Jan
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Cabinets, Counters & Floor Edition
It’s time to (finally) finish up the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge.
Even though the cabinets, counter tops and floor weren’t visibly filthy soiled like some other areas of my kitchen (ahem), this was not a quick project.
KITCHEN BEFORE:
The counter top by the toaster: (which gets used daily)
Cleaning tools for the cabinets & counter tops:
How to Clean your Kitchen Cabinets and Counters with Vinegar:
1. Start by removing everything from the counter tops, then wipe off all of the crumbs with a dry cloth.
2. Lightly spray the water and vinegar mixture (3 parts water + 1 part vinegar) onto the cabinet doors and wipe clean with a microfiber cloth.
3. Using the same technique (with a fresh microfiber cloth), wipe down the counter tops.
4. Enjoy the fresh cabinet fronts & counter tops as you eat a nourishing (crumb-free) snack to prepare yourself for the ever-so-fun task of scrubbing the floor.
Cleaning tools for the floors:
How to Clean your Kitchen Floors with Vinegar:
1. Fill a bucket with about a gallon of warm water. Add to that about 1.5 cups of vinegar. I just eye-balled it.
2. Use your favorite method (is that even possible?) of mopping/scrubbing to clean the floor. More for effectiveness than for enjoyment, I got on my hands and knees and used a scrub brush followed by a clean sponge to absorb some of the water.
3. Keep all feet and paws off of the floor as it air dries.
KITCHEN AFTER: oh, so different than the Before
And the dining area:
Length of Time Spent on this Project:
8 Tobes’ Tunes (approx. 25 minutes) on the cabinets & counter tops
18 Tobes’ Tunes (approx. 55 minutes) on the floors
My Thoughts:
- Because I painted the cabinets with Impervo paint, they were very easy to clean. (Side note: if anyone is interested in a
couplefewseveral cans of this paint, I can hook you up with a sweet deal. I’ll calculate the discount using the same impressive math skills I used to grossly overestimate the amount of paint I needed for my project. ahem.) - I’m thinking that I will buy a new (clean) toaster with a BUILT-IN crumb tray to reduce my headache. In the meantime, in order to catch & corral those crumbs, I added a tray under the toaster. We’ll see if this helps.
- Hands & knees mopping is overrated. I ended up using my Rubbermaid Reveal mop (my go-to tool for mopping) to clean up some streaks left behind as the floor dried.
- Not only did it leave the floor streaky in spots, but it took forever. Marshall Dillon’s posture summed up how we both felt when I was finished.
How often do you clean your cabinets? Do you use a mop, sponge or scrub brush on your floors? Or have you determined that paying someone else to clean your kitchen is the best arrangement for you? I may have to look into that…
Other projects in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge:
