We all know the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we make our meals and our core memories, sharing good food with good people. But this high-traffic, highly important food-prep space is also a breeding ground for bacteria. So, let’s give it the deep clean it deserves — and keep everyone healthy (and listeria free!).
Beyond everyday maintenance cleaning — dishes, counter wipe downs, sweeping, mopping, etc. — there are 10 hidden spots in the kitchen that need a little extra elbow grease. These are the zones we skip over when time is ticking, our cleaning energy fizzles out, or we, honestly, didn’t even really think of… until now.
Related: 10 Hidden Spots That Need a Deep Clean in Your Bedroom
1. Light Switches and Fixtures
What: Think about it: every time you flick on the kitchen light, you leave a little bit of yourself behind, and might even pick up a little bit of someone else. That should be enough motivation to immediately add it to your deep clean to-do list (and maybe retch just a little bit). Light fixtures are also often ignored, gathering dust, grease and dead insects over time.
How: Pull out a disinfecting wipe or rubbing alcohol sprayed on a paper towel and wipe down all switches and wall plates. Use a damp cloth to dust light fixtures; remove any dead bugs and cobwebs.
When: Ideally, wipe down switches every week; light fixtures every month.
TIP: Mark down in your calendar when you’ve cleaned what, and count forward to the next time it’s due a deep clean.
2. Cabinet Shelves
What: When ignored for too long, cabinet shelves start to hold more than just condiment bottles, crushed tea boxes and underused small appliances. Dust, crumbs, spilled ketchup and cooking spills can all make their way in and take up residence as an indistinct sticky residue.
How: The first step to a kitchen-cabinet deep clean is to take out everything. Use a hand vacuum to suck up all the loose bits, then go back in with a cloth and soapy water. Wipe down all surfaces, paying special attention to any visible spills or discolouration. Make sure it’s completely dry using a soft cloth, then return all the items, keeping the ones used most frequently close to the front for easy access.
When: Twice a year.
NOTE: Just like light switches, cabinet and appliance handles and hardware are magnets for bad bacteria (think E. coli and Staphylococcus). Consider adding them to your weekly disinfecting wipe-down routine.
3. Fridge and Freezer
What: You’ve just hauled home your weekly grocery shop and the thought of clearing out the fridge before putting away everything is overwhelming. So, it all gets jammed in there, creating layers of moldering celery leaves, ignored milk spills and a literal recipe for (digestive) disaster. Giving your fridge a regular deep clean will nip that potential Norovirus in the bud.
How: Take it all out — food, drinks, shelves, racks and drawers. If it can be removed, do it (same goes for the freezer, while making sure everything stays food safe, of course). Fill the sink (or bath!) with hot, soapy water to soak and scrub the racks, drawers, etc. Wipe down the fridge and freezer interior, including the seal, with hot water and baking soda, and dry. Disinfect all the surfaces of the door and any handles.
When: Once a month.
NOTE: Twice a year, pull out the fridge from the wall and vacuum the fridge coils and remove all the dust and cobwebs from the surrounding area. This will help your unit work more efficiently.
Related: How to Organize Your Fridge – While Sharing It
4. Coffeemaker and Kettle
What: If coffee is part of your morning routine, then definitely add a coffeemaker deep clean to your routine too. Coffee-bean oils and water mineralization build up over time and can even affect the taste of your morning cup. Same goes for the kettle, if you’re a tea drinker — regularly descaling the kettle is a must.
How: Now, how you clean your coffee maker entirely depends on how you make it. Each machine or method has their own devices and parts that might need particular care, so do a little research before you start. For a large electric kettle, put 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of white vinegar and boil. Let it sit for 20 minutes, dump it, then use fresh water to rinse it out a few times.
When: Every few months.
5. The Dishwasher
What: Yep, we need to clean the thing that we use to clean our things. (Does it ever end? It doesn’t!) Between unground food bits, mineral deposits and lingering odours, dishwashers need regular care too. Giving the dishwasher a deep clean can boost its effectiveness, efficiency and even extend the life of the appliance.
How: Remove the utensil basket, bottom rack and filter, and clean with warm, soapy water. Wipe around the door seal, and disinfect the front, handle and buttons (anything fingers touch on the outside, really).
