Published Date 5/11/2022

Of all the places in your house where cleanliness is next to godliness, it should be where you prepare food. Just because your momma never taught you how to clean a kitchen is, however, no excuse for not learning to do it and doing it right.

According to Realtor’s Daniel Bortz, learning how to clean a kitchen might not seem like rocket science, but it’s definitely a lost art—something previous generations of homemakers obsessed over. “We’re not saying you should remain tethered to a mop and bucket, but given the heavy foot traffic this area gets—not to mention all the food passing through—learning the right way to keep dirt, grime, and germs at bay is truly an essential part of owning a home.”

He goes on to offer a few guidelines to ensure your kitchen will look its best so you can impress your guests and maybe (just maybe) make your parents proud.

Kitchen cabinets house your plates, glasses, pots and pans and a lot of your food stores as well, so clean should be their middle name. Placing clean plates in a grimy cabinet is like putting on dirty clothes after taking a shower. This part of cleaning your kitchen, like anything else you clean, should be done top to bottom. Bortz quotes cleaning expert Debbie Sardone: “If you don’t, you’re going to undo some of your work by brushing dirt onto the lower surfaces.” She suggests using a microfiber cloth dipped in Murphy’s Oil Soap and for other finishes, use a mild, nontoxic all-purpose cleaner. And don’t forget the cabinet pulls and handles, as they tend to accumulate the most germs. If your cabinets are older and need a rehab, go over them with Old English Scratch Cover polish — something Sardine swears by for an overdue refinishing.

Microwaves are one of the most overlooked kitchen appliances when it comes to cleaning. Take a good look and you might silently cringe when you open the microwave door and really look inside, including its little ceiling, where remnants of dinners past reside. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to clean. Grab a clean wet rag and place it in the microwave. Run the appliance on high for 2 minutes, then let the rag sit for 20 minutes. “The steam from the rag will soften up any hard-crusted foods so you can wipe it right off,” says Jan Dougherty, author of The Lost Art of House Cleaning. “If the microwave has a rotating glass tray, simply pop it in the dishwasher.”

Cleaning a stove is not one of the best-loved tasks, but not doing so means a build-up of cooking grease and spatters that don’t go away on their own. Bortz says that if your range has a gas cooktop, start by removing the grates and burner covers and suggests Sardone’s cleaning method: “Pour a quarter of a cup of household ammonia into a large gallon-size bag, then put the grate inside, seal it tight, and let the grate soak for 24 hours. Flip the bag six to eight times throughout the day. Within 24 hours, the grime will slide off.” He adds that while the grates are soaking, wipe the burner top with hot soapy water and a plastic scrub pad—but stay away from steel wool and abrasive cleaners, which can scratch the surface. If your cooktop or range is electric, simply wipe it down with hot soapy water, then polish using a formulated cooktop cleaner (Cerama Bryte is one of them).

Most of us have self-cleaning ovens by now. But if you don’t, Bortz says to place a pot of boiling water on the bottom rack and, on the top, a heat-safe bowl containing 1 cup of ammonia. Shut the oven door and leave overnight. By morning, the grease caking your oven’s insides will wipe right off (make sure to use rubber gloves).

Fridges are probably the most time consuming of appliances to clean because of having to remove the contents in order to clean. “For starters, follow the top-to-bottom rule when you clean the shelves with a damp cloth and all-purpose cleaner,” says Bortz, who passes along Sardone’s advice. “Next, here’s the step people forget: Wipe down the jars and other containers before you place them back inside, because the goop caked on them will rub off on your fridge’s interior.” If your fridge is not a built-in, take out your vacuum and clean the refrigerator coils that sit along the bottom or back of your fridge. Failure to do so can hamper your fridge’s performance.

Countertop cleaning depends on the material from which they are fabricated. Laminate and quartz, and quartzite countertops require only a soft cloth and a mild liquid detergent. Granite countertops, however, can absorb food, grease and wine if not properly sealed. “To assess what condition your granite is in, drop a bit of water on the surface. If it beads up, you’re good. But if the water pools together, it’s time to reseal with granite sealant, which is available at any home improvement store,” says Bortz. “Once the granite is protected again, make sure to wipe up spills as they happen to keep it in tiptop shape.

Since the word “dishwasher” contains the word “washer,” you’d think you wouldn’t have to clean it. But even this appliance can get funky when food gets trapped in a strainer in the bottom of the unit. This can create a rank odor. So remove the strainer (usually it twists right off) and clean it once every three months; to access it, simply pull out the bottom rack. As for the rest of the dishwasher, “pour a bowl full of white vinegar, set it face up on the top rack, and run the dishwasher without anything else in it,” says Sardone. “The vinegar will circulate and clean everything.”

Done with all this? Congrats! You are now a savvy homeowner — one who would make your momma proud. Go forth and smell the freshness.

Realtor, TBWS

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