How to deep clean your kitchen in 5 easy steps

Most people try to keep their kitchen looking clean on a daily basis – whether that means mopping up a spill or giving the hob a quick wipe after use. However, food preparation and cooking can lead to a build up of grease and dirt over time, which may require a bit more effort to remove.

While giving the kitchen a thorough scrub-down may not be everyone’s favourite job, it’s important if you want to keep your kitchen clean and hygienic – and the more regularly you do it, the easier your task will become. Here are the kitchen cleaning tips you need to know!

Tackling a kitchen deep clean is easy with the right products and a clear idea of what you need to do. Kitchen cleaning products (like those by Cif) are specially designed to tackle dirt and grease so you don’t have to waste time mixing your own products – plus doing a deep clean will make your daily cleaning tasks much easier!

Step 1: What to do before you start

Make sure you’re fully equipped with basic supplies, such as dishcloths, sponges, scourers, paper towels, and a good pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. Then list any deep cleaning products you may need to buy. For a thorough kitchen deep clean, most people find they need:

• Surface cleaner or disinfectant spray

• Anti-bacterial cleaner for the fridge and food cupboards

• Oven cleaner

• Floor cleaner

• Limescale remover

• Wood or metal polish

Step 2: Declutter your kitchen

Wash up any pots and pans first, so you can get to grips with a clutter-free kitchen. Then you’re ready to begin your deep clean!

Step 3: Deep Cleaning Kitchen Cupboards and Surfaces

Cupboards and surfaces should be your first port of call when giving your kitchen a deep clean:

• Clean the insides. First, remove all the contents of your cupboards and drawers. Use your disinfectant spray and a microfibre cloth to wipe inside.

• Scrub down outer surfaces. Fetch a step-ladder and wipe down the outside of your kitchen cupboards, any shelves, and the extractor fan, if you have one.

• Use an appropriate cleaner on your cupboard doors. For cabinet fronts, a bowl of warm, soapy water and a cloth is usually best, though solid wood doors may need a specialist cleaner.

• Shine up the handles. If your cupboard handles are looking particularly greasy, remove them and soak in a bowl before wiping. You may want to polish wooden and metal handles once dry to get them shining like new!

• Put your belongings back, and do a final sweep. Once everything is stowed away again, squirt surface cleaner on the worktops and kitchen tiles and wipe down with a cloth.

Step 4: Deep Cleaning Kitchen Appliances

The biggest cleaning jobs in the kitchen are usually the oven and refrigerator, but if you deep clean these together you can save a lot of time and energy:

• Apply cleaner to the oven. First, unplug it. Take out the shelves, and spray oven cleaner inside the cooker and on the door, taking care that you wear gloves and keep the kitchen well ventilated.

• Scrub the hob. Remove any hob plates and place them inside the oven, coating them with cleaner, too. Leave for at least 30 minutes.

• Sort the fridge and freezer. Unplug it and remove the contents of the fridge and any freezer compartment. Chuck out any unwanted or moldy food and keep perishable items, like meat and fish, in a cooler while you clean inside the appliance – they shouldn’t be outside of the fridge for more than 20-30 minutes

• Soak fridge shelves. Take out any shelving and leave it to soak in soapy water in the sink.

• Clean fridge walls. Inside the fridge, wipe down the walls with a mild anti-bacterial spray and a microfibre cloth.

• Clean the fridge shelves. Wipe down the shelves that have been soaking, dry and replace. Reconnect the power and refill the fridge.

• Soak oven parts. Return to the oven, putting the shelves and hob plates into the sink to soak.

• Scrub the oven. Scrub the top and insides of the cooker with a sponge. Crusted-on food marks may need a second application of cleaner.

• Remove soap. Rinse the sponge and wipe the oven down with clean water.

• Scrub and rinse the hob plates and shelves in the sink and replace. Leave the door open to let the cooker dry. Reconnect the power source.

To deep clean smaller appliances, like the microwave, you should remove any detachable components and wash them separately in the sink. Scrub the microwave inside and out to get rid of grease stains. The kettle and toaster can also be wiped down with surface spray and a warm cloth. You might want to consider using a de-scaling agent to clean inside the kettle.

Step 5: Kitchen Cleaning Tips, The Final Touches

These final tasks will leave your kitchen sparkling:

• Scrub the sink. Try to leave this job until after you’ve completed the rest of the kitchen. Then, fill it with warm water and a measure of bleach or limescale remover – remember to consult the manufacturer’s instructions. Leave for a few minutes before draining and wiping. Remember to use non-scratch scourers if you need to really scrub those stains.

• Clean the floor. Finally, sweep or vacuum the floors and fill a bucket with a diluted solution of a specialised floor cleaning product. Mop the floor thoroughly and leave to dry. Your kitchen deep clean is done!

Most kitchens only require a deep clean once every 1 to 2 months, as long as you maintain a good level of surface hygiene day to day. With these tips, cleaning everything inside and out shouldn’t take more than a few hours – and you’ll have a thoroughly clean, sparkling kitchen to show for it.

• Be prepared. Make sure you have a cupboard full of kitchen cleaning products and tools.

• Clean the insides of your cupboards first and be sure to declutter as you go along!

• Leave cleaning the kitchen floor until last to ensure it stays sparkling clean.

Do you want to learn which household cleaning tasks cause the most stress?  Then read our Heated Household data analysis.