Put racks and filter back and place a bowl with 2 cups of white vinegar on the bottom one. Run a normal clean cycle with the hottest water setting and no drying. When finished, sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda in the bottom of the machine and run a short, hot cycle, letting it air dry when done.
When: Once a month.
Related: Everyone’s Talking About Decluttering: I Tried the Viral Cleaning Routine for a Week
6. Sink Drain and Waste Disposers
What: No matter how good your kitchen-sink drain catcher is, when water drains out it’s pulling more than just H2O. Oh, yes, it’s taking soap scum, cooking grease, soup spills, coffee grounds, food bits, grime, slime and anything else that can slip through the cracks. It’s not too surprising then that drains — and garburators — need a deep clean too.
How: Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then follow with a couple of kettles full of boiling water to flush it all down. For a garbage disposal, soak the gasket in hot water and vinegar, then give it a vigorous scrub. Disinfect the flange area with a mixture of hot water and bleach.
When: Once a month.
7. Range Hood Fan and Filters
What: The range hood fan is designed to trap wayward cooking fumes and whisk them away, filtering out the grease as it goes. If the filters aren’t regularly cleaned and maintained, they become much less effective and that hood fan slowing morphs into a white-noise machine for the kitchen.
How: Before going into the inside of the fan, make sure it’s unplugged or the circuit is flipped off. Take out the filters and soak them in the sink or the bath in hot, soapy water for a minimum of 10 minutes. Go in with a scrub brush to remove any greasy buildup. Rinse and let them dry completely before reinstalling.
Dust or vacuum the inside of the hood and fan blades. Wipe them down with a degreaser — a solution of 1 cup vinegar, 3 cups water, 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup dish soap should do the trick. Rinse away solution, and thoroughly dry hood and fans with a soft cloth.
When: Clean the filters once a month; the fan and hood twice a year.
Related: Cleaning Products You Should Never Mix Together
8. Stove/Counter Crevices
What: There must be professional kitchen designs out there that have cleverly eliminated the gap between the stove and the countertop. But for most of us plebs without sleek, million-dollar kitchens, that sneaky spot is a black hole for crumbs, spitting oil, and slopped sauces.
Now, there are silicone strips designed to stem the flow of crumbs cascading over the edge — but it would need to be clean to install them in the first place. So, here we go!
How: Use a narrow knife or a small putty knife to gently scrape out dirt and debris towards you. Pull a thin microfibre cloth or paper towel doused in the spray cleaner of your choice through the crack. Repeat until clean on both sides.
Using an old toothbrush or small brush to sweep away the bits on a daily basis could help cut down the buildup too. If you’re able to pull out the stove safely, then that’s another option for even easier access.
Note: If you do pull it out, be sure to vacuum behind the stove while there’s access to that dust-gathering area too.
When: Once a month.
9. Under/Behind Appliances
What: When was the last time you saw behind your fridge? Or the floor under your stove? If the answer is never, the time is now! Same goes with your dishwasher, chest freezer, and any other major kitchen appliance. Dust, grease, cooking odours, cobwebs, insects, and even rodents all like hanging out behind kitchen appliances — they provide excellent coverage and an abundance of crumbs.
How: Checking to make sure it’s safe to do so (gas lines, electrical connections, etc.), slide out major appliances one at a time. Wipe down all sides with a grease-cutting cleaner, and dry. Vacuum between and behind, sweep, mop, wipe, scrub… do what you have to do to remove the buildup, thus discouraging bugs from moving in.
Tip: Sometimes the lower drawer of the oven can be removed, giving easy access to the floor below.
When: Twice a year.
Related: How to Bring Your Stainless Steel Pans Back to Life
10. Garbage/Recycling Bins
What: It makes logical sense that garbage and recycling bins would, well, be dirty, but how often have we included them in our kitchen deep-clean routine? Whether it’s a big trash can that sits in the corner or a tiny, under-the-sink bin, the bacteria that could be growing (and smelling) in either needs to go.
How: If you have access to an outdoor hose, washing out the bin (and lid!) with a solution of vinegar, dish soap and water will effectively lift away bacteria and any lingering odour. Alternatively, wipe them down — inside and outside — with disinfectant wipes or rubbing alcohol.
When: Once a week for the lid and bin rim; once a month for the full bin.
