Dust the entire room first, and take out any kitchen towels, floor mats, or other linens and launder them at this time. Remove the stove burners and grates and soak them in hot, soapy water in the sink. “While they soak, wipe down the stovetop with a degreaser, making sure to clean any spills or residue that has accumulated,” suggests Stein.
If you wipe in one direction on inside windows and another on outside ones, it will be easier to see and fix streaks. Walk through the bathrooms and spray cleaner on tubs, sinks, and toilets. Then, in the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, and cabinet and appliance doors.
How to clean a kitchen
The manufacturing of lead-based paint was banned in 1978. If your house was built after that, you’re probably fine on this one. If walls could talk, they would probably ask you to reconsider your paint choice — not the color but the type. Paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a huge source of indoor air pollution. Bacteria and viruses can easily spread in other commonly used surfaces in your home, too. Mold can thrive in the bathroom and present a number of health problems, from watery, itchy eyes to asthma attacks.
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Take inventory of your laundry room needs to restock your detergent, dryer sheets, bleach and other supplies and throw away empty containers. Remove everything from your shelves or cabinets, and wipe them down. Take everything out of your fridge and freezer, throw away expired or freezer-burned food and wipe down all the shelves and drawers. Read more about house cleaning here. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall to wipe down the top and sides and sweep behind the appliance. Finally, sweep or vacuum the rugs and floors and then mop. If you want to experiment with making your own eco-friendly cleaners, we have a Life Kit episode all about green cleaning. We spoke to Taryn Williford, the lifestyle director at Apartment Therapy, about how to deep clean any space.
Get the hardest cleaning job out of the way first while preparing your new home for meals. Kitchens can be challenging to clean because they often have stains and grease that come with cooking food. The heart of your home will require more time than the other spaces; set aside two hours to get the job done, says Doss. “Start by emptying cabinets, drawers, and closets,” she says. Put these items on a kitchen table or another out-of-the-way spot while you start wiping everything down, being sure to work from the highest point down.
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Few things feel better than falling into crisp, clean sheets at the end of a long day, so imagine channeling that clean energy into the rest of your bedroom. While you likely change your sheets regularly, there are many areas that are likely overlooked on a daily basis. Take inventory of what you have, what you need and what can be tossed out. While you’re at it, get rid of old and expired products from your medicine cabinet and add storage solutions for toiletries as needed. Empty your toaster or toaster oven by gently shaking out the crumbs into the garbage can. Then, pull out the crumb tray if you have one and wash grease off the removable trays and racks. Wipe down both the outside and inside with a combination of dish soap and vinegar.
Spray a small bit of the solution onto a cleaning cloth and wipe very top to bottom, taking care not to rewipe the same area to avoid streaks. Use a fresh spot on your cloth for each downward stroke. Be sure to check your washing machine for mold, especially front-loading machines with rubber gaskets.
