How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step
Top down, dry before wet, sink last. The order that stops you cleaning the same surface twice, in a kitchen that gets used all day.
Read the guideCleaning 101.
A little know-how. More room for life.
Kitchen
Kitchen cleaning guides
Guides for the jobs a kitchen gives you, from the nightly wipe-down to a greasy oven and a dishwasher that smells. Start with the full clean, then go straight to the appliance or surface in front of you. Each guide says what to use, what to avoid and why.
12 guides · Updated
FIND YOUR PROBLEM
What are you seeing?
Start from the problem in front of you. Each row points to the guide that deals with it.
| What you’re seeing | The guide for it |
|---|---|
| Baked-on grease inside the oven or on the door glass | How to Clean an Oven, Racks and Glass |
| A dishwasher that smells or leaves grit on the dishes | How to Clean a Dishwasher: Filter, Seal and Smell |
| Streaks and fingerprints on stainless fridge or oven doors | How to Clean Stainless Steel Without Streaks |
| White scale inside the kettle | How to Descale a Kettle (and Clean the Rest of It) |
| Mould in the coffee machine's grounds container or drip tray | How to Clean Mould From a Coffee Machine |
| Splatter dried on inside the microwave | How to Clean a Microwave Inside and Out |
| Dull or discoloured aluminium pans | How to Clean Aluminium Cookware, Frames and Furniture |
| Cupboards that are hard to keep clean because they are overfull | How to Clean and Organise Your Kitchen Cabinets |
START HERE
Where to start.
- How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by StepThe order that saves the most time, and a nightly, weekly and monthly rhythm.
- How to Clean an Oven, Racks and GlassThe job most people put off: racks, glass and baked-on grease.
- How to Clean Stainless Steel Without StreaksThe surface that shows every fingerprint, cleaned without streaks.
The kitchen cleaning series8 guides, in order
- How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by StepStart here
- How to Clean an Oven, Racks and Glass
- How to Clean a Microwave Inside and Out
- How to Clean a Dishwasher: Filter, Seal and Smell
- How to Clean Stainless Steel Without Streaks
- How to Clean Aluminium Cookware, Frames and Furniture
- How to Clean Baking Tools Without Damaging Them
- How to Wash Dishes by Hand Properly
HOW OFTEN
How often to clean each part of the kitchen
The intervals our guides give. A busy kitchen needs the shorter end of each range.
| Job | The guide |
|---|---|
| Every night | |
| Clear and wipe the benches, wash up and rinse the sink | How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step |
| Every week | |
| Clean the stovetop and wipe the appliance fronts | How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step |
| Look at the dishwasher filter (clean it at least monthly) | How to Clean a Dishwasher: Filter, Seal and Smell |
| Wipe stainless steel doors in a busy kitchen | How to Clean Stainless Steel Without Streaks |
| Every month | |
| Deep clean the oven and wipe the cupboard fronts | How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step |
| Every 2 to 3 months | |
| Soak the rangehood filters (monthly if you fry or use a wok often) | How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step |
| Every 3 months | |
| Behind the appliances and inside the cupboards | How to Clean Your Kitchen, Step by Step |
CHECKLIST
Kitchen cleaning checklist
What our cleaners do in the kitchen, read from the service checklists. Print it and tick it off.
Every regular clean
- Wipe down and sanitise all benchtops
- Clean and polish splashback
- Clean stovetop and remove grease buildup
- Clean and sanitise sink and tap
- Wipe down exterior of all appliances
- Clean microwave inside and out
- Wipe cabinet fronts and handles
- Clean small appliances (kettle, toaster, etc)
- Sweep and mop floors thoroughly
- Empty rubbish and replace bin liner
- Spot clean walls and splashback
A deep clean adds
- Deep clean inside oven (racks, glass, interior)
- Clean inside dishwasher and filter
- Descale kettle and clean coffee maker
- Clean range hood and filters
The regular clean
The whole kitchen in order, and washing up by hand when there's no dishwasher.
Appliances
Each appliance has its own method, and some makers set their own intervals.
How to Clean an Oven, Racks and Glass
Spread bicarb paste on a cold enamel oven overnight, then wipe out. Plus oven racks, door glass, pyrolytic and catalytic ovens, and which popular hacks to skip.
Read the guide
How to Clean a Microwave Inside and Out
Clean microwave walls, door seals and removable parts safely. Check your model’s steam-cleaning instructions, avoid superheated water and troubleshoot burnt smells.
Read the guide
How to Clean a Dishwasher: Filter, Seal and Smell
Rinse the filter, clear the spray arms, wipe the seal, then run a dishwasher cleaner on the hottest programme. When vinegar is safe, brand by brand, and smell fixes.
Read the guide
How to Descale a Kettle (and Clean the Rest of It)
Remove kettle limescale with the method approved for your model. Compare manufacturer instructions, clean the filter and exterior, and understand local water hardness.
Read the guide
How to Clean Mould From a Coffee Machine
Found mould in your coffee machine? Check which parts can be cleaned, separate descaling from cleaning, and know when to stop brewing and contact support.
Read the guideBenches, steel and cookware
Surfaces that mark or dull with the wrong product.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Without Streaks
Wipe along the grain with warm soapy water, rinse with a second cloth and dry with a third. Plus sinks, pans, rust spots and verdicts on vinegar and olive oil.
Read the guide
How to Clean Aluminium Cookware, Frames and Furniture
Wash aluminium pots, frames and outdoor furniture without dulling them: what the dishwasher, bleach, vinegar and Bar Keepers Friend do to each finish.
Read the guide
How to Clean Baking Tools Without Damaging Them
Baked-on grease on trays, seasoned tins, pizza stones and silicone. What each material can take, and the scrub that will ruin a non-stick finish.
Read the guideCupboards and organising
Fewer things out means less to clean around.
How to Clean and Organise Your Kitchen Cabinets
Empty, clean, then decide what earns its shelf. A cabinet-by-cabinet system that keeps working after the first week, inside and out.
Read the guide
Kitchen Organisation Ideas That Actually Stick
Zone the kitchen around how you actually cook, not how it photographs. Storage ideas for small kitchens that survive a busy week with kids.
Read the guideKEEP READING
