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There are many places to clean the kitchen and different types of dirt. Therefore, it is easy to lose track of which areas to clean, what kind of detergent to use, and how to do it.
However, if kitchens are divided into areas with the same type of stains, it is easier to know what detergents and tools to use, and cleaning can proceed more efficiently.
However, it is also true that cleaning a kitchen with many stubborn stains is a hassle. But if you know the proper methods and tools, you can clean your kitchen more quickly than you imagine.
Here, we will introduce not only how to clean the kitchen by location but also how to proceed, tips for choosing the suitable detergent, and the necessary tools.
There’s More Than One Kitchen Stain!
Kitchens have a mixture of grease, water stains, and soap scum from the “oil” used in cooking and the “water and detergent” used in washing dishes.
Added food scraps and other food scraps from cooking, odors, and protein stains such as handprints and sebum.
Because the kitchen is where all kinds of stains exist, it is necessary to prepare and clean the kitchen with detergents and tools suited to each type of stain.
Before cleaning the kitchen, make a proper plan and proceed well.
Tools and Detergents Needed for Kitchen Cleaning
Not all kitchen cleaning areas require the same detergents and tools, so it’s essential to break down the cleaning process by region and get the best out of it.
Here, we will break down the kitchen cleaning areas, what kind of stains are most common, select the suitable detergent for the stain, and provide a list of tools necessary for kitchen cleaning that you only need to get the job done.
Cleaning Places and Main Stains in the Kitchen
| ventilation fan | oil stains |
| Stove (top plate, trivet, grill, etc.) | |
| Sink (faucet, drain) | limescale, soap scum |
| dishwasher | Limescale, soap scum, oil stains, mold |
| wall or floor | oil, protein stains |
| microwave | |
| electric pod | limescale stains |
| refrigerator | Protein stains, bacteria, and mold |
| utensils and cutlery | protein stain |
| dishcloth and cutting board | germs |
When cleaning the kitchen, first decide on the area you want to clean, figure out what kind of stains are common, and prepare the suitable detergent and tools for that stain.
Also, if you want to clean your kitchen efficiently, clean areas with many of the same stains.
It is especially effective when you want to do it all at once, as in general cleaning. On the other hand, you can also group the areas by Location and clean them regularly.
For example
- A set of exhaust fans, stove, walls, and floors with many grease stains
- A collection of sink areas with many water stains, electric pods
- Cooking appliances such as microwave ovens and toasters
- etc. Try grouping them according to the situation around the kitchen.
Choosing the suitable detergent for the right stain
Now that you know the prominent stains by Location in the kitchen, here is a brief overview of what detergents are adequate for what types of colors.
Alkaline detergents for grease and protein stains
Oil and protein stains, standard on ventilation fans and stoves, are acidic. Detergents with the opposite alkaline properties are needed to remove acidic stains smoothly.
For example, commercially available detergents such as the Magic Lynn series for kitchen use are alkaline.
Natural detergents gentle to the skin and environment without surfactants, such as baking soda and alkaline, are effective for acidic stains such as oil, food scraps, hand stains, and sebum.
Acidic detergents for water stains and soap scum
- Water stains and soap scum are formed when minerals in tap water mix with air to form calcium.
- For alkaline stains, acid detergents with the opposite acidic properties are adequate.
- Citric acid and Tinkle for water stain remover are well-known examples of such detergents.
Bleach and alcohol for germs and mold
Bleach or alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is necessary for cutting boards, dishcloths, refrigerators, and other places where you want to keep them as clean as possible by preventing the growth of bacteria and mold.
In addition to disinfection, alcohol can also be used to remove light hand stains and sebum, so it is recommended for cleaning refrigerators and cooking surfaces.
Kitchen Cleaning Tools List
When you start cleaning your kitchen, this is all you need for now! Here is a list of tools you will need when cleaning your kitchen. Please refer to this list if you plan to prepare kitchen cleaning tools.
Detergents
| Alkaline detergent | Baking soda Sodium sesquicarbonate Alkaline electrolyzed water |
| Acid detergent | Citric acid |
| Neutral detergent | Dish detergent |
| Chlorine bleach | Haiter for kitchen |
| Disinfection, sterilization | Oxygen bleach |
Tools
We have written several candidates for each property of cleaning detergent to be used for kitchen cleaning, but you do not need to have all of them.
For alkaline detergents, you only need one Magic Lynn, and for natural cleaning, you only need one baking soda. I want to have one: neutral detergent, chlorine bleach, and sanitizer.
The tools used to clean the kitchen vary from place to place, so it is best to check and prepare before cleaning.
How to Clean a Kitchen
This section introduces kitchen cleaning methods by Location. Here is a summary of each Location’s tools and cleaning methods.
If you want more details, please refer to the detailed article.
Ventilation fan
What to prepare
- Baking soda
- Rubber gloves
- Garbage bags
- Toothbrush
- Sponge
The ventilation fan cover, filter, and fan are covered with oil and dust.
First, scrape off large pieces of dirt with a spatula for stubborn dirt.
Filters
After removing the ventilation fan filter, sprinkle it with baking soda powder without wetting it.
Let it sit for a while, and the baking soda will absorb the grease, making it easy to remove with a toothbrush.
Fan
First, place a garbage bag in the sink to clean the ventilation fan, fill it with sodium bicarbonate water heated to about 50-60°C, and soak the removed fan and other parts.
Baking soda lifts grease stains, so after soaking, scrub with a toothbrush or sponge to easily remove the stains.
