Are you on the lookout for quick and effective kitchen cleaning hacks to keep your space consistently tidy? Do you get tired of sifting through articles that dive into deep-cleaning appliances when all you need are simple daily tips?
I sure did! Really, I just wanted some quick ways to make sure my kitchen looks and feels clean every day, never mind that I usually put off those bigger tasks like cleaning behind the fridge or scrubbing the oven door. I’ve come up with some EASY and simple cleaning tips of my own just for you.
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9 Practical Kitchen Cleaning Hacks
1. Hot Soapy Water
As far as kitchen cleaning hacks go, this is definitely the first one to try! Keep a large bowl or sink full of hot soapy water as you prepare meals. This way, you can either wash dishes as you go, saving time, or easily drop them into the soapy water to prevent food from sticking.
If you anticipate needing the sink for other tasks during your meal prep, I recommend using a large bowl for added convenience.
I got this idea from Jennifer L. Scott, you can also check out her Youtube channel – The Daily Connoisseur. She has many fun and creative tips for the Homemaking niche!
2. Countertop Garbage
Simplify your meal preparation by keeping a small grocery bag or bowl on the counter for collecting garbage. This eliminates the need to constantly walk back and forth to the garbage can while slicing veggies or opening packages.
The result? An effortless clean-up process – just dump the bowl or bag into the garbage when you’re done.
3. How to Clean a Blender
Fill your blender halfway with hot water and a couple drops of dish soap. Run the blender for a minute or two, then dump and rinse. It’s that simple.
Just be sure to do this right after use. If you let it sit too long, the food may dry and stick to the inside of the blender, and in that case, this method may not work.
4. Clean As You Go
Rinse your dishes off, wipe up messes with a washcloth as soon as they happen, and put items away. Also, wipe the counter down every time you’re done prepping food.
It really doesn’t take that long to do, and it keeps your kitchen looking fresh throughout the day. This leaves much less to deal with later on.
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- Homemaking 101 – The Ultimate Guide For Beginners
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- 17 Cooking Hacks That Are Actually Useful
5. Ditch the Drying Rack
Drying racks take up so much counter space, and more often than not, they’re full of dishes that only get put away when it’s time to wash more dishes and you need somewhere to dry them. It looks messy and cluttered when this happens.
You’ll be surprised how much more organized your kitchen looks without it. I know what you’re thinking, ‘But where do we put our dishes to dry?‘ Well, I know some who like to dry their dishes in the dishwasher, so that’s always an option.
Personally, though, I just lay a clean kitchen towel down next to the sink while washing dishes. Then I place the clean dishes on top to dry. Once I’ve finished washing, I use another towel to finish drying all the dishes and put them away.
Then I hang both kitchen towels to dry. You can hang them on your cupboard door, oven door, or away in the laundry room and out of sight.
I always use these towels to dry my dishes. They’re simple, and despite their thinness, they absorb a ton of water, rather than pushing it around like some other dish towels.
6. Put Away Your Appliances
Another tip to keep your countertops clear is to store the majority of your appliances in the cupboards, not on the counter. Even my toaster finds a home in the cupboard, despite its daily use.
It’s incredibly easy to pull out, plug in, toast bread, and then unplug and tuck it back away. If you have an appliance that you find too cumbersome to retrieve constantly, then leaving it on the counter is understandable.
However, aim to stow away as many appliances as possible. I promise you’ll love the result!
7. Sweep After Each Meal
This mostly applies if you have young children. I know I absolutely hate feeling crumbs on my feet so I know many of you probably feel the same way. Plus, crumbs on the floor can make the kitchen seem icky and dirty.
Doing a quick sweep after each meal helps keep your floors clean throughout the day, so you only need to do a brief sweep or vacuum at the end of the day.
8. Keep Up on the Dishes
Don’t leave dirty dishes on the counter! Now, I’m not going to suggest washing all your dishes as you go because, let’s be real, that would honestly take way too much time when you’re chasing your kids around the house, trying to keep up on laundry, and preparing all the meals.
However, you CAN rinse your dishes as you go and put them in the dishwasher. This will make clean-up at the end of the day much simpler.
Even on days when I don’t have time to unload the dishwasher in the morning, I still make sure to rinse everything off and place it in the second sink until I can deal with it later.
And even if you have a sink full of dishes, it still looks much better when they’re not stacked on your countertops.
9. Evening Clean-up Routine
You can try as many kitchen cleaning hacks as you want, but if you don’t do use this final tip, you’re just making your mornings unnecessarily difficult. I know this can be challenging for most of us, but I promise it will make your days go smoother and help you start off on the right foot each morning.
Establish a cleaning routine for your kitchen that you follow every night. You can decide how far you want to go with this, but making it a habit is key!
Personally, I make sure to run the dishwasher and hand-wash the remaining dishes. Afterward, I dry those dishes and put them away. I ensure all surfaces are wiped down, and I either sweep or vacuum the floor.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to clean a kitchen?
- Move all the dirty dishes, garbage, and other food items over to the counter closest to the sink.
- Put away any food that needs to go in the fridge or cupboards.
- Dump food remains and garbage in the trash and rinse off dirty dishes.
- Load the dishwasher.
- Fill the sink with hot soapy water.
- Use a washcloth and soapy water to wipe down tables, counters, and other surfaces.
- Wash dishes, dry, and put them away.
- Do a quick sweep or vacuum of the floors.
If you found this post helpful be sure to save this pin to your Cleaning or Homemaking Pinterest Board!
Great ideas on keeping a kitchen clean and organized. I love the tip to clean as we go. I always try to make sure I keep my kitchen organized and tidy – even when cooking.
Yes! Cleaning as you go is so helpful. I’m still trying to teach that to my husband. He hasn’t quite figured it out yet haha!