tub from scratches.

Clean Oven Glass with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Alright, so I’ve cleaned my oven glass with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda before, but… I never thought of using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

It looks like it’s a lot more easy than my method.

Get the Full Tutorial from Polished Habitat

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Countertops

While it might seem pretty simple, this part of the deep-clean does require a few steps.

1. Clear your countertops of appliances, racks, baskets, espresso cups, and anything else that’s made that space its home.
2. Wipe down the counters and walls by the countertop with a warm disinfected cloth.
3. For cleaning the grout, slowly stir in hydrogen peroxide into a bowl filled with a 1/2 cup of baking soda. Do this until you get a paste consistency. Then take a toothbrush and scrub.

Organize Your Countertops With These 3 Ideas

Once you’re done working on the countertop cleaning, it’s time to declutter.

Look for some awesome organized kitchen and DIY ideas (Pinterest anyone?) that you can easily use to clear off your counters.

Some awesome ideas may include:

• A creative spice rack in your cupboard that keeps everything together.
• Using command hooks to hold up wire baskets which hold ingredients or cooking appliances.
• Having a cake stand by the sink to hold your dish soap, sponge, drying cloth, etc.

Just a few changes can go a long way!

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Cabinets

Salt & Vinegar Paste for Removing Grease and Grime from Wood Kitchen Cabinets

Your kitchen cabinet can get dirt and stains with overtime use.

So to keep it clean and nice looking, make a salt and vinegar paste. Apply the mixture to the doors, knobs, and pulls.

Then scrub using a soft bristled toothbrush and rinse the paste off afterwards.

Be careful not to scrub too hard so you don’t scratch the wood.

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Refrigerator

Make sure to never skip this part of a kitchen cleanup!

A build up of too many foods in your fridge can mess with the temperature of your refrigerator. According to the FDA, “Cold air must circulate around refrigerated foods to keep them properly chilled.” So if your fridge is overstuffed, it’s time to clean it out!

Also, let’s not forget the bacteria that can build up over time if you’re not regularly sanitizing it!

And according to CNET, you should clean your fridge every 3 to 4 months.

Cleaning Under & Behind the Fridge

While not the funnest part of cleaning a fridge, it’s definitely neccessary.

First, unplug the refrigerator, take a vacuum with a brush attachment, and vacuum the coils and the space underneath your fridge.

Plug the fridge back in once done.

Clean the Fridge and Freezer

For cleaning the inside of the fridge and freezer, take each of the shelves out and wash them in the sink with hot water and dish soap. Dry and set aside.

Go in with a spray bottle filled up with 1 parts vinegar and 3 parts water, spray, and wipe down with a microfiber cloth.

For cleaning the outside: If you have a stainless steal fridge, fill up a spay bottle with distilled vinegar, spray and wipe away dirt or fingerprints with a microfiber cloth (going with the grain). Then spray water over top and wipe it off with a dampened cloth.

Baking Soda or Coffee Grounds for Fridge Odors

For keeping your fridge odor free, try this simple method!

Get a small bowl full of baking soda or used coffee grounds, place it in the fridge, and let it’s do its job.

Use Fridge Liners for Easy Cleanup

Now before you finish up with your fridge cleaning, get some fridge liners.

Then the next time you need to clean the fridge, just pull them up and the cleanup process will be so much faster!

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Microwave

Steam-Clean Your Microwave

For microwave cleaning, heat up some water with lemon juice for three minutes, then let it sit for another five minute.

This will loosen stuck-on residue inside the microwave and make it easier for you to wipe off using a wet sponge or microfiber cloth.

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Other Kitchen Appliances & Tools

Cleaning a kitchen wouldn’t be complete without going over your appliances and tools. So here are some ideas for making sure they’re spotless!

Frozen Vinegar and Lemon Slices for Garbage Disposals

Garbage disposals can get a certain… odor to them. Which is why I really like this simple hack of making frozen lemon and vinegar cubes to get rid of the bad smell.

Get the Full Tutorial from The Krazy Coupon Lady

Use a Pastry Brush to Remove Crumbs from the Toaster

If you’re someone who uses your toaster often (like me), then you probably start to notice a burnt smell.

You know, like those crumbs at the bottom have been heated up way too many times?

Well with a simple pastry brush, you can easily clean your toaster out.

Get the Full Tutorial from The Krazy Coupon Lady

Clean Your Wooden Cutting Board with a Couple Ingredients

Wooden cutting boards are the best.

And thankfully, there’s an easy way to keep them properly clean.

With just some Kosher salt, baking soda, lemon, vinegar, and water, you can have it cleaned up right away.

Get the Full Tutorial from The Pioneer Woman

Clean Your Sponges in the Microwave

I hate it when sponges take on that horrible smell when bacteria gets in them.

But by dampening the sponge and heating it in the microwave for 60 seconds, you can get rid of the bad smell and not have to waste money on new ones.

Get the Full Tutorial from Krazy Coupon Lady

DIY Rust Remover for Knives

Soak your rusty knives in concentrated lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes.

Wipe off with a cloth, and you’ll have new looking knives again.

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Floors

Steam Mop Your Kitchen Floor

Finally, after you’ve cleaned your countertops, cabinets, and sink, it’s now time to do your floor.

I highly suggest you sweep your floor daily to get rid of all the dirt and dust that accumulates, then steam mop it at least twice a week to sanitize.

And don’t forget to hit the corners where dirt can easily hide!