Last week I showed you how to clean your bathroom in 2 minutes. My readers went crazy for this, as it is so easy and ALL moms can do it. Today I am going for the big guns…the kitchen, in 10 minutes or less.
Supplies needed:
- Dish soap/Dishwasher soap
- Paper Towels
- All-Purpose spray cleaner (or wipes…I LOVE GREEN WORKS!)
- Mop/Swiffer/steam mop/something to clean your floors, quickly.
My kitchen is large, very large and it is the central hub to our house. It is where EVERYTHING ends up from the vehicles, where the mail goes, where the dogs eat, where we cook and eat and it gets filthy on the daily. So keeping this area of my house clean is essential. I clean my kitchen usually after dinner every night, while the kids and hubby are finishing dinner (I tend to eat quickly) and by the time the kids have fed the dogs all their dinner, I am usually cleaned and ready to relax. I HIGHLY recommend cleaning your kitchen at the end of the day, after you may have prepped 3 meals and destroyed it like we do.
Pro Tip: Set the timer on your stove for 10 minutes. Whatever you get done you get done. You will get quicker and get more done, and its fun to have a little race.
Part 1: Pick up
- Unload and reload the dishwasher (4-5 minutes) Hand wash any pots and delicate dishes. I use a scrub brush and dish soap under running water to do this, instead of filling up the sink. It is quicker and because the water is running I tend to move much faster to save water (at least that is my mentality).
- Clear counters and wipe them down (2-3 minutes). Like I said before the kitchen is the central hub, typically I am moving toys, crumbs, mail, dishes, and who knows what other junk we accumulated that day. I start by putting away any food that we just prepped, then I move toys back into the toy bins, put the mail in our sorter and dishes in the sink.
Part 2: Tackle the stove & floors
- Our stove is always a hot mess, with oil, food and just general yuck all over the place after we cook, so first I use my All-purpose spray and do a quick wipe down and then I use my handy dandy wet/dry paper towel combo and I shine this baby up (I also shine up the other appliances and faucet too). Takes 1 minute, maybe 1.5 (unless of course you are trying to balance taking photos of you cleaning with your DSLR, then it takes like 3)
- I totally forgot a picture, but with 2 hairy dogs, a baby that is more of a crawler then a walker and traction through that room more than any other, the kitchen floor gets disgusting every day. I usually leave this for the last thing, because sometimes it just does not fit within my quick 10 minute time frame, but most times it does. I will quickly sweep (not perfectly) and just get the major stuff, and then I just grab the mop/wet swiffer and go to town as quick as possible. It is not always pretty, but it helps cut down on the gross, sticky, hairy floors and makes the deep cleaning days go much easier and faster.
Part 3: Make the space work for you
- My counters are never fully clear, but they are always functioning for what makes our life easy. I keep my cleaning supplies at the ready and easy to grab, our dogs need water and I hate carrying the dishes to the sink so instead we use this broken pitcher for their water and I always keep bug spray and sunscreen next to the backyard door so that I can quickly grab them when my kids decide on a whim to run outside. Our space works for us and is functional for us. In keeping your house clean it is really important that you keep this in mind. I work with the common known mindset that everything has a place (coincidentally this drives my hubby nuts because I am always moving things to their “place”). Nothing stays on my counter tops longer than a day, I always find it a home and that really helps to keep my kitchen clean.
If you manage to have extra time left and have whipped your kitchen into shape, grab a disinfecting wipe and wipe down those common touch areas (light switches, door knobs and handles, cabinet doors, and other areas).
If you are interested in my doing a a deep cleaning series, please comment below. I will tell you that those usually take me about an hour/room, but they are seriously in depth.
Anonymous
Tuesday 12th of December 2017
This is a good read i have done today so far, I am delighted to came across it. I'll be back again to check out other posts as well. Window Cleaning
Viv
Tuesday 24th of June 2014
Love the kitchen cleaning tips!
Summer Rumsey
Tuesday 24th of June 2014
My counters are always overflowing with stuff and I need to get much more organized. Love your cleaning tips! Thanks for linking up to The Creative Exchange Linky Party!
Dena
Tuesday 24th of June 2014
Great tips! :)
Heather Wheat
Sunday 22nd of June 2014
yes please! it helps when I'm trying to show my daughter how to clean, and someone else gives tips other than me ;)