This Easy Cleaning Schedule Will Keep Your Kitchen Spotless

The kitchen can be a difficult room to keep clean. From dirty dishes to oil-spattered ranges, there are lots of challenges. But you really only need about 10 minutes daily to maintain the cleanliness of this space. And if you stick with this routine, your kitchen just might become the most spotless room in your house. Here's what to do.

Daily

Clean your sink: Two to five minutes. Empty sink of dirty dishes and place in dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, wash dishes and place in drying rack. Give your sink a quick rinse so it looks fresh and clean. Run dishwasher if it's full.

Wipe it down: Two minutes max. Wipe appliances, counter, and range with cleaning wipes.

Fresh floor: One minute. You might usually sweep or mop your floor, but for a quick clean, grab your vacuum and give it a quick once-over. Vacuums do a great job on tile, laminate, and wood floors too.

Time to spare: Just tackling those three basic tasks still leaves a few minutes to use for cleaning marks from your floor, stains on countertops, or a giving windows a quick wipe.

Weekly

Garbage help: Along with taking out the garbage, give the can a quick wipe to clean and freshen the container. Stash several garbage bags at the bottom of the can so a new bag is always close at hand.

Deep clean: Give your backsplash and cabinets some attention and wash with warm, soapy water, which busts through oily build up.

Floor shine: Get out the mop or DIY floor wipes for a deep clean. Take the time to really clean under the front of your refrigerator and range.

Small appliance care: Wipe down your toaster, stash your blender, or empty the tray under your toaster oven. And take a look at what you're not using. If you haven't used your juicer in over a month and it's taking up precious counter space, find a new location for the small appliance, creating more space for dinner prep. And don't forget to clean your microwave.

Monthly

Fridge: It's not everyone's favorite task, but emptying out and cleaning your fridge every month is a smart way to keep your refrigerator clean and get rid of any lurking foods that might be unsafe to eat. Make cute DIY fridge liners, which makes this monthly project so easy.

Drawer clean: Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers with the hose attachment of your vacuum cleaner. A quick suck cleans drawers of bits of debris that can adhere to your clean utensils (ick).

Cabinet love: Scrub down the cupboard exteriors and interiors using warm, soapy water.

Range: Clean the stove-hood filter and give your oven a natural deep clean, which leaves it so fresh.

Happy floor: Wash any floor rugs or coverings.

Shine stainless steel: If you have them, give stainless steel appliances a serious cleaning, which keeps them finger-print free.

Sparkling sink: You might not realize that your kitchen sink is one of the dirtiest spots in your kitchen. The sides can harbor mold and bacteria that isn't leaving your dishes wonderfully clean. Once a month, give your kitchen sink a deep cleaning with the help of baking soda and lemon.

Dishwasher wash: Even though your dishwasher is washing dishes, it also needs a cleaning. Empty and clean the trap and toss in a DIY dishwasher cleaning bomb.

Organize your stuff: Take a moment to clear counters of clutter — especially stuff you're not using. Donate or toss items you don't need anymore, making room for a cute kitchen plant or needed counter space. And it's a good idea to organize under your kitchen sink too.