A Great, Basic, and Simply Easy Daily Kitchen Cleaning System

The two keys to quick daily kitchen cleaning are a well organized kitchen and to clean up as you cook and prepare meals.

Having a decluttered and organized kitchen will make cleaning your kitchen a breeze. No clutter means things are wiped up and sparkling clean with ease because you're not trudging through mounds of clutter such as bills and paperwork from your kid's school on the counter and table. Being organized once you've decluttered means everything has a place and there's actually space to put everything away because all the clutter is gone.

Whenever I declutter a space, I'm amazed at how much space I actually have.

Here's a list of cleaning products you'll need for daily kitchen cleaning:

  • Disinfecting wipes (Clorox or Costco Kirkland brand work great)
  • Paper towels
  • Micro fiber cloths
  • Windex
  • Comet or Ajax
  • Broom & dust pan

Remember, before you even tackle making dinner, be sure to clean up the cluttered counter tops and sink. Clearing counters makes meal prep and cook time fast and easy. Cleared counters means you'll be able to wipe up any messes as they happen. A cleaned up sink means you'll be able to soak dirty pots and pans as your family eats dinner. A cleared sink and counters, means your kitchen will be cleaned by the time your done with dinner, leaving only the dishes to be done!

For some help on decluttering the kitchen, see my page on kitchen organization.

To limit paper clutter, deal with mail and school work as they come in, don't ever let it pile up. Trust me on this, your life will be much easier if the paper mess is out of the way before you even begin dinner.

Okay, moving forward, now that dinner is done and the kids are eating dessert, and the baby is screaming, I begin my daily kitchen cleaning by...

  • One of my kids quickly clears the dishes placing them in the sink of warm soapy water that's already waiting for them.
  • Pots and pans are washed, dried, and put away right then and there. No hanging out on the counter to clutter it up.
  • Table, chairs, and under the table are wiped free of crumbs. I use a damp paper towel or disinfecting wipe for this.
  • Counters and stove have already been wiped up as I cooked dinner.
  • Scrubbing sponge from washing dishes is tossed in dishwasher to disinfect.
  • I'm done! That's it and the kitchen is closed for the night.

Quick note on sinks, I usually clean it up with comet or Ajax every couple of days depending on how dirty it is. The secret to these cleansers is to let them sit. Sprinkle on, work them in, let them sit a couple of minutes, come back, work in some more, and rinse. Letting them sit really allows the cleanser to penetrate and clean and disinfect your sink.

As for my stainless steel appliances that show every little chubby hand print, I take a microfiber cloth and some Windex to them every couple of days.

My floors are swept clean every couple of days and moped at least once a week with a Swiffer WetJet. It's the easiest and fastest way I've found to do my floors. Cleaning the floors is my least favorite task, but I'm a fanatic about clean floors.

This daily kitchen cleaning has morphed into many forms over the years as my family needs have changed. I've found that a I've kept a few of the basics steps to this routine to keep my daily kitchen cleaning to a minimum.

I always keep a package of baby wipes on the table it helps my kids keep their hands clean after meals so they don't get peanut butter on the couch as they make their way to their next destination after lunch. Why do kids have to touch everything?

Cleaning as I cook is key too. I try and clean pots and pans as I make dinner as well, and clean up spills as they happen, so the after dinner clean up is not too burdensome.

If you do these simple tasks daily, you'll find that you save a lot of cleaning time later on down the line.

That's the secret, deal with stuff now, clean, pick up, and put away as you go. This applies to just about everything in your home.

back to top of page

Return from Daily Kitchen Cleaning Tips to House Cleaning Tips

Return to Life Organize It Home Page