18 Kitchen Cleaning Habits That Keep Your Space Fresh (Without Stress)
Adding these small tasks to your daily routine will make a big difference in the heart of your home!
Even for neatniks who relax by cleaning (we admit it, we’re guilty as charged), the kitchen can pose a special challenge. Between spattered grease, stinky garbage cans, and cruddy fridge interiors, it’s not easy to keep cooking spaces looking and smelling spiffy. But it is possible, as long as you adopt the following cleaning habits that keep your kitchen fresh! Some are simple changes that you probably just need to train yourself to do (and keep doing), such as decluttering the cabinets and running the dishwasher overnight—and unloading it in the morning.
And then there are the tasks you might not have thought of doing daily that will pay off big-time, like disinfecting the sink and cleaning the garbage can. And don’t forget to empty that compost bucket every evening, if you can swing it! We’ve also included some ideas that will work if you implement them weekly (wiping out the fridge, for example). Give them all a try, and then check out our handy how-to guides on cleaning your oven, coffee maker, and even your cast iron.
Before you know it, you’ll have every bit of your kitchen so sparkling you’ll be inspired to give it a makeover. If so, be sure to turn to our article 3 Kitchen Details That Make Your Space Look High-End, Designers Say!
Clean as you cook
Think of all that downtime you have while cooking...now imagine wiping up spills, returning ingredients to the fridge and pantry, and washing mixing bowls, pots, and pans during those moments. The more you do right away, the less you have to do after you finish your meal.
Clean up right after meals
As tempting as it is to hit the couch right after a delish dinner, don’t let those dishes sit. Little will make your kitchen feel less fresh than a sink full of plates and utensils with dried food stuck to them. Clear the table, then tackle the dishes. Wipe down the stovetop and counters, too. You’ll thank yourself in the morning!
Run the dishwasher every night
After you’ve loaded up the dishwasher following dinner, go ahead and run it before you head off to bed. You don’t need to stuff it full every time. It’ll work better if it isn’t past capacity, and you’ll have clean dishes the next day, when you need them.
Unload the dishwasher every morning
In between making coffee and jumping in the shower, take a few minutes to empty the dishwasher in the morning. That way, you can put your mugs and other breakfast dishes right into it, rather than letting them pile up in the sink.
Take out the trash nightly
Whether it’s on your husband’s honey-do list, it’s part of your kiddo’s chores, or you take care of it yourself, emptying the garbage before you go to bed each night is absolutely crucial to keeping a kitchen fresh. Nothing is nastier (or stinkier) than waste left to sit overnight—or for a couple of days!
Sweep the floor every evening
This is another task you should be doing daily, as part of your post-dinner kitchen clean-up. No matter how careful you are when prepping meals, tiny bits of food like onion skin and grains of rice always seem to escape, don’t they? Sweep them up nightly, and they won’t build up over time and make your kitchen seem grimy. If sauce or other liquids hit the deck, give your floor a quick mop.
Empty the compost bin daily
If your kitchen is giving off a noticeably less-than-pleasant odor, it could be your compost container’s fault. The best practice is to empty food waste into your outdoor bin nightly. But if it’s a trek to reach through a dark backyard, make sure you empty the bucket in the morning.
Related: How to Start a Compost Pile for Your Garden in 3 Easy Steps
Clean the trash can
After you pull the bag out of the trash can, take a look and make sure nothing has leaked into or around it. Wipe up any spills with hot, soapy water, then give it a spritz with a disinfectant. Let dry before you line it with a new trash bag. (Remember to rinse out your compost bucket after you empty it, too.)
Declutter counters
Look, no one is saying you can’t have anything on your countertops. But keeping them clear of things you don’t use every day, like your blender, air fryer, and mixer, will make it much easier to wipe down surfaces and ensure they’re free of crumbs, grease, and dust. Plus, think of all that food prep space you’re gaining!
Clean the fridge
It’s easy for refrigerators to get gross when you don’t keep up with cleaning them. Before you know it, you’ve got dried-on condiments, congealed grease, ancient food particles, and other gunk stuck solid to shelves, bins, and interior walls. Instead, take the time to give everything a good wipe down before you go grocery shopping, when your fridge is at its emptiest. Toss out old leftovers or anything past its expiration date, and stick a box of baking soda in the back. It’ll absorb and neutralize any lingering odors, so your fridge will be as fresh as the rest of your kitchen.
Organize the pantry
Whether or not you opt for those plastic, see-through containers to store items like pasta, cereal, and rice, you should be giving your pantry the once-over weekly. Make sure similar items (like bottles of oil and vinegar) are placed together, and your frequently used foodstuffs are front and center. Check expiration dates on everything and wipe up any crumbs or spills as you reorganize.
Take care of the tile
If that backsplash gets splashed while you’re whipping up your next feast, give it a wipe as soon as possible. Then, when you tackle your kitchen deep clean, think about paying special attention to your grout. Returning dingy grout to its original bright white is a surefire way to freshen up the look of the whole room.
Related: All Your Questions About How to Clean Grout, Answered
Declutter cabinets
Ever notice how easy it is to accumulate things like travel mugs, reusable water bottles, and tote bags? They seem to appear by magic, and before you know it, you’ve got a stack of a dozen or more taking up precious space in your cabinets. Stay on top of clutter like this by keeping a few and donating the rest. That way, you’ll have space to store the things you do need.
Change out the towels
Whether you use kitchen towels for drying dishes, wiping your hands, sweeping crumbs off counters, or covering rolls in the bread basket, they can get grungy fast, and even start to smell like mildew. And that goes double for that dish sponge! Swap used towels for fresh ones regularly, and do the same with sponges. (FYI, just tossing those sponges in the dishwasher or microwave doesn’t work to disinfect them.)
Clear the tabletop and island before bed
That means putting everything from school papers to piles of mail in their proper places at the end of every night. Take back your table and island tops, and you’ll be able to dine there again (and maybe even have room for a vaseful of pretty posies).
Disinfect the sink and drains
It’s not just grease and food particles that can build up in kitchen sinks over the course of the day. It’s also foodborne illness-causing bacteria like (eek) salmonella, according to Consumer Reports. Use a disinfecting cleanser in your sink after every meal you prepare to be on the safe side. You should also clean your drain regularly by pouring a quarter-cup of baking soda down it, immediately followed by a quarter-cup of vinegar. Let the mixture sit for one hour, and you’ll be surprised at how much fresher your drain smells.
Related: How to Clean Your Garbage Disposal so Your Kitchen Won't Stink
Take care of messes pronto
Spilled honey, broken eggs, splashed tomato sauce, splattered berries—these messes only get harder to erase with time. Save elbow grease, and get your kitchen spick-and-span now rather than later by cleaning up messes as they occur.
Make a chore calendar
Keeping up with daily tasks will make doing deep cleans much faster and easier. But you will still need to set aside time to mop the floor, wipe down appliances and cabinets, and clean the oven. A chore calendar will help you keep track of weekly, monthly, and quarterly jobs, so you don’t overlook anything.
Jill Gleeson is a travel journalist and memoirist based in the Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania who has written for websites and publications including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Country Living, Washingtonian, Gothamist, Canadian Traveller, and EDGE Media Network. Jill is the travel editor for Enchanted Living. Learn more about her journey at gleesonreboots.com.
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