Inside: It’s the new year which means it is the perfect time to get your house clean. This list gives you five things in the kitchen to deep clean in January plus a free super cute printable checklist to remind your what tasks you need to do!
Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen After the Holidays
I don’t know about you, but after the Christmas and New Year holidays, my kitchen is a mess! It truly has been put through the ringer. From October to January 1st, life is on super speed mode and as much as I love my routines and try to keep up with them, invariably they suffer!
So, instead of a bunch of New Year resolutions, getting back to my routines is very important. And deep cleaning the kitchen in January makes complete sense, doesn’t it? If there is one place in my house that suffers during the holidays, it’s the kitchen!
Three basic rules for deep cleaning
First, have a plan.
I’ve never been much of a list maker. Checking things off never gave me that fullfillment that I hear so many talk about. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the benefit of having a plan. Of making that list. Of knowing what I need to do and having it written down so I don’t miss anything!
So the first rule for deep cleaning your kitchen is having a plan of action!
Second, know your limits.
When I clean, I know I have a limit and if I go past it, I get frustrated and overwhelmed! If I have a list as long as my arm, I have to break it up. Sometimes getting one thing done on a day is the most I can do. And that is OK!
If you know your limit, you will look at your list and feel confident about tackling those to-dos! I can feel it in my body. So be really aware of your physical feelings as well as your thoughts. That will help you to clue into that moment where it all might come crashing down leaving your tearful and ready to give up!
Third, gather your supplies before you start.
Have you ever started a craft or recipe only to find out you were missing a key supply or ingredient?
That’s so frustrating!
The same goes for deep cleaning. Know what supplies you are going to need before you get started. Buy them on your next shopping trip if you need anything and have them all together in one place.
Having everything right there and ready makes deep cleaning so much easier and stress-free.
A few tips for deep cleaning your kitchen
You don’t need fancy products and cleaning equipment
There are so many cleaning products out there, yes? One for the toilet, one for the shower, one for the grout. One for the counters, the sink, the floors.
You can spend a fortune on cleaning products!
Thankfully, when I deep clean the kitchen, I only use a couple of things.
I use my DIY granite cleaner, my DIY vinegar cleaner for everything other than the granite. And paper towels. I used to use a microfiber cloth, which is definitely more eco-friendly, but I’ve found that I just prefer the paper towels.
Don’t judge! LOL
Pick up clutter before cleaning
Honestly, just picking up the clutter can make a huge difference. But especially before deep cleaning. If you start with a clutter free environment, the deep cleaning feels like you are doing something special to your kitchen!
So the day before you go deep, take 15 minutes to tidy up and put away all the stragglers that are just hanging around. Especially any mail or papers lying on your counters.
When your kitchen feels tidy, the deep cleaning process will be that much easier!
5 Things to Deep Clean this January
Finally, here we are at the 5 things you should deep clean in your kitchen this January!
- The kitchen sink
- Get in there really well. If you have an under-mount sink, you know that there’s a space between the sink and the counters that can get forgotten.
- Under and on top of your refrigerator
- These are two easily forgotten places in the fridge to clean! I try to give my fridge a quick wipe down weekly, but underneath and on top rarely see a dust cloth. So now is the perfect time to really take care of those two places.
- The top of your cabinets (if they don’t go all the way up to the ceiling)
- To clean the top of your cabinets, be careful! Make sure you have a sturdy ladder or someone there to give you a hand. All you really need is a dust cloth or a swiffer duster for this job. It’s easy, but can be a bit dangerous. So be really aware of what you are doing and have help if you need it.
- The Utensil Drawer
- This is another somewhat over looked area. I dust it out quite frequently, but let’s take the time to remove all the utensils and really clean the organizer or drawer that houses them!
- The Oven
- Again, this is a place that I try to work on monthly. But I do the bare minimum by making sure spills are picked up and crumbs dealt with. So once a year, it’s a great idea to really get in there and get it spotless!
Why is Deep Cleaning in the Kitchen Important?
I think it’s pretty easy to understand why deep cleaning the kitchen is important. It’s the area that holds all of our food and keeping the room that houses our sustenance is pretty important.
It’ll help keep your kitchen hygienic and safe. It will help your appliances stay maintained and clean.
General January Tasks
These are just 5 areas you can deep clean in your kitchen. If you’d like more ideas for January, here are some places you can add to your list:
- Declutter and clean underneath the kitchen sink
- Wipe down inside of the cabinets
- Check all the light bulbs in the appliances
- Check the filters in the microwave and refrigerator
- Clean the trim and dust-boards
- Sweep the ceiling
- Touch up the paint
Printable Deep Cleaning Checklist
Here is a super cute printable checklist of these five areas! Just go to this page to download your free printable.
If you have any more ideas to help deep clean your kitchen, leave them down below in the comments!
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