Stove
What to prepare
- Baking soda
- Alkaline electrolyzed water
- Sponge
- Toothbrush
- Kitchen paper
- plastic wrap
- Garbage bags
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
Cleaning the stove begins with disassembling the parts. As with the exhaust fan, the first step is to soak the removed parts of the furnace.
In the meantime, you can proceed efficiently by cleaning the top plate and burner parts.
Sinks (Faucet, Drain)
What to prepare
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Oxygen bleach
- Kitchen wipes
- Sponge
- Kitchen paper
- plastic wrap
- Rubber gloves
Kitchen sinks need to handle odors and germs, soap scum, and other contaminants.
Inside the sink
Soak the sink in oxygen bleach to remove dullness at once! Fill the sink with hot water and dissolve the oxygen bleach.
See the “Cleaning the Disposer” page if you use a disposer. Baking soda and citric acid work well.” for more information.
Lime scaling around sinks and faucets
Use citric acid packets to remove calcification around sinks and faucets.
Apply citric acid water spray while applying kitchen paper, and pack with plastic wrap.
After leaving it for a while, peel it off and rub the peeled-off plastic wrap round and round to make it easier to remove calcification.
How to clean the drain
Sprinkle 100 g of baking soda evenly over the sink drain, followed by 50 g of citric acid.
Sprinkle about a cup of hot water on it, and the baking soda and citric acid react and start foaming.
If you also want to disinfect the drain, use chlorine bleach such as Haiter for the kitchen.
However, toxic gas is generated when citric acid and chlorine bleach are mixed, so please avoid using them simultaneously.
If you have used citric acid in advance, make sure that the citric acid has been thoroughly washed off before using chlorine bleach.
Dishwashers
Add about three tablespoons of citric acid to clean your dishwasher and run the standard course (everyday use is OK).
This is all needed to clean the dishwasher of stains and unpleasant odors. However, if mold or grease stains are in the dishwasher, you will need to use chlorine bleach or baking soda.
For more information, please refer to the following article.
Kitchen walls and floors
What to prepare
- Alkaline electrolyzed water
- Kitchen paper or cloth
- Rubber gloves
The kitchen walls and floors (especially around the ventilation fan and stove) are dirty with oil, seasonings, and kitchen scraps splashed during cooking.
Most of the dirt is acidic oil, so wipe it off while spraying alkaline electrolyzed water. For stubborn stains, leave the area for about 5 minutes to make it easier to wipe off.
If alkaline electrolyzed water is unavailable, sodium bicarbonate water can be used, but it will leave white marks, so wipe with water or wipe dry as a finish.
Microwave Oven
What to prepare
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Toothbrush
- Spatula
- Kitchen paper
- Rubber gloves
Most microwave oven stains are food residue and oil, but water stains and odors are also a concern. Therefore, we want to use baking soda and citric acid properly to clean them well.
Kitchen Cleaning Tips
When cleaning the kitchen, please follow these precautions to ensure safe and reliable cleaning.
Some materials cannot be used with alkaline detergents
Alkaline detergents may cause discoloration or deterioration depending on the object’s material.
Be very careful when washing these materials.
Simultaneous use of citric acid
Although the bottle of chlorine bleach says, “Do not mix!” mixing chlorine bleach and acidic detergent produces toxic fumes.
In other words, using acidic citric acid and chlorine bleach simultaneously is very dangerous.
If either detergent is used first, rinse the area thoroughly with water before using it again.
Alcohols are a fire hazard
Alcohol is highly volatile and can cause fires in kitchens where the fire is handled, so it must be used cautiously.
When using alcohol, extinguish the fire and, if possible, close the main valve.
Be careful how you use it. For example, do not spray directly on appliances such as power cords; instead, spread it on a cloth and wipe it off.
How Do I Keep My Kitchen Clean?
You can keep your kitchen clean by making small efforts in your daily life.
Here are some tips on keeping your kitchen clean, including how to make cleaning easier and get into the habit of cleaning little by little.
Put as little as possible
Kitchens are easily soiled by splashing oil, and some data says grease from the kitchen can fly about 2 to 3 meters! To keep your kitchen clean, it is essential to keep things out of the kitchen as much as possible.
If you put things in a mess around the kitchen, oil and dust will stick to everything, and you will have to clean them one by one, which will be a hassle.
It is also difficult to wipe clean when there are a lot of things around, so try to keep the kitchen free of things as much as possible.
Keep cleaning tools close at hand
If you have sodium bicarbonate water, soda water, or alkaline electrolyzed water, you can quickly clean it even if they are dirty with oil.
However, if these detergents are kept in a remote Location, it becomes a hassle to clean them as soon as they get dirty.
If possible, organize your cleaning tools and store them under the sink so they can be quickly cleaned when soiled.
Summary
Cleaning the kitchen becomes more difficult the longer it is neglected.
On the other hand, it is difficult to clean everything at once, so cleaning one area at a time systematically and cleaning a little every day afterward will help prevent contamination and keep the area clean.
To make cleaning more accessible, it is also essential to create an environment that facilitates cleaning by disposing of unnecessary items and avoiding unnecessary things around the kitchen.
Baking soda, citric acid, alkaline electrolytic water, various bleaches, and alcohol are perfect for kitchen cleaning.
With these detergents, you can easily clean your kitchen without much effort.
Please refer to the cleaning methods for each Location to achieve a shiny kitchen.
