AIBU to ask how do you clean a kitchen?!

[noctu]

Can't believe I'm asking this, I'm really embarrassed, but here goes.

How do you clean your kitchen?! What products do you use, do you use one of those scrubby sponge things, or the mop up sponge things, or something else? Do you fill the sink with hot water and disinfectant and dip your sponge in there, or do you just spray, wipe, and rinse your chosen implement under the sink?

How on earth are you even meant to use Zoflora? I've tried mixing it with warm water and squirting it on the tops but it just resulted in wet tops which took ages to mop/sponge off and dry, and didn't really feel like a proper clean.

I've heard of so many different ways of cleaning kitchens, I don't think I'm doing it right ... we always seem to have crumbs in the corners, water marks on the hob.

Please don't judge me for asking. I didn't really have a role model growing up to see this for myself.

Chuck everything that's not DS's plastic in the dishwasher. Wipe up all crumbs with my (washable) cloth. Shake into bin. Few sprays of Method (rhubarb or the orangey one), wipe round the appliances like the kettle then shuft them to the side to wipe underneath.

Every fortnight or so I chuck my cloth and washing up sponge into a sink of hot water and Zoflora.

I wipe cupboards rarely but they are white wood so don't get finger marks.

I follow (lightly) the Motivated Moms method. A list of daily stuff like wiping bathroom sinks, laundry. Then each day had different weekly and monthly jobs - such as cleaning fridge shelves, cleaning mirrors, dusting rooms.
It's American but I ignore or delete anything not applicable like cleaning the air con vents!

For the (gas) hob I put the pan support frame things in the dishwasher at least once a week. Whilst they're in there, wipe down the hob with hot soapy water, dry and then last thing put a tiny bit of baby oil onto a soft cloth and wipe all over the hob surface. Gives it a great finish.

• Antibac spray everything (sides etc) with a cloth - use a scrubber if there's anything stuck
• Bit of bleach round the sink and plughole rinsed down with very hot water
• Degreasing spray on the walls and on the outside of the kettle/toaster/cupboards occasionally (tiny kitchen and shit extractor, so they get greasy easily)
• Pink Stuff or degreaser on the hob
• Sweep and spray mop

They're the more regular ones.

Now and then I'll do a big clean where I clean all the cupboard fronts, re-wash the pasta/rice/tea & coffee jars as they get dusty sitting out, wipe down the kickboards, run a Dettol washing machine cleaner through.. but there's no system, it's just when the mood takes me haha.

Worktops - washing up liquid & hot water
Cupboards - washing up liquid and hot water
Floor - washing up liquid and hot water
RInse all with a clean microfibre which partially dries them too.
Once a week wipe over with diluted zoflora solution and then buff with dry microfibre.
Hob - as above but for deep clean use bar keeper's friend and buff to a shine with clean microfibre.

Minimal chemicals in my house!

A little tip I read a couple of years ago which has revolutionised my life -

I have a mini dustpan and brush I keep in a drawer just for crumbs on benches and dining table.

It takes seconds and has relieved me of the misery crumbs getting stuck to cloths/my hands. It also means cleaner floors as nothing falls down anymore.

@Ceejly has it. I also liberally spray the backsplash/tiles/hob rings with degreaser and leave for a few minutes before scrubbing.

Just a note though, I don’t do every one of these things every time I clean the kitchen, a general spray of the worktops/taps and sink then wipe down and sweep the floor is the daily thing then one or two of the above items when I’ve got time. If I tried to do them all every day I’d never leave the kitchen!

I feel you though, I didn’t have a role model for these sorts of things either and I left ‘home’ at 14. I didn’t have anywhere to call my own for a long time and learned some things through trial and error, but mostly through visiting other people’s homes and seeing how they lived and subsequently feeling utter shame at how I was living until I conquered it.

It becomes second nature though and I love nothing more now than a clean fresh smelling home to relax in once the little ones are in (a clean) bed in a (relatively clean and tidy) bedroom

Spray surfaces, run microfibre cloth in warm water, wipe surfaces down, done.

I use a bottle of method spray and a damp cloth. Take everything off the kitchen sides and wipe. Wipe hob. Mop bucket with flash flood cleaner and warm water to mop the floor. I do this once a week.

