How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen After Christmas

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house, and it's used even more than usual over the Christmas period. You don't want to spend your whole Christmas cleaning the kitchen, so mess, grime, and dirt can easily build up during this time. It's best to give your kitchen a thorough, deep clean after Christmas to get it looking as good as new. But where do you start?

Cleaning expert Sarah Dempsey at MyJobQuote.co.uk has teamed up with various other cleaning professionals and created this guide on how to deep clean your kitchen properly after Christmas. Follow these tips to make sure your kitchen is sparkling clean and ready for the new year ahead.

Tackle The Fridge and Freezer

First on the list is the fridge and freezer. These can get very messy with food spillages and smells. A deep cleaning of the fridge and freezer can help make everything feel much fresher. Plus, you can then start with a fresh food storage space going in the new year.

“Dive into your fridge and freezer, checking for any post-Christmas leftovers or forgotten items that might be past their prime. Once you've cleared the contents, give the shelves and drawers a good wipe-down with a mild cleaner. This ensures you're starting with fresh and clean storage space," says Karina Toner, operations manager at Spekless Cleaning.  

Tackle The Cabinets and Drawers

The cabinets and drawers in the kitchen can collect crumbs, grease, and grime – especially with all of the Christmas cooking going on. Since you probably use the cabinets and drawers every day, it’s important to make sure they’re clean and tidy if you don’t want your kitchen to feel grimy or overwhelming.

“Remove all the items, wipe down the interiors, and declutter by discarding expired food or unused utensils," says Hashi Mohamed, president at IvyCleans. “Clean and sanitise all surfaces, including countertops, backsplashes, and the kitchen sink. Pay special attention to hidden corners and crevices where dirt can accumulate.”

Spruce Up The Oven

Your oven will certainly take a beating over the Christmas period, from turkey to roasted vegetables to warm desserts; your oven will be put to work. However, with all of this cooking comes dirt, grime, grease, and food spillages. This can leave your oven looking less than appealing, cause some awful smells, and can even be a fire hazard. So, it’s important to give your oven a good and proper cleaning once the festivities are done. 

Angela Rubin, a cleaning expert at Hellamaid, has great tips for cleaning the oven. "For a natural oven cleaner, create a paste using baking soda and water. Apply it to the oven interior, especially areas with stubborn grease or spills, and let it sit overnight. The next day, wipe away the paste along with the grime using a damp cloth, revealing a gleaming oven interior.”

Clean The Surfaces

It's equally as important to clean all of the surfaces in your kitchen properly. In addition to making the surfaces look much better, you also need to make sure they are sanitary and ready for future cooking.

“Clean your countertops, backsplash, and other surfaces," says Shlomo Cherniak, owner of Cherniak Handyman Services. “Use an appropriate cleaner for your countertop material and wipe down all surfaces thoroughly. Don't forget to clean and disinfect high-touch areas such as light switches, door handles, and knobs.”

Clean The Dishwasher

If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher in your home, it’s definitely going to be put to good use after Christmas dinner. You may even need to use it multiple times to clean all of the dishes and utensils that you’ve used over Christmas. This can lead to a build-up of food and grime in the machine, so it’s a good idea to give it a proper clean at this time.

“Show your dishwasher some love by running a cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of vinegar. This helps remove any accumulated grime, limescale, or lingering odours, ensuring your dishes come out sparkling clean in the future," says Karina Toner, operations manager at Spekless Cleaning.

Clean The Microwave

Similar to your oven, your microwave will probably get a lot of use over Christmas. Grime and spillages can quickly build up and cause bad odours. Plus, nobody wants to heat their food in a microwave full of stains. So, it’s a good idea to give your microwave a nice deep clean at this time.

Jack, an interior designer at PcbInsider, has a couple of great microwave cleaning hacks that can make this job much easier. First, "place a bowl of water with lemon slices in the microwave. Heat it for a few minutes; the steam will loosen food particles, making it easier to wipe away stains," Jack explains. This makes the whole cleaning process easier. Secondly, when it comes to cleaning the vents, "use an old toothbrush dipped in a mixture of vinegar and water."

Show The Floor Some Love

Your kitchen floor can collect a lot of crumbs, footprints, and spillages over Christmas. This can make your kitchen look less appealing and may also attract some unwanted pests. So, it’s important to give your kitchen floor a thorough clean after Christmas.

