The kitchen is the heart of the home, meaning it’s usually the busiest place in the house in every season of the year. But after a long winter of slow cooking, soup making and comfort food baking, it’s no doubt in need of a major refresh heading into spring.

So as the days get longer and the sun starts to shine, it’s time to throw open the windows, roll up your sleeves and get the kitchen spick and span so it’s ready for a spring filled with delicious delights and happy family meals. There are so many things we don’t regularly clean in the kitchen (we’re looking at you – top of the range-hood!), so it’s handy to arm yourself with a list of everything to tackle. Which is why we’ve prepared the ultimate Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist.

We’ve also included a handy downloadable checklist at the bottom of this article so you can easily keep track of your clean kitchen achievements!

Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist

Get organised and ready to refresh the kitchen with our MoM Guide Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist.

Ceilings

It’s best to start at the very top of the kitchen, so that any mess falls downward, and will get cleaned up by the end of our checklist. No dust bunny left behind! Either use a long-handled duster or a stool and hand duster to get into all of the ceiling corners. The long vacuum attachment also works perfectly (especially if you have some friendly spiders taking up residence in your kitchen!)

And don’t forget about any heating or cooling vents, fans and light fittings. Arm yourself with the Oates Earthly Cleaning Range, and use an Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipe either wet or dry to get that sticky dust off fittings.

Cabinets

If you have a gap above your wall-mounted kitchen cabinets, it’s time to venture to the top and get rid of any dust or built-up grime on the tops of the cabinets. The Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipes will be your hero once again, cutting through the grease and grime with ease.

Once that’s done, give the front of each of the wall-mounted cabinets a good scrub. Don’t forget the handles and inside the doors. Wait until the countertops are done before cleaning the floor-mounter kitchen cabinets.

Windows & Windowsills

Wipe down any windows with an Oates Glass cloth and the windowsills with a Dusting cloth – it’s easy to forget these!

Range-hood

Take the time to get rid of the grime from your range-hood. You’ll probably find that the top has lots of sticky dust, a wet Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipe will remove this easily. Then go over it with an Oates Stainless Steel cloth to get it back to shiny and new.

Also check the range-hood filters, they can easily be cleaned in a sink of soapy water – just make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Countertops

Now it’s time to tackle the workhorse of the kitchen – the countertops. Clear the counters of any clutter and appliances so you have a clear surface to work with. Then use a Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipe along with your antibacterial spray of choice and give the countertops a really good scrub.

Once that’s done, you can do the front of the lower kitchen cupboards, before you start on the drawers and cabinet interiors!

Sink

Depending on what type of sink you have, a deep clean may include a polish with an Oates Earthly scourer, or a wipe with a Reusable Bamboo Wipe.

Also give the drain some attention – just sprinkle some baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar that’s been warmed in the microwave for two minutes. (Oh, and here’s a bonus – once the vinegar is warmed, quickly wipe down the interior of the microwave with an Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipe – the vinegar and steam will have loosen any grime!)

Once both the baking soda and vinegar have done their thing, run the tap to wash everything down.

Drawers & Cabinet Interiors

Next on the list is decluttering and sorting inside the drawers and cabinets. It’s amazing how much ‘stuff’ seems to accumulate – especially in that cheeky third kitchen drawer (we all have one!).

Remove everything from inside the drawers and cabinets and use an Oates Earthly Reusable Bamboo wipe to clean the sides and base of each cabinet and drawers. Then go through the crockery and toss anything that’s chipped or stained, before putting everything back.

Pantry

Deep breath – this is a big one! If you want to give your pantry a really deep spring clean, take everything out, wipe all the shelves and sides and then go through all of the food. Check for out-of-date items, and put everything back into the pantry neatly.

Appliances

Before you put any appliances back on the counters or in the cupboards, give them a good clean. Check the toaster crumb tray, give everything a good once-over with a Reusable Bamboo wipe and everything is ready for spring baking and cooking.

Oven & Cooktop

Start with the cooktop, and give it a good scrub with an Oates Earthly Scourer, before finishing off with an Oates Stainless Steel cloth to bring back the shine.

Then get to work on the oven – if it needs a deep clean you may need to buy a heavy-duty oven cleaner. Then finish off the oven door with the Oates Glass cloth.

Dishwasher

Fill a dishwasher safe container with some vinegar and stack it in the dishwasher rack before running a hot cycle. Once that’s done run another hot cycle with a sprinkle of bi-carb in the dishwasher, and you have a deep-cleaned dishwasher!

If you have a stainless steel dishwasher, give the front a good polish with the Oates Earthly Non-Scratch Sponge Scourer.

Fridge & Freezer

Another big, but satisfying job is cleaning the fridge and freezer inside and out. Remove all food and wipe each shelf clean. Then go through your food and ditch anything that’s expired before putting everything back neatly. Then just give the exterior of the fridge and freezer and good wipe and it’s another job done!

Floors

The final step to your kitchen spring clean is to give the floors a good sweep and mop. Make sure you also get any dust off the skirting boards with a damp dusting cloth.

Equipment You’ll Need To Spring Clean Your Kitchen

• Rubber gloves
• Garbage bags
• Cleaning cloths
• Dusting cloths
• Glass cloths
• Long-handled duster
• Stool
• Glass cleaner
• Multipurpose anti-bacterial cleaner
• Broom
• Mop
• Oven Cleaner
• Vacuum cleaner

Oates Earthly Range

The Oates Earthly Range is a must-have in your Kitchen Spring Cleaning equipment stash! While it’s perfect for cleaning in the kitchen, it’s actually amazing in every room in the house.

Proven to clean stubborn stains more effectively than other leading branded products, Oates Earthly delivers unmatched cleaning power. Tests show the products are more durable and long-lasting than other leading branded products, ensuring better results with less effort.

Reusable Bamboo Wipes 10 Sheets: can be used wet or dry and is machine washable up to 80 times.
(1 Bamboo Wipe = 80 paper towel sheets)!

Non-Scratch Sponge Scourer 2pk: tougher on stains, kinder on the planet, it’s made from responsibly sourced coconut yarn, recycled polyester and 100% biodegradable cellulose.

Non-Scratch Scourer 2pk: ideal for delicate surfaces – glass, non-stick cookware and tiles, it cleans stubborn stains with cleaning power that is better than other leading products.

Downloadable Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist

Save this handy kitchen cleaning checklist to your phone. Just press and hold on the checklist below and click ‘download image’ or ‘add to photos’ and it will be on your phone when you need it. You’ll be sorted out in no time!

Mouths of Mums is proudly working together with Oates to bring you this article.