Kitchen Cleaning Checklist: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly

Knowing how to keep your kitchen clean and tidy is an essential skill for household hygiene and general well-being. As the place where all your food is prepared, a dirty kitchen can impact your health. It can also be an eyesore every time you make coffee.

To help make cleaning your kitchen easier, we’ve published the same kitchen cleaning checklists as used by the cleaners you’ll find on Homeaglow. They are easy to follow and give you a place to start, which is often the hardest part.

If you’d like any help keeping your kitchen clean, book a professional, affordable cleaner on Homeaglow.

You can see what's included in a standard Homeaglow cleaning here.

Daily kitchen cleaning checklist

This daily cleaning checklist covers what you should do daily when cleaning your kitchen.

• Fold/hang towels
• Clean countertops
• Load dishwasher
• Tidy up any messes
• Empty trash
• Clean appliances
• Rinse the sink's bottom
• Clean up clutter

Weekly kitchen cleaning checklist

This weekly cleaning checklist covers the tasks you should do every week to prevent grime from building up. 

• Declutter
• Clean up and empty the sink
• Wipe down counters
• Clean microwave
• Remove trash
• Get rid of spoiled food
• Mop and sweep the floor
• Sort out the leftovers in the fridge/freezer
• Clean exterior of appliances
• Swap out current dishcloths for clean ones
• Sanitize sponges

Monthly kitchen cleaning checklist 

This monthly cleaning checklist covers the infrequent tasks that you don’t require regular maintenance.

• Declutter
• Take inventory of pantry items
• Dispose of expired items
• Take stock of freezer items
• Dispose of spoilt foods
• Clean the fridge
• Clean the drawers and shelves.
• Clean the dishwasher's interior
• Sanitize and clean trash and recycling bins
• Wash kitchen rugs
• Dust light fixtures

Deep cleaning kitchen checklist 

When it comes to deep cleaning, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Follow this detailed deep-cleaning checklist to make the process simple. 

• Declutter
• Clean utensil holder
• Clean the coffee maker
• Take stock of your pantry supplies
• List the contents of the freezer
• Clean the freezer, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, etc
• Degrease and clean all other appliances
• Clean the backsplash and counters
• Remove the crumbs from the toaster
• Run the dishwasher on empty
• Clean and disinfect the sink.
• Remove the garbage disposal
• Dry floor cleaning
• Wet cleaning
• Clean the windowsills
• Clean the interior and exterior of the cabinets
• Clean the walls and baseboards.
• Remove trash
• Sanitize and clean the trash cans
• Recycling

11 steps to perfectly cleaning your kitchen any time

Step 1: Declutter 

For starters, you can only clean waste that belongs in your kitchen. Begin by removing everything that doesn't belong in a kitchen corner or section of the countertop. Remove them from the counter and place them in a basket or table.

Step 2:  Sort through the dishes

Dishes should be the first thing to be cleaned. Empty the drying rack or table corner to remove the washed and dried utensils. Sort the glasses, silverware, and plates into groups based on how oily they are. Soak the silverware in a detergent solution. Remove any leftover food from the dishes and sink, soak everything in detergent, and begin cleaning the kitchen.

Step 3: Begin at the top

Start dusting the tops of the cabinets, the refrigerator, and the ceiling light fittings in the kitchen. You can be sure you are cleaning up well as the dirt and dust are dispersed and land on the subsequent bottom surface in this manner. It always makes sense to clean your kitchen, from top to bottom, regardless of its size.

Step 4: Clean your appliances 

Clean your appliances immediately after dusting.

Before cleaning anything:

• Fill a sink with warm, soapy water.
• Submerge the grates.
• Let them soak for a few hours. The grates should be carefully removed before beginning any cleaning of your oven.

You can remove the plaque more quickly once it has soaked. To clean the grate, we advise using a tough dishwashing sponge.

The oven has to be cleaned next. Using oven cleaner is often the easiest approach, but it smells terrible. You can try using baking soda and vinegar to clean your oven glass and interior. 

You need to take everything out of the refrigerator, classify it, and throw away everything that needs to be disposed of. Next, clean all surfaces, let them dry and remove any sticky residue. When everything is clean, dry the shelves with a dry towel.

Remember to include the freezer. Remove all frozen items from the freezer and unplug the refrigerator. Throw them away if they have passed their expiration date. Soak a clean cloth in cleaning liquid. Wipe the shelves. Then restart the refrigerator and replace frozen food.

Remember to clean the interior of the microwave! Everyday usage causes a lot of grease and food splatters to build up on surfaces. Our article on cleaning your microwave explains how to do it without harsh chemicals. 

Step 5: Take everything out of the cupboards and drawers.

First, empty all of the cupboards and drawers. Use a surface cleanser and a towel for interior cleaning - this is perfect for eliminating hazardous bacteria in areas not included in your regular kitchen cleaning.

Step 6: Clean cabinet doors and handles

Before wiping off the cabinet doors with cleaner, scrub them with a sponge in hot, soapy water to soften the build-up. The exception is wood. When cleaning solid wood doors, be sure to use a wood-specific cleaning product.

Remove any greasy cabinet handles and soak them in a bowl of hot soapy water before cleaning. After that, you can give them a new sheen with metal or wood polish.

Step 7: Clean items on the countertops 

It’s common to have items on the countertop like cooking oils, spices, and utensil holders. Make sure that these goods are clean. Wipe down the trays, dust or wash them, empty any bottles or containers, and while you're doing it, examine whether there's anything on the countertops that may be stored in a cabinet.

Step 8: Clean the countertop 

After you've washed your dishes, you dusted and cleaned your appliances and items on the countertop. It's time to give some care to your counters. Wipe down with a universal cleaner or dish-washing liquid and warm water.

See this mini-guide for how to clean a granite countertop or this one for how to handle cleaning marble tabletops.

Step 9: Clean the sink 

It's more straightforward than it seems to clean the sink properly. Pass water first. Use a degreasing cleanser afterward and a small cleaning brush to get into the tiniest crevices. Clean your faucet as well as any sponge or soap dishes. Clean everything off. Finish by putting hot water in your sink and adding bleach to it. Drain after 10 minutes of resting. Learn more with our in-depth guide to cleaning sink drains. 

Step 10: Clean off and empty your garbage can

Maintaining a clean garbage can is more important than making it smell good. If the trash is full, remove it after vacuuming the garbage's debris and disinfecting it inside and out with a disinfectant wipe. Use the recycling and compost bins in the same way.

Step 11: Cleaning the floor, vacuuming, and sweeping

Any larger crumbs and dirt on your kitchen floor should be swept up with a broom, especially close to the base of your cabinets. Utilize a vacuum to get rid of tiny dirt and dust particles. Then use a moist towel to wipe away any remaining dirt and grime.

Read these mini-guides to learn how to clean a sticky floor and how to clean floor grout without scrubbing.

Cleaning checklist approved by pros

There you have it – the ultimate kitchen cleaning checklist. You can easily deep clean your kitchen by first decluttering, and cleaning your appliances and floors. 

If you would like any help with cleaning your kitchen, book a pro at an affordable price with Homeaglow.