Tips to Prep the Kitchen for the Holidays
Start by Cleaning Appliances
Appliances are often overlooked in your day-to-day cleaning tasks. Ovens can build up grease or grime that can make holiday cleaning more difficult. Refrigerators can become overfilled with unnecessary items or hide small messes. Appliances such as microwaves and air fryers can quickly get small messes. Here are a few tips for cleaning the appliances for the holidays.
- Deep clean the oven - Start by running the self-clean on your oven. While that is running use the 4-in-1 kitchen and home cleaner degreaser to wipe down all surfaces and clean the outside of the oven. Once the oven has cooled completely from the self-clean, follow up by wiping down the inside with the 4-in-1 kitchen and home cleaner degreaser to get rid of any residual grease or mess.
- Microwave - For cleaning the microwave, fill a microwave-safe glass with 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Set for 2 minutes. Remove the glass when completed and wipe down the inside of the microwave. For the outside, use a cloth and an all-purpose cleaner to wipe off any fingerprints, food particles, or residual messes.
- Refrigerator - Cleaning the refrigerator out before the holidays can make more room for storing leftovers or foods in different stages of food preparation. Take some time to remove everything from the refrigerator and wipe down the inside of all drawers and the tops/bottoms of all shelves with an all-purpose cleaner. Once you finish the inside, pull out the refrigerator and wash well under and behind the refrigerator. This is also a good time to wash the sides and front with an all-purpose cleaner and a cloth rag.
- Extra appliances - Items like toasters and coffee pots can hold standing water and messes. Take some time to clean these thoroughly to also prevent things from burning or mold build up. Another appliance that can hold hidden messes is a convection oven. Take some time to clean out the bottom of these and wash them well.
Counters and Cabinets
The next part of your kitchen that will need some attention is your counters and cabinets. Oftentimes, these areas will get a quick wipe down but will rarely see a deep clean. Before guests enter the home and countless meals are prepared, take some time to clean the counters and cabinets. It will help to make your home smell fresh while making room for all of the holiday meal preparation that your kitchen will require. Here are a few tips for cleaning counters and cabinets.
- Start by deep cleaning counters and sinks - Remove everything from the counters and the sinks. This is a good time to clean under and behind these items. Using a 4-in-1 kitchen and home cleaner degreaser will help to get rid of stubborn messes that might normally take more time. As you return items to the counters, wipe them down so that they don’t transfer mess back to the area.
- Do a pre-holiday declutter - Countertops and cabinets can quickly become clutter-holding areas. Before the holiday "busyness" begins, it can help to declutter items you will no longer use as well as food/spices that are no longer in use. This will give you more room for gifts and for holiday meal prep.
- Clean the cabinets and walls - Use the 5-minute clean walls bundle to clean walls and cabinets before holiday guests arrive. This will be a quick and easy way to give everything a clean, fresh-smelling facelift before the holidays. Even better, it shouldn’t take long at all with the wall tool in the bundle!
Don’t Forget About Floors and Baseboards
One of the best areas to clean when preparing for the holidays is the floor. Not only is this the area in your kitchen that will hold the most germs, but it is also an area that can be quick to hold bad smells. Spending a bit of time cleaning the floors and baseboards can leave your kitchen looking and smelling fresh. The best thing about cleaning floors for holiday preparation is that it doesn’t have to take long. Here are a few tips to help you get your kitchen floors holiday-ready:
- Start by decluttering where possible - Many items are moved into the kitchen area that don’t need to be there. Take some time to declutter. Standing items can hide dirt and dust. Remove all items from the kitchen that can be better stored elsewhere or donated to someone who needs them more.
- Sweep the entire kitchen well - Take some extra time to make sure to get rid of all leftover dust and dirt that might be hiding under cabinets or near dining room tables. This will help to make mopping easier and more effective. Removing the dust and standing dirt will help you to more effectively wash the floors.
- Clean the baseboards - The 5-minute clean walls bundle is the perfect tool for this job. Take a couple of minutes to wipe down all baseboards in the kitchen with the wall cleaning tool. Not only will this give your baseboards a fresh look, but it’ll also leave the kitchen smelling clean.
- Mop floors and remove odors at the same time - Floors can hold dirt but they can also trap bad smells. Use a pet odor eliminator and cleaner to wash down floors. This will help to clean messes and remove any smells that are left behind on the floors. A fresh clean floor will aid the overall smell in the kitchen.
Here’s to a clean, healthy, happy kitchen filled with lots of love and delicious food this holiday season!