The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house. It’s lovingly referred to as the heart of the home, but that heart can’t function well if there’s always something dirty or in need of cleaning. Many people feel like they can’t keep up with all the cleaning demands of a kitchen, so they just give up. But if you organize your time right and keep a list of what you need to do within eyesight, you can keep your kitchen consistently clean. Keep reading to get the perfect kitchen cleaning checklist and schedule so the heart of your home can shine.
Daily Checklist
When you break your cleaning needs down into daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal schedules, cleaning feels much more manageable. Your daily cleaning checklist should include the areas and tools that you use the most. Clean and sanitize counters, wash dishes, wipe down your stove and sink, and either sweep or vacuum the floor. Make sure everything is in its proper place at the end of the day so you’re not starting the next day with a dirty, disorganized kitchen.
Weekly Checklist
While your daily checklist can help you keep your kitchen clean and manageable at the surface level, your weekly checklist goes a step further by helping you to prevent the buildup of larger messes in usual problem areas such as your stovetop. Every week you should also clean the inside of your microwave, wipe down the front of your refrigerator, clean out old containers inside your refrigerator, empty the trash, wash and replace any hand or dish drying towels, and either replace or sanitize your cleaning devices such as sponges and brushes.
Monthly Checklist
If weekly cleaning is supposed to prevent buildup in problem areas, what can you possibly add to a monthly checklist? The monthly checklist reminds you to clean areas that you don’t use or see as much. Dust light fixtures, wipe down cabinets, take inventory of nonperishables and frozen items, sanitize your trash can, clean your dishrack and dishwasher, clean the inside of your refrigerator, and wipe down or wash any floor rugs. Avid coffee drinkers should also run white vinegar through their coffee pot and allow it to air dry. And if your kitchen has a backsplash, use a tile cleaner on it and a brush to scrub the grout.
Seasonal Checklist
In a perfect world, each of the four seasons takes three months, so you should work through this checklist every three months even if the area you live in doesn’t experience each season. Clean your oven, vacuum or clean your refrigerator coils, wipe down the insides of your cabinets, take inventory of all your spices and baking necessities, and consider how often you use your different utensils and cooking instruments. If there’s a pan, device, or utensil that you rarely use and know you won’t use in the near future, this is the time to donate it or throw it away.
Creating the perfect kitchen cleaning checklist and schedule for your household can help you manage everything from properly cleaning your stovetop to taking detailed inventory and so much more. You’ll know where everything is and you’ll trust that everything you use, whether frequently or infrequently, is clean and ready for use when you need it.
