I wrote a post last week with tips on how to speed up cleaning, and it was really popular. So this week, I thought I’d include some speed-cleaning tips specifically for the kitchen. The trouble with kitchens is that they’re in constant use and staying on top of the mess is the only way to tackle it. No miracle solutions, little and often is the only way to do it I’m afraid!

The Sink

  • When you’re cooking, fill the sink with hot soapy water and try and clean as you go. It makes such a difference to the amount of dirty dishes left at the end of a meal.
  • If you’ve got the space and cash, a dishwasher is great. Be sure to make sure you load as you go to keep surfaces free of dirty dishes. I load through the day, put it on before I go to bed, and unload during breakfast.

More info on shining your sink, courtesy of Real Simple magazine.

  • Shine your sink a la Fly Lady (read one of my earlier posts for more info). However much I hate to admit it, having a clean and empty sink every morning does inspire you to keep on top of other jobs.  After our dinner (most nights!), I empty the sink and fill with hot water. Pop a bit of bleach into the water and leave for as long as I can before I want to crash on the sofa. After rinsing well and wiping down the taps, I dry the whole area with a tea towel and shine the shiny bits with a microfibre cloth.

The Floors

  • Have good mats at every outside door. Capturing dirt on mats saves a lot of cleaning. I like coir matting (you can get them from local carpet shops and they’ll cut them to whatever size you need), but Turtle Mats are good too. Just make sure the mats have a latex backing (to retain the dirt) and give them a good shake outside regularly.

  • Sweep up or use a hand-held hoover to help keep on top of crumbs. I try and give the floor a quick once over after every meal. I also have a packet of floor wipes that I use to spot clean if my 3 year old pest has spilt something.
  • Use a steam cleaner to wash floors rather than a mop and bucket. I hate mopping the floors, it just takes too long so I bought a steam cleaner about six months ago. Whilst it still takes me a lot longer than I’d like, it dries much quicker. I pop a bit of vinegar in the water and it helps gets the floors cleaner without going streaky (the vinegar smell subsides really quickly – I promise!)

The Surfaces

  • If you’ve got a choice, don’t opt for high maintenance surfaces in your kitchen (like wood, polished or gloss) to save on too much faff. But most of us just inherit what was in the house before we moved in.
  • Try and keep clutter to a minimum to make wiping over the surfaces as easy and quick as possible. More storage, shelving, notice boards and a major declutter can all help.
  • I use any old disinfectant spray that happens to be on offer in the supermarket for regular quick wipe-downs. Be sure to replace cloths often (you can pop dirty ones into the dishwasher).  Dry any wet patches on your surfaces (particularly round the sink) to avoid water stains.

The Oven

  • Again, given a choice I would opt for an induction or ceramic hob as they are the easiest to clean (Lazy, moi?!). Bar Keepers Friend is great for stubborn marks, just be sure it is suitable for use on your appliance.
  • I never have much success with oven cleaners and find they leave everything smeary. Oven Pride is quite good (the one that comes with a bag for your wire racks) but I think it is still quite time-consuming and tough to get everything properly clean.  My preferred way is to get the professionals in once a year! Costs vary across the country but I’ve had mine cleaned for £50 and they leave it really sparkly and as good as new.
  • To stop your oven from getting too dirty, use a liner on the bottom that you can just take out and wipe down (Lakeland sell a good one). I use tin foil to line my grill tray and baking trays (have also got some disposable foil baking trays for doing roasts which saves SO much washing up!).

Magic Oven Liner. £9.99. http://www.lakeland.co.uk

Hope these tips help! Would love to hear any more…!


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