Kitchen cleaning checklist

Ramadan is well on its way and for many of us, this is a time for cleaning both our homes and our hearts. Use the checklist below to give your kitchen a through deep cleaning.

Preparation:

• Do the dishes, you’ll need an empty sink.
• Gather cleaning supplies and a bag for garbage.
• Take items to be washed to the laundry bin.

Dusting:

• Dust the ceiling, remove cobwebs.
• Dust the fan.
• Dust kitchen doors and windows.
• Dust the exteriors of cabinets, appliances and refrigerator.

Cabinets and drawers:

• Pull out all the items from drawers and cabinets.
• Put the expired items and items you don’t need in the garbage bag.
• Give all items you are keeping a good wipe down to remove dust and dirt.
• Wipe the insides of the cabinets and drawers. You can use a suitable cleaner to remove any stains or grime.
• Put the items back.
• Wipe the cabinet and drawer fronts and knobs. You can use a suitable cleaner for this too.

Fridge:

• Take out all food items.
• Throw away expired items and items you no longer need.
• Wipe down the shelves and fridge interiors.
• Take out and wash the ice cube tray and any removable drawers. Then wipe down to dry them.
• Put the drawers and ice cube tray back in
• Put the food neatly back in.
• Wipe down the fridge exterior; pay special attention to the handle area. You can use a suitable cleaner for this.

Countertops:

• Remove all items and removable appliances from the counter.
• Throw away the items you don’t need.
• Empty the dish dryer and also sink caddy if you have one, give them a good wash with soap.
• Wipe down the counter and blacksplash with a suitable cleaner and clean cloth.
• Wipe down all items that are not appliances and place them back on their respective places on the counter.

Stove & Appliances:

• Clean the insides and outsides of all appliances such as microwaves, ovens, electric kettles, toasters, etc. Use a suitable cleaner to get rid of grime and stains.
• Put the appliances back in their places if you removed them.
• Clean the stove top using a suitable cleaner.
• Clean the hood.

Sink:

• Wipe down the sink with a suitable cleaner. Pay attention to the faucet and the drain. Also, clean the underside of the sink if you haven’t done that already while you were doing the cabinets.

The rest:

• Dry wipe electrical plugs, switches and appliance cables if you haven’t done that already.
• Wipe down windows and doors.
• Do a quick scan to see if you’ve missed anything and attend to it.
• Sweep the floor.
• Mop the floor.