Friday, April 15, 2011

HOW CLEAN iS YOUR KiTCHEN?

Maybe it's the fresh breeze?  Maybe it's the return of the birds or the emergence of Spring flowers and budding trees?  The very sense of renewal brought on seasonally by Spring starts a flurry of cleaning and decluttering inside our home as we prepare for the good things to come.  The kitchen tends to be the busiest, most centralized 'hub of the home'.  It is generally the dirtiest, as well and requires more consistent cleaning.  With the pantry cleaned, painted and reorganized, it's time to thoroughly clean the rest of the kitchen.

It takes COURAGE to start and STAMiNA to finish... but it is well worth the effort!  So give your kitchen a good scrubbing... Turn up the tunes, pull on your rubber gloves and go to it!

BASIC CLEANING SUPPLIES
      VACUUM
      2-STEP LADDER
BROOM & DUST PAN
LONG HANDLED WOOLIE (or feather duster)
SPONGE MOP

CLEANING CADDY: 
      RUBBER GLOVES
      GLASS CLEANER
      PAPER TOWELS
      ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
      STAiNLESS STEEL CLEANER/POLiSH
      STAiNLESS STEEL MiCROFiBER CLOTH 
       All-Purpose MiCROFiBER CLOTHS (perfect for dry-dusting and wet-wiping)
      SCRUBBY SPONGES (scratchy-scrubby pad on one side, sponge on the other)

Start at the top. We will work with gravity from ceiling to floor.  Print a copy of the list.  Pull on your rubber gloves and follow the list in order.  The list, as a whole, is extensive but keep your eye trained on one item at a time and you will accomplish a lot!  Check off, highlight or scribble a dark line through items as you finish them.

  •  REMOVE COBWEBS from fixtures, ceiling and down corners of walls (A long-handled woolie works well and can be hand washed and reused. Feather duster works as well.)
  •  THOROUGHLY CLEAN LiGHT FiXTURE and/or CEiLiNG FAN
  •  DUST COLD AiR RETURN VENTS
  •  DUST SHELViNG, KNiCKKNACKS and PiCTURES (clean glass as well)
  •  WiPE DOWN TABLE from top to bottom
  •  WiPE DOWN CHAIR/STOOL seats, backs and legs
  •  SCRUB STOVE top, front and exposed sides (remove stove grates and clean underneath)
  •  CLEAN RANGE hood, vent and filters
  •  CLEAN MICROWAVE inside and out
  •  WiPE DiSHWASHER, exterior
  •  WiPE REFRiGERATOR, exterior
  •  CLEAN-SORT-REORGANiZE iNSiDE REFRiGERATOR (follow guidelines from 'PANTRY FACE-LiFT')
  •  WiPE CABiNET EXTERiORS
  •  POLiSH STAiNLESS STEEL EXTERiORS
  •  CLEAN COUNTERTOPS, BACKSPLASH  (Note: Use Ivory soap on granite and marble surfaces)
  •  SCRUB SiNK AND FAUCET, polish to a shine!  MAiNTAiN iT DAiLY!
  •  WiPE DOWN WALLS
  •  WiPE DOOR FRONTS
  •  CLEAN BASEBOARDS
  •  REMOVE TRASH and replace trash liner
  •  VACUUM or shake throw rugs
  •  VACUUM, SWEEP and MOP flooring

Grab a cool drink, stand back and enjoy your clean kitchen.  When it is clean and organized it is a work of art!  Enjoy the fruits of your labor and weekly clean it to maintain it's pristine clean shine!

 
Clean your kitchen thoroughly 
and it will be simpler and easier to maintain weekly! 
Woo Hoo!  
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