Spring Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets, Counters and Floors
Now that the fridge and oven are out of the way, it’s time to finish spring cleaning the rest of your kitchen. There are a few more areas that are exposed to dirt, grease and all different kinds of build up over time.
With the amount kitchens get used, your kitchen cabinets, counters and floors are no strangers to food splatters from cooking and sticky, greasy hands leaving stains. While they should be cleaned frequently, there’s no better time to deep clean them than when springtime rolls around.
Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen Cabinets
It’s important to keep your cabinets maintained through regular cleaning, but if it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned them, no worries. They can still be restored to look spotless and brand new. The key to spring cleaning your cabinets is to start on the inside and work your way out.
Cleaning the Inside of Your Kitchen Cabinets
The first step is to remove everything from the inside of your cabinets and drawers. Plates, food, Tupperware and general junk you have stored should be taken out. A lot of the time you will find things in your cabinets that haven’t been used for years and should have been tossed long ago.
Once this is done, inspect the shelf lining if there is any. Rip out any lining that is torn or in bad shape. The lining will only get worse over time if you ignore it and dust and dirt could build up underneath it. If you notice any crumbs or dust once the lining has been lifted, you can vacuum or sweep them up before continuing with your cleaning.
After the interior is emptied completely, dampen a sponge or rag with warm water and dish soap and wipe the inside down. Dish soap works well to get rid of any grease build up and is gentle enough to use on wood, metal or plastic cabinets. Follow through with a water dampened sponge or rag to rinse away any suds that might remain.
The final step is to wipe the interior dry with a rag or paper towel. It’s important that it’s completely dry as any leftover water can damage your cabinets, especially if they’re made of wood.
Cleaning the Outside of Your Kitchen Cabinets
As already mentioned, most cabinet types can be easily cleaned with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Though it’s a simple cleaning solution, it does a good job of giving your cabinets an overall good clean.
Not much is different about cleaning the outside of your cabinets. Follow the same steps as you did to clean the inside.
However, if you have smudges on the outside of your cabinet doors that are harder to remove, you can use a commercial cleaner of your choice. There are many different cleaners available that will cut through even the toughest grease. Keep in mind, though, that different types of cabinet materials may require special cleaners.
For wooden cabinets you want to use an oil soap like Murphy’s Oil Soap. Oil soaps do a great job of removing tough, caked on stains and leaving your cabinets reconditioned and smooth to the touch.
Finally, don’t forget to get the small areas like the sides and handles of each drawer and door to really give your cabinets a deep spring cleaning.
Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen Counters
There are many different counter types and each type requires a slightly different cleaning method.
Granite and Marble Counters
Granite and marble are the most popular choices for kitchen counters and they’re found in many homes. Their color range and beautiful look make them the perfect choice for many homeowners. Not to mention, they are also easy to clean and maintain.
Cleaning these counters is relatively simple. All you need is a small amount of dish soap, warm water and a soft cloth or sponge. It might be tempting to use a wire sponge to remove tougher stains, but you shouldn’t use anything abrasive as it could scratch the surface and leave your counter damaged.
Instead, drop a small amount of your warm water and soap mixture onto the stains that require a bit more work to remove and let it soak. Once the solution has soaked a bit, you should be able to easily get rid of the build up without having to scrub hard.
Remember, since both materials have natural properties, they are porous. So, make sure to wipe down thoroughly with a dry rag to avoid any water damage.
Wood Counters
Wood is also very porous and can be easily damaged and ruined if not cared for properly. With wooden counters, you want to clean up spills as they happen to prevent them from becoming deeply seated stains. Once they become stains, they’ll be even more difficult to remove.
Though warm water and dish soap is a perfectly acceptable solution for wood counters, a more common mixture is 4 cups of warm water and 1/2 cup of baking soda. You can scrub this paste on the wood using a sponge or scouring pad. Once the counter is scrubbed well, follow up with a wet rag to rinse the cleaning solution off. Make sure you wipe up any of the leftover water to prevent damage from occurring.
Follow up with a wood oil of your choice to protect the wood and to leave it with a nice, conditioned finish.
Stainless Steel Counters
Stainless steel counters are another popular option among homeowners, but require some work to be kept looking their best. When cleaning steel counters, it’s important to know they can be permanently damaged when exposed to harsh chemicals and water for long periods of time. So, no matter what cleaning solution is you use, always wipe the surface dry as quickly as possible.
The best way to keep stainless steel clean is to wash the surface with warm water and a little bit of baking soda. Gently scrub the counter with a sponge or rag. Much like marble or granite, stainless steel can be scratched if an abrasive material is used to clean it.
If there are more stubborn stains, you can use a small amount of vinegar on them and then rinse with water. Once again, make sure the counter tops are wiped completely dry to avoid any discoloration or damage.
Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen Floor
It’s no secret that your kitchen gets a lot of visitors throughout the year. And, no matter if they’re footprints or paw prints, they are sure to bring a lot of dirt and debris into your kitchen. Not to mention all of the spills and splatters that accumulate on your floor over time from daily cooking and eating.
While it’s important to keep your kitchen floors clean all year round, spring is the perfect time to spruce and freshen them up. There are a few different cleaning solutions you can use to bring your kitchen floors back into tip top shape. However, before you start using any type of cleaning solution, make sure your kitchen floor is well swept to get rid of any dust.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Cleaning Solution
Baking soda and vinegar are a power couple when it comes to spring cleaning your kitchen floors. This mixture is a great all-purpose cleaner so, while recommended for floors, it can be used on other surfaces as well.
The reason the combination of the two works so well is because baking soda will absorb any unwanted, lingering smells and vinegar is great at cutting through even the toughest of grease stains. Using this solution will leave your tile or wood floors shiny and squeaky clean.
Keep in mind that the acid in vinegar can damage your wood floors so make sure to work quickly. Also, if your flooring is made of marble or granite, avoid using this mixture. As mentioned, these two materials are porous and the vinegar can seep in and destroy them permanently.
Essential Oils to Make Your Kitchen Smell Great
Though baking soda and vinegar are a great for cleaning your kitchen floors, they might not leave behind the best scent. Not many homeowners want their kitchens to have a lingering vinegar smell and understandably so. Opening a window might not be enough to get rid of it.
The solution to this is to mix in an essential oil of your own choice. Essential oils come in many different scents so you’re able to really personalize the smell of your kitchen. If you like a sweet smell, go with a vanilla scented essential oil. If you like a fresh scent, a pine or peppermint essential oil would be the perfect option.
Don’t overdo the essential oils as they can easily become overwhelming if too much is added.
Soap and Water
The most simple and classic cleaning solution is a mix of dish soap and warm water. Dish soap and water are incredibly versatile and can be used to clean just about anything, including the dirtiest kitchen floors.
Dish soap is gentle, comes a variety of lovely scents and can be easily found at any grocery store and water is almost always readily available. The convenience and effectiveness of this combination are what makes it perfect to deep clean your kitchen floors, no matter if they’re wood, tile or laminate.
Once you’ve chosen your cleaning solution, simply use a mop or a sponge to apply the solution to your floor and scrub! After you’ve scrubbed your floor efficiently, follow up with some warm water to rinse and wait for your floor to dry. As soon as it dries, you’ll be left with a beautiful, clean kitchen floor.
A Kitchen Perfect for Spring
Spring cleaning your kitchen doesn’t need to be a stressful process. Breaking your to-do list up by room and by task will make it much easier for you to get through smoothly. Now that you know how to clean your kitchen from top to bottom (appliances, cabinets, counters and floors), you can tackle the other rooms of your home with confidence.
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