Cleaning the Kitchen is a task which I dread ( a lot). I have managed to create a schedule for myself and am proud of how I have progressed over the years. Yes it took me a long time to work out a system which worked for me. Looking back over time, I am so pleased with what I could achieve.
I was never creative in the kitchen. I couldn’t cook or let us put it this way, I hated cooking and hated cleaning the kitchen. When I fell sick and was very unwell for 7 years I couldn’t care less. After I got back healthwise, I decided things had to change at my house. I wanted those picture perfect homes of a clean kitchen and food at the table with family members.
I started off experimenting with the Flylady system, Minimalism
How to Keep an Indian Kitchen Clean? Create a Cleaning Routine for yourself and your family. Ensure that your counters are always clean, the sink is clean and clear, the floor is mopped and things are put back in place.
Here is how to clean the kitchen and keep it clean
- Clean up After Every Cooking Session
- Wash Dishes
- Wipe Down Counters
- Gas Burners
- Put Things Away
- Wipe the Floor
- Check the Cupboards
- Check the Fridge
How to Keep Kitchen Clean Daily
The Only secret to keeping kitchen clean daily is to taking the effort to clean. Procrastination is what creates mess and to beat it I just push myself daily to get up and clean.
Here are Some Quick Kitchen Cleaning Tips to help you keep yourself on track. These are the exactly what I do to keep my kitchen clean.
Clean up After Every Cooking Session – I ensure that I clean as I go. After chopping vegetable the peels go in the wet food dustbin. All wrappers bottles, plastic bags go for recycling. I clean the counter with a cloth and move onto preparing the next dish.
Wash Dishes – As soon as I use the dishes I wash the dishes and air dry them. This helps keep the kitchen sink clean and clear. if there are some dishes I cannot handle right away, I let them soak till I get to them.
Wipe Down Counters – Any spills on the counters are immediately taken care off. I have a rag which I use to wipe the counters with.
After every dish is prepared, I transfer it into a dish, wash the dish and wipe the counter.
Gas Burners – The area around the gas burners is easier to wipe immediately. Any spills come off easily when it is hot and when it has not dried up. Stuck on spills are a nightmare to handle. If there is a difficult to wipe spill I pour some vinegar on it. This makes it easier for me to clean up later.
Put things Away – Put things away after every use, quickly and immediately. I keep reminding myself to do this. It took a lot of pep talk and self-motivation for me to get into the habit of doing this.
I keep reminding myself to keep the spices and oils away. The moment I leave them on the counter, they just seem to attract a lot more clutter. Visual clutter makes me lose motivation to cook. Keeping them away does help me prepare much better meals quickly.
Wipe the Floor – I have a mop which I use a lot. I keep it in the kitchen so that I can do a quick mop often. There is no other option but to mop my kitchen floor after every meal prepared. This catches all
I also wipe around the dining table. These two areas need a lot of TLC and once they are wiped clean the house looks very clean.
Check the Cupboards – While cooking I check the cupboards and discard things I have not been using in a while. If I have not used them for long, I probably will never use them.
I also wipe down any stains and fingerprints. Wiping down all the cupboards is a monthly task.
While I am cleaning or spot cleaning, I am always looking for doubles, dishes which are broken, without lids and I just give these away.
Check the Fridge – As I get fresh produce from the fridge I check for spills, expired food. I also do a quick clean of any spills. Usually there are spills from milk or some food which I get to quickly.
I try to clean out the fridge once a month. Sometimes I just deep clean one shelf at a time. This is helpful for me as I do not like cleaning the fridge. cleaning one shelf at a time, helps me stay on top of this task.
Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for you
Kitchen Cupboard Cleaner – I use water and vinegar mixed in equal parts to wipe down the cupboards. Since I try to wipe down the cupboards above the gas stove almost daily, there is no oil buildup.
There was a time when I fell sick and could not maintain the cupboards or the microwave.
This is how I got it back to sparkling clean very quickly. I placed a few old lemons in a glass bowl and microwaved it till there was a steam buildup. It takes me around 5 to 7 minutes. Then I used the lemon and wiped down the cabinets ( especially the greasy parts). I let this sit for awhile till cleaned up the microwave.
I dipped a microfibre cloth in the hot lemon water and used it to wipe down all cupboards.
Gas or Stove Top Cleaner – I rub a lemon dipped in salt all over my stove. I leave it for a while and then wipe it off with a damp cloth.
I also have used vinegar plus water mixture and baking soda to clean the gas stove. Just apply baking soda paste on the gas stove. Leave it for a bit. Then add some white vinegar, let it bubble, scrub of stuck on food. Wipe dry using microfibre cloth.
I like these simple natural cleaners as I am not afraid of leaving behind any chemicals.
Natural Dishwashing Liquid – I have purchased an organic
To prepare Soap Nuts Liquid
- Soak 15 to 20 Soap nuts in water
- If you soak overnight it works better.
- Boil the liquid with the soap nuts ( I make sure there is around 2 litres of water).
- Boil till water reduces to half.
- Cool and squeeze out the soap nut liquid till only the fiber and seed are left (these are biodegradable)
- Store it in refrigerator and use a little to wash dishes.
Add a few drops of lemon essential oil for its anti bacterial properties. This smells good as well.
I use the liquid in my dishwasher and in my washing machine as well. Just 2 tablespoons is enough to do its job.
Why is it Important to Keep the Kitchen Clean
The simple task of keeping the kitchen clean has many benefits.
- Keeping the kitchen clean prevents the spread of foodborne diseases. Washing hands often, especially after touching raw food, meat and the dustbin ensures that bacteria does not touch the food.
- Wiping down often you reduce the number of harsh chemicals required to clean dirt and grease which has stuck on. I do not use any chemicals any more in the kitchen as they have many side effects. Natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda and soap nut liquid are very effective cleaners.
- Your kitchen is always presentable and smelling good and fresh, especially when you have unwanted company.
Clean Kitchen in 15 Minutes
Here is a quick guide to clean the kitchen in 15 minutes.
- Load the dishes in dishwasher or hand wash the dishes.
- Wipe dry and put the dishes away if hand washed.
- Wipe and put away appliances ( toaster, blender)
- Wipe the counters, the gas stove
- Check if the cupboards needs a quick wipe
- Wipe oil from the back splash
- Wash the sink and dry it
- Empty the trash and put in a new trash bag
Related Questions
Here are some other common Kitchen Cleaning related questions.
How Clean the Dish Cloths and Kitchen Rags
- After every use
rinse the cloth. Use a cloth soap if needed. - Dry the cloth on a rag till next use
- Once you are done with the rag you can dry it on a rack till you are ready to wash. If smell is an issue you can soak it in a small bucket filled with white vinegar and water ( equal parts)
- At the end of the day, toss all the rags in the washing machine or hand wash
- Add some vinegar and baking soda to the wash, let it run for
a and switch off the washing machine. I let it soak for a couple of hours. You can also use the delayed wash feature in the machinehile ifyou have that feature.
I have a prewash treatment which I do most times. I boil water and add some washing soda. I also either add dish wash liquid or some detergent powder. I add the rags to the boiling water and boil for 7 to 10 minutes.
Then I either hand wash to add them to the washer.
Recently I have started using soap nuts liquids as it has anti bacterial and antifungal properties and it is organic.
How to Clean the Kitchen Sponge
The kitchen sponge ir rung dry after every use. I wash it with dishwashing liquid or soap nut liquid between uses.
At the end of the day I just boil it in water with dishwashing liquid or detergent.
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