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Originally Posted On: https://www.thecleaningcollective.co.uk/news/how-to-guides/how-to-clean-your-kitchen-from-top-to-bottom

Why do so many of us see the prospect of cleaning our kitchens as daunting? Although it is an essential undertaking for every professional cater and householder too, it does not have to be a chore and it can be very rewarding too.

Using the correct, fit for purpose, sanitisers and disinfectants will help reduce bacteria to safe levels, preventing unwelcomed outbreaks of stomach flu often developed by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food With cases of food poisoning incidents reported daily, it is essential that good food hygiene practices are also considered when contemplating kitchen cleanliness.

How to Clean Your Kitchen in 16 Simple Steps

The following 16 cleaning and disinfection steps will help you get your kitchen spotless and organised. We’ve added in some handy tips too so that you’ve got everything you need to get going!

1. Firstly, wash your hands and put on your gloves.
2. Delutter your counter tops, placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher or sink and putting away other items that belong in cupboards or drawers.
3. Place any unwanted items/ rubbish in the garbage disposal.
4. Leave your small appliances and other small items where they are.
5. Clear space in and around your sink by washing any dirty dishes in detergent and use a good quality cloth or sponge scourer to remove soiling from your crockery and cutlery.
6. Dry wipe any loose light fittings, cupboard tops and all your kitchen appliances.
7. Spray your cupboard doors, appliances, and anything else that sits on your worktops, with a kitchen degreaser such as Flash and wipe thoroughly with a clean damp cloth or kitchen roll.
8. Remove the circular glass plate and plastic stand from within your microwave and place in a bowl of warm soapy water (we’d recommend a product such as Elbow Grease Washing Up Liquid). Scrub clean and leave to dry whilst you clean the rest of the appliance. Spray the inside surfaces of your microwave with a kitchen degreaser, such as Cillit Bang Power Cleaner Kitchen Degreaser, and leave for adequate contact time. If the microwave is very dirty, it will need to soak in the solution for longer. Next, wipe away all the unwanted soiling with a cloth or kitchen roll until the inside is sparkling clean. Finally, replace the clean glass plate and plastic stand before closing the door.
9. Remove any attachments from your hob to make cleaning easier. Place the attachments into the bowl of warm soapy water (if your microwave plate and stand has dirtied the water considerably, refill the bowl!) Scrub these clean and leave to dry whilst you return your attention to the hob. Apply degreaser to the hob and the outside of your oven. Leave for adequate time, the more grease and soil you need to remove, the longer the solution will need to be left to work. Scrub with a sponge scourer, finally wiping clean with a damp cloth. Replace the attachments to the hob top to complete the job.
10. 10. If your oven has a self-cleaning function then you are laughing, however if not, don’t fear. We are here to help you. The soil you are trying to remove is generally:
    • Burnt on carbon
    • Grease
    • Food debris

    Conventional, corrosive based products can be dangerous to use, however are very effective at helping you remove soiling to get your oven clean. Greaselift, is a powerful, non-caustic, safe to use alternative, perfectly capable of helping you clean your oven effectively. Once you have removed your oven racks, spray the inside of your oven with the product. After the adequate contact time, simply keep wiping the dirt and debris away from the surface until the oven is sparkling clean. We also stock the vegan friendly product Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner Paste.

11. Kettles and coffee machines need to be cleaned and descaled from time to time. Dependant on what item you have, follow the below steps:
    • Kettle – pour approximately 1 dose of Evans Kettle Descaler per 250ml of water into a full kettle of water, or a single sachet of Oust All Purpose Descaler into half a kettle of water. Allow 5 minutes contact time for Evans or 10 minutes for Oust, then empty and rinse thoroughly. Finally, boil the kettle three more times, rinsing in between with fresh water, before using to make your favourite drink.
    • Coffee machine – pour two doses of Evans Kettle Descaler into the reservoir and add 500ml of cold water, or a single sachet of Oust All Purpose Descaler into half a reservoir of water. Switch on the machine and allow half of the solution to run through before switching off. Leave Magic for 30 minutes or Oust for 10 minutes. Rinse the tank thoroughly and run through again at least twice with clean water.
12. Throw away any items from your fridge that are out of date or useless. Remove all other contents and place onto a nearby kitchen worktop. Remove the draws and shelves, placing them into a sink full of warm soapy water and scrub clean. Allow these items to air dry. Return your attention to the inside of the fridge. Spray with a kitchen degreaser and leave for recommended contact time before wiping clean with a clean cloth. Next, disinfect the fridge applying a kitchen disinfectant before replacing the drawers and shelves. Next, replace the contents of your fridge taking care to store raw or uncooked meats separately to avoid cross contamination.
13. Once you have established what materials your kitchen worktops are made from, spray them with a suitable degreaser such as Elbow Grease. This will clean away any unwanted dirt, making the surface visibly clean to the naked eye. Next, apply a disinfectant such as Zoflora Concentrated Disinfectant to sanitise worktop surfaces. This will reduce bacteria to safe levels and give you the comfort that you kitchen is sqeeky clean!
14. After all that cleaning, your sink will need some attention. Sprinkling some scouring powder like Trident Sanitising Powder, will allow for the easy removal of tannin and stubborn stains whilst also disinfecting the sinks surface, in one operation.
15. Sweep your floor and gathering all loose debris into one place before placing into the bin with a dustpan and brush. Next mop the whole floor, taking care to choose your chemical solution so as not to damage your type of floor surface.
16. The bin often gets forgotten about but stray pieces of food and tannin stains from tea bags can often get left at the bottom, producing unwanted odours. It is always advisable to take the bin outside and rinse with a hosepipe if handy, alternatively, you could use your bath or shower. Once you have rinsed the bin out, apply a cleaner degreaser such as Orange Squirt, leave for adequate contact time, before scrubbing with a brush then wiping clean. Replace with a clean liner.