My cupboard fronts and kick boards probably get a wipe over once every couple of months. If they were white they'd probably need doing more often! My oven get done by a man we pay about £50 twice a year. Comes up looking brand new!

Op find the level of cleanliness you feel happy with / is unachievable. Some of the posters on here must spend hours cleaning a day. Being tidy/ minimal stuff on surfaces makes it way easier to keep clean.

Personally I think washing up done every day/ dishwasher loaded, surfaces wiped - spray then wipe with microfiber cloth.

Hoover and mop once a week with something like flash.

Other stuff like wiping down cupboards- when dirty or about once every 6 months.

Oven - on average yearly.

I could clean more, but I don't see the point.

I wipe the counters with a damp sponge, and take my contact lenses out early in the evening, which helps minimise visible dirt.

@WombatChocolate

I’ve known people with a cloth system called blue for loo, pink for sink and green for clean.....3 different coloured j-cloths for all purposes.

I’ve also known people use the evolutionary cloth method....it starts being used for washing up, then evolves down to cleaning and finally to the loo. Think this was a few years ago!

Quite liked those ideas. The first worked well in houses where several people were all cleaning and it made sure people didn’t use the wrong cloth for the wrong thing.

This is what I do. Sponge gets usedfor washing up for a week, then gets used for worktops/counters for a week, then used for bathroom and binned.

I never realised cleaning the kitchen was so complicated until I read this thread.

@weightedblanketlove

Op find the level of cleanliness you feel happy with / is unachievable. Some of the posters on here must spend hours cleaning a day. Being tidy/ minimal stuff on surfaces makes it way easier to keep clean.

Personally I think washing up done every day/ dishwasher loaded, surfaces wiped - spray then wipe with microfiber cloth.

Hoover and mop once a week with something like flash.

Other stuff like wiping down cupboards- when dirty or about once every 6 months.

Oven - on average yearly.

I could clean more, but I don't see the point.

Exactly.

I see some pps mentioned role models. It goes both ways.
My mum was like some of the ott stuff here. She got it from my grandma. Grandma would sweep behind you as you were walking if you had something what could have potentially leave crumbs.

I watched my mum painstakingly clean and tidy all the time. I refused to do it as an adult and have seroous aversion to some tasks now.

Now she is older she suddenly stopped. Oh my god. How relaxed she is now😂
It was just self created extra stress that everything must be super clean all the time.

Though. As cleaning freaks as the women in that blood line were (until me), none had to run washing machine daily...🙈

That siad I do quick 3 minute hoover every day downstairs because I think I have dust trolls making dust when I am out of room🙄

Haven’t seen anyone mention the organised mum method yet? This is what I do. Just follow the free printouts. No promoting of products or anything it’s just a way to get the house under control and looking clean enough so it’s not overwhelming.

I think just hot water and washing up liquid is enough for daily use on the kitchen. I use the cotton re usable dishcloths and just Chuck them in the wash at the end of the day.

@mol1628 I follow TOMM for the days! I found i was spending 3-5 hours cleaning at the weekends and it made me miserable. 30 minutes a day makes me much happier and I don't feel pressure to do the whole house at once because everything will be done over the course of the week.

@Ceejly same here. We were always playing catch up or having a mad rush whenever someone was popping round unexpectedly. I’ve been doing it for about two years now it’s genuinely changed my life. And I’m not usually one that gets into these kind of lifestyle/Instagram trends.

[quote Ceejly]@mol1628 I follow TOMM for the days! I found i was spending 3-5 hours cleaning at the weekends and it made me miserable. 30 minutes a day makes me much happier and I don't feel pressure to do the whole house at once because everything will be done over the course of the week.[/quote]
I love it too. I even paid for the app.

I clean the hob using kitchen spray if it's needed, if not just soap and water. I wash the parts in the sink. Microwave parts are washed in the sink and inside cleaned with a damp sponge. Work surfaces I use fairy liquid and then wipe with antibacterial spray afterwards. For the sink I use kitchen spray and an old scrubbing sponge.

I wipe the front of cupboards, fridge, windowsill and table with antibacterial spray. I finish by hoovering the floor and mopping with a spray mop filled with water and disinfectant. All in it would probably take me about 45 minutes to do.