As we move into the next stage of the COVID pandemic and restrictions ease further, maybe its time to think about having more family and friends over and turn our attention to cleaning the home so its sparkling and ready for entertainment. Here are my top tips for a thorough Kitchen spring clean.

In The Kitchen

Start out by planning what you are going to do in the Kitchen as its often the most high traffic area. Note down a list of all the things you would like to clean in order of importance. Ask the family to help out and give ideas.

Throw out any empty containers, out of date foodstuffs and the drawer full of plastic bags and phone chargers you are probably never going to use. Give everything a good scrub and descale the kettle.

Get An Oven Clean

Ovens take a hammering and can be one of the most dirty areas in your home, often full of grease, burnt food and bits of cheese and potato that fall off to the bottom. Sometimes your hotpot can explode and splatter all over the inside. Its not unusual for food debris to cake onto the floor of the oven so don’t feel bad about it, we have usually seen worse! All this mess can and will affect the taste of your food and can reduce oven efficiency adding to fuel bills, so we always recommend keeping your oven clean, its not only healthier but will give you more pride. If you don’t feel like doing it yourself, and it can be a bit of a chore sometimes, give me a call and book a professional oven clean.

Clean And Disinfect Bins

Kitchen bins are harbours for germs and can always do with a good wash and disinfection. I take mine into the back garden regularly and give it a good wash with warm soapy water and then disinfect it. Finish off with a sanitiser spray for that extra protection. Keeping the bin clean will stop those old onion smells and is safer for your pets and children.

Microwave Steam Clean

Microwaves often get very high usage, especially if you have teenage children who can’t always be bothered to cook properly. Usually, they are in a rush to get out so that pocket pizza is ideal for a quick snack. Unfortunately, sometimes the pocket pizza debris is usually left on the handle or on the turntable with a garnish of added Pepperoni, lovely after it has gone through a few cycles of being microwaved.

You can easily steam clean a Microwave with a few tablespoons of vinegar and some water, just put them in a suitable container and microwave for 5 minutes, then leave to stand for 2 or 3. This will help loosen up any debris. You can then wipe everything down with a clean sponge. You can also use lemon juice for a nicer smell.

Clean Up Those Cupboards

Remove all the clutter from your kitchen cupboards and drawers. Discard or put away all those old batteries, screws, chargers, bags, that strange tea strainer, the 10mm socket and crockery you will never use. Check the dates on any foodstuffs and throw away that bag of flour that has been in there for three years along with the pasta that you bought because your daughter loves it but strangely it is still there after six months.

Clean The Fridge/Freezer

Remove all the food and contents from the fridge, discard any unused leftovers and then remove the shelves, drawers and magnetic door seal and give them all a good wash in warm soapy water, dry them thoroughly and replace. Give the fridge a good hoover underneath to get rid of any stray peas.

Clean Washing Machine

Run a propriety washing machine cleaner through, it helps keep the limescale down and gives all the pipes, pumps and drum a good clean. It helps remove detergent and grease build up also and will lengthen the life of your appliance.

Clean The Radiator

Use some warm soapy water and clean the radiators and pipes, then dry them off thoroughly. Bring back that lovely white shine again.

Freshen Grout and Remove Limescale

Get some grout cleaner and limescale remover and clean up the grout on your tiles. A good thorough clean of the tiles and grout will make the spaces in between the tiles look so much nice and will remove any built-up dirt and germs. Use either limescale remover or some citric acid or lemon juice/vinegar to clean the taps and bring the chrome up again.

Skirting Boards, Flooring and Cat Flap

Get some warm soapy water and a sponge and give those skirting boards and the cat flap a good clean. Clean skirting boards and also coving can make a world of difference to the overall look of a room. Give the kitchen floor a good scrub and disinfect it.

Clean The Windows

Clean the windows and let in the light. Kitchen windows often get dirty in the winter, as the warm steam and vapours off the food that is cooking settle onto the cold glass and then build up a film. Wash the sills and panes down with warm soapy water then finish with a glass cleaner for a streak free shine.