How do I deep clean a kitchen?
A full kitchen clean in the right order, covering the places a weekly clean never reaches.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 4 hr
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Work top to bottom and apply products first so they dwell while you do something else. Order: cupboard tops and extractor, then cupboard fronts, then oven and hob, then fridge, then worktops and sink, then floor last. Set aside half a day for a first deep clean.
A deep clean differs from a weekly clean mainly in where you go: above eye level, behind and under appliances, and inside things. Doing it in a fixed order means nothing gets cleaned twice and nothing gets missed.
What you'll need
- Degreaser
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Cloths and a stiff brush
- Step ladder
- Bin bags
- Steam cleaner (optional)
Step by step
- Clear the worktops completely and empty the sink.Working around clutter is what makes a deep clean take twice as long.
- Apply oven cleaner and toilet-strength degreaser to the extractor filters first, and leave them.These are the longest-dwell jobs. Start them and move on.
- Clean the tops of wall cupboards and the extractor hood.Greasy dust collects up here and nowhere else gets touched less often.
- Wipe cupboard doors with degreaser, paying attention to handles and the area around the hob.Grease travels further than people expect — often to cupboards several feet from the cooker.
- Do the oven, hob and microwave.See the individual guides — each has a method that saves scrubbing.
- Empty and clean the fridge, including the drain channel and door seal.The drain hole at the back of the fridge floor is the most commonly missed spot in any kitchen.
- Pull out freestanding appliances and clean behind and underneath.Expect to find spills, crumbs and dust on the condenser coils. Vacuum the coils while you are there.
- Clean worktops, splashback, sink and taps, and clear the plughole and overflow.Descale the tap aerator and the plughole while you are here.
- Do the floor last, including under the kickboards if they lift out.Working backwards out of the room so you never walk on what you have cleaned.
Tips
- Do a deep clean twice a year and the weekly clean stays quick. Leave it longer and each one becomes a project.
- A steam cleaner is genuinely useful on grouted splashbacks and cooker surrounds, where grease has baked on.
- Line the tops of wall cupboards with cling film or baking paper afterwards — replace it annually instead of scrubbing.
Common mistakes
- Cleaning the floor first — Everything above drips onto it and you do it twice.
- Not applying products first — Dwell time is what turns scrubbing into wiping. Apply everything, then work elsewhere.
- Skipping behind the appliances — It is where spills, crumbs and dust accumulate, and dusty fridge coils cost you money.
Questions people ask
How long does a kitchen deep clean take?
Half a day for a first one, less afterwards. If you keep to a twice-yearly rhythm, each subsequent deep clean is closer to two hours.
What gets missed most often?
The tops of wall cupboards, the fridge drain channel, the extractor filters, and behind freestanding appliances. All four collect a lot and get touched almost never.