The kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where meals are made, snacks mysteriously disappear and somehow, no matter how careful you are, there's always another crumb waiting to be found.
The good news? Keeping your kitchen clean doesn't have to be a full-time job.
After cleaning countless homes, we've learnt that the trick isn't cleaning harder. It's cleaning in the right order, using products that actually work and building a routine that's easy to stick to.
Here's exactly how to clean a kitchen like a professional cleaner, from top to bottom.
clear the decks
Before you grab the spray bottle, spend a few minutes clearing your benches.
Put away clean dishes, move appliances if needed and throw out any rubbish that's accumulated. Working on a clutter-free surface makes the whole job quicker and means you're actually cleaning the bench, not just the tiny spaces between everything.
It might not be the most exciting part, but it's worth it.
start with the toughest job
Professional cleaners typically tackle the hardest jobs first. In the kitchen, that's usually grease.
Whether it's your stovetop, rangehood, splashback or cupboard doors, built-up grease is much easier to remove when you let the cleaner do the hard work.
Dilute your pro degreaser concentrate at a 1:10 ratio, spray onto greasy surfaces, and wipe clean with a microfibre cloth.
Your arms will thank you.
clean from top to bottom
Gravity is your friend. Dust and crumbs fall down while you clean, so always start high and work your way towards the floor.
A simple order looks like this:
- Top cupboards
- Splashbacks
- Appliances
- Benches
- Sink
- Bottom cupboards
- Floors
That way, you're only cleaning your floors once instead of twice.
wipe your cupboards
Kitchen cupboards collect fingerprints, food splashes and cooking residue surprisingly quickly.
Pay particular attention around handles and the cupboards closest to your stove, as these areas usually collect the most grease.
A quick wipe every week with pro multi-purpose concentrate (window & glass) solution, diluted at a 1:10 ratio, keeps them looking fresh and prevents build-up from becoming a much bigger job later on.
Every month, remove the contents from your kitchen cupboards, drawers, and shelves and give the inside a good wipe over. It helps keep your kitchen looking and feeling fresher. Make sure you don't forget about the tops of your cupboards - dust loves to hang out there!
don't ignore your splashback
Your splashback works hard. Every meal sends tiny splatters of oil, sauces and steam towards it, even if you don't notice.
Cleaning it regularly not only keeps your kitchen looking fresh but also stops grease from becoming stubborn over time.
make your benches sparkle
Once the heavier grease has been tackled, spray your benches with pro multi-purpose concentrate (window & glass) solution.
Its fast-drying formula leaves benches, splashbacks and high-touch surfaces clean without sticky residue, making it perfect for everyday cleaning.
Work one section at a time and finish with a clean microfibre cloth for the best result.
give your sink some love
It's easy to assume your sink is clean because water runs through it all day. Unfortunately... that's not quite how it works.
Food scraps, grease and bacteria can all build up around the drain, taps and edges.
Remove any food scraps that are beginning to call the bottom of the basin home, then give the tap, basin, and drying area a thorough clean. Make sure to pay extra attention to the drain and around the tap base, where grime loves to hide.
tackle stainless steel the right way
Stainless steel appliances look fantastic... until they're covered in fingerprints.
Use your diluted pro multi-purpose concentrate (window & glass) solution and a clean microfibre cloth to wipe your stainless steel tap, sink, and appliances clean. It's a small trick that makes a surprisingly big difference.
💡pro tip from kate & jack: wipe as you go
While you've got your pro multi-purpose solution handy, wipe down the lightswitches, cupboard handles, and fridge handle. A quick once-over can mean your lightswitches stay looking their actual colour instead of being buried underneath weeks' worth of dirt and grime that's a little stubborn about leaving.
empty the bin
The bin often gets overlooked because, well... it's where rubbish goes. But food spills, sticky residue and lingering smells can quickly build up.
Empty it regularly, wipe the inside and outside, and if needed, freshen it up with some pro harmony to help neutralise unpleasant odours while leaving behind a fresh driftwood and sage fragrance.
Your nose will notice the difference.
finish with the floor
By now, all the crumbs and dust should already be on the floor waiting for you, staring at you, mocking you... The best way to put an end to the mockery? Grab the vacuum and watch the muck on the floor simply disappear.
Make sure to pay extra attention to:
- Under the dining table
- In front of the sink
- Around the rubbish bin
- Beside the fridge
These are the places where crumbs seem to gather for little secret meetings.
Once you've successfully defeated your crumb and dust-bunny friends, it's time to get the mop. For greasy floors, dilute 25ml of pro degreaser concentrate in a 10-litre bucket of water, scrub, and rinse. For everyday mopping needs, simply dilute 50ml of pro harmony concentrate in a 10-litre bucket and begin your happy-mopping-dance.
how often should you clean your kitchen?
Little and often is the key. Here's a simple routine to keep things manageable:
-
Every day
- Wipe benches
- Wash dishes
- Clean the sink
- Empty rubbish if needed
-
Once a week
- Clean appliances
- Vacuum and mop the floor
- Clean the splashback
- Discard old food in the fridge and pantry
- Wipe high-touch areas, like lightswitches and handles
-
Once a month
- Wipe cupboard fronts
- Clean inside the microwave
- Wipe the inside of the cupboards
- Clean behind small appliances
- Wipe skirting boards
- Deep clean the fridge
Doing a little regularly is much easier than trying to rescue the kitchen after weeks of build-up.
common kitchen cleaning mistakes
- Using too much product: More cleaner doesn't always mean a better clean. Using the correct dilution generally gives you the best results
- Leaving spills for too long: Grease and food spills become much harder to remove once they've dried
- Forgetting high-touch areas: Handles, light switches, appliance buttons, and cupboard pulls are touched dozens of times every day. They're quick to wipe but easy to forget.
- Using one cloth for everything: Nobody wants yesterday's stovetop grease ending up on today's dining table. Keep separate cloths for different cleaning jobs and wash them regularly.
the secret to a cleaner kitchen
Here's something we've learnt after years of professional cleaning: a spotless kitchen isn't created by spending hours cleaning once a month. It's created by spending five or ten minutes cleaning every day.
A quick wipe after dinner, cleaning the splashback while the kettle boils, and giving the sink a once-over after dinner are just a handful of little habits that stop the big jobs from ever becoming overwhelming.
And when you've got products that work as hard as you do, keeping your kitchen clean becomes one less thing to think about.
ready to make kitchen cleaning easier?
Whether you're tackling greasy stovetops, wiping down benches or freshening up the bin after taco night, clean like a pro has a professional-grade solution designed for real homes and real-life messes.
Explore our range of concentrates and discover how much easier cleaning can be when you've got the right products by your side.
💡pro tip from kate & jack: wipe as you go
If you're waiting until the kitchen looks dirty before cleaning it, you've already made the job harder. Five minutes every day beats one exhausting deep clean every month.