Depending on your flooring type, you should give the floor a thorough mopping. Use a disinfecting cleaner that is suitable for the floor to make sure it’s as clean as possible. Leave the floor to air dry before stepping on it again. If you have any soft flooring or rugs in your kitchen, give these a good vacuuming to get away all of the crumbs.

Clean Up The Sink

The sink will also be put to good use over Christmas. From rinsing pots to filling glasses, you'll be using your kitchen sink multiple times throughout Christmas. Your sink can collect old food particles and may become sticky with grime. Food particles and grease may cause clogs in the drain, which could prevent the flow of water and produce some awful odours. So it's best to properly clean your kitchen sink and deal with the drains as soon as you can after Christmas.

Silvia, an operations specialist at Canberra Bond Cleaning, has some tips on cleaning the sink. Firstly, when unblocking the drain, Silvia suggests that you "use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to unclog and freshen drains.” Also, to make your kitchen sink and faucet super shiny and sparkling like new, Silvia suggests that you "polish faucets with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and baking soda for a sparkling finish.” 

Tackle The Pesky Grease On Your Cabinets

As mentioned, your kitchen will be the culprit to a lot of grease over the Christmas period. Grease can be tricky to clean. In addition to making your cabinets look less attractive, they're also sticky and can attract dust and dirt. So, how do you deal with all of that pesky, built-up grime on your kitchen cabinets?

Angela Rubin, a cleaning expert at Hellamaid, has just the trick, “To eliminate grease build-up on kitchen cabinets, mix equal parts vinegar and dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto cabinet surfaces, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it away with a microfiber cloth. For wooden cabinets, use a wood cleaner to prevent damage.”

Don’t Forget Your Utensils and Small Appliances

In addition to the larger items in your kitchen, you mustn't forget to give the smaller items a good cleaning. This can include your small appliances and utensils. Anything that has been used over Christmas would benefit from a proper cleaning going into the new year.

“Give your kitchen gadgets some love by thoroughly cleaning your blender, food processor, and other small appliances. Use a toothbrush or small brush to get into crevices, and don't forget to wipe down the handles and buttons. This is also an excellent time to sharpen your knives for optimal performance," says Sarah Johnson, kitchen expert at BigAirfryers.com

Pay Attention to The Walls and Ceiling

You also shouldn't neglect the walls and ceiling. These spaces can very quickly collect dust, and with the extra footfall in the home over the Christmas period, dust can become an issue. In addition, the walls and ceilings may also be prone to grease stains, so it's a good idea to inspect them and clean them as needed.

Ira Njoroge, a professional cleaner and organiser at MySpaceAffair.com, has some great tips for cleaning these areas. "For the walls and ceilings, you can dust and wipe down your kitchen walls and ceiling using a microfiber mop or a duster with a telescopic handle. For greasy stains, use a mild dish soap solution. Remember to clean 

the exhaust fan or the range hood, too," Njoroge explains.

Finish With Some Final Touches

Once you've finished cleaning all the other areas of your kitchen, it's time to do some finishing touches. The finishing touches can make all the difference in how your kitchen looks and feels, so these small details are just as important as the larger cleaning jobs.

“Once the deep cleaning is complete, don't forget the finishing touches. Replace any worn-out kitchen linens, such as dish towels and oven mitts. Consider adding fresh flowers or plants to bring life and vibrancy back into the kitchen," says Nick Haden, cleaning expert at shoecleaning.net.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is a lot of cleaning to be done once Christmas is over. However, completing all of these jobs as soon as Christmas is over will help to ensure that you go into the new year with a beautiful, sparkling kitchen space. To make the whole job less tiresome, why not get the whole family involved? Throw on some tunes and designate jobs, and your kitchen will be looking perfect in no time.

MyJobQuote is one of the UK's top trades matching sites that helps individuals find a reputable tradesperson in their local area.

MyJobQuote also has a wide range of experts with extensive knowledge in interior design, cleaning, gardening, property, construction and more. MyJobQuote's experts have been featured in over 700 publications, including Woman and Home, The Times, House Beautiful, BBC News and more.

For more information on MyJobQuote's release or comment requests, please email the PR team at ContentTeam@ICMEnterprises.co.uk.

Copyright © 2023. MyJobQuote.co.uk. All reserved.