Last updated on April 15th, 2020
What possessed me to film my kitchen cleaning routine? Well, there exists on the internet a lot of bad, and even dangerous information. I’ve watched young YouTube vloggers spray vinegar on granite counter tops (a definite no-no); de-grease cooktops with chemical wipes and reams of paper towels (needless and wasteful), and scour sinks and faucets with old toothbrushes (gross!). Gimmicky products and paper towels aren’t necessary to achieve a sparkling kitchen and a germ-free sink. Here’s proof:
Thanks for watching! And just to recap, here are the materials I use for my kitchen cleaning routine:
Terry coths (a/k/a “wash cloths”). You can buy a dozen of these for about $5 in any big box hardware store. I prefer the cloths to paper towels because they are durable, absorbent, and machine washable. Also, you can heat them in the microwave, as detailed in the video. (I hope you enjoyed the microwave trick!)
Dishwashing Detergent. I use Dawn. You might prefer Dusk.
Stainless Steel Polish. Optional, but it does impart a brilliant shine. Be sure to use it as described in the above video.
Baking Soda and a Non-Scratch Scouring Pad. Thanks to this dynamic duo, my stainless steel sink looks as good as the day I purchased it. No scratch marks!
Liquid bleach. As mentioned and shown, I use household bleach to disinfect my kitchen sink and faucet. Bleach kills 99% of germs on surfaces that are free of organic matter. In other words, it won’t work where food particles (bread crumbs, etc.) are present. So clean first, then disinfect. The proper disinfecting formula is 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon cool water.
I hope you picked up a few tips and tricks from the video. And if you have any kitchen cleaning tips of your own, please share them in the comments section below!
xKevin
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Amy says
Wow, Kevin, I’m a full-time homemaker and thought I knew all of the tricks – but that sink bleaching is genius.
Quick question – are you cleaning down your stainless fridge, etc, with soapy water, or just a hot terry cloth?
Amy says
p.s. Not to be weird or nosy, but would you consider doing a bathroom cleaning video too?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Amy – To clean fridge, etc., I first dip the cloth in soapy water. (Update: Just saw your second comment. The answer is YES!)
Pam says
Hi, Kevin!
I am swooning – no, it is not just your handsome face in front of the camera – from the inspiration this little video brings. I picked up so many great tips for making that daunting job easier. As with all of your videos, you are so encouraging with your calm, competent, and cheerful onscreen manner. Thanks!
Pam in Virginia
Pam says
Kevin:
Oh, bless you, if you can get a bathroom video done. There is absolutely no job I hate more. Bless you, anyway.
Pam in Virginia
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Pam – You are too kind. Thank you!
Kay says
Have you considered peroxide instead of bleach? That and vinegar are safer than bleach IMHO. 🙂
[email protected] says
I needed a laugh and your Dawn/Dusk comment made me laugh out loud. 🙂
Cari says
Kevin- have you thought about doing a podcast? The range of your knowledge, coupled with your dry humor, would make a wonderful addition to the podosphere.
Carol says
I love your sense of humour and calm voice, Kevin, also.
Yes, yes, yes to a PODCAST but not if you had to give up your website.
susan gortva says
I did love watching your videos, but this is just over the top. makes me want to cry. so clean , and I hate cleaning but love the results. of course your kitchen looked clean to begin with. I have wood cabinets and the grease gets so gummy, I use cheap vegetable oil on a rag. that actually works.
Susan says
Thanks for the cleaning tips and tricks. I already have my stash of old wash cloths that I use and reuse for dusting, window cleaning etc. Makes me want to clean my kitchen. Do you make house calls?
I am going to try the heated washcloth to clean the grunge off my cabinets.
You almost make cleaning fun
Suzy says
Hi Kevin! Thank you for your video, from a fellow Hudson Valley-er. We have a black (composite, lightweight, and lovely) Kohler Neoroc kitchen sink and I am curious, what would you advise we use to disinfect, as I am not sure the bleach mix can be used on black? Love your blog!!
Lise Gray says
Kevin, i have been procrastinating to start the house looking spic and span for autumn, as we approach winter, i don’t want to be doing this then. You make this look like so much fun, today, i think i will go and get myself some of those terri cloths, and start the kitchen, i will also do the windows but with paper towels. They are dirty, thank you for putting this video up, so much information! we have a sink made of Porcelain, but my wife, keeps using comet in there to clean. I have a feeling the baking soda would do the trick of cleaning. Thank you again, and that trick with the dawn in the microwave, well, i never would have thought of this! Thank you so much, bathroom video a must please???
Renee Coursey says
Good morning! Great way to start off the day. How often do you clean your kitchen this way?
I know that your kitchen is very new. Is this a monthly, or ? routine?
Have a great week now that your kitchen is so clean. I second the bathroom cleaning idea!!!
Bette Hanauer says
Clorox bleach is toxic to the person using it and to the water supply it eventually drains into . That’s why all those You Tubers are using vinegar! It’s far less environmentally harmful.
Sarah says
Kitchen cleaning is not my favorite household task, but I feel good when it’s done. Your microwaved hot cloth trick for greasy cabinets will be used in my kitchen right away. Thank you! Now, if I could just figure out how to remove the coffee stain from my Corian sink. Even my treasured Barkeeper’s Friend does not work.
Lyn says
I love using the fiber cloths. I use different colors for different rooms – green for the kitchen, blue for the bathrooms. I know my husband thinks I’m crazy, but I am now purchasing grey cloths for my main bathroom – just recently redid my linen closet – I bought 12 sets of towels – 6 white/6 grey, and new storage bins in grey/white. I know I’m a bit anal about this – I am a Virgo!!! Love this video. Will definitely try heating the cloths in the microwave. Great idea.
Maraya says
Inspirational, Kevin! Love the hot cloth idea! I was wondering if your “terry” cloths are cotton. I use microfiber cloths, which are polyester, and can also be purchased in dozens for about the same price. Does it matter? I’m also a big fan of Dobie all-purpose cleaning pads over other types of non-scratch sponges.
Julie Cade says
Your kitchen is much like mine: Shaker cabinets (I’d never have put them in had I thought about all the trim ledges to clean!), quartz counters and stainless steel. I so needed your tip on how to get grease off the painted cabinets above the cooktop! I used a Magic Eraser out of desperation and found it only balled up bits of grease so the warm soapy cloth is my next step! Kudos.
Myra Greenwood says
Bleach definitely kills lots
of stuff, but it is carcinogenic and looses its disinfect ability within 48 hours or so when mixed with water. I use ammonia and alcohol mixed with water in a spray bottle to disinfect. I used to work in an OR and it is similar to those disinfectants.
Suzanne says
I soooo need to deep clean my kitchen but the task is daunting. I’m in the middle of canning season with garden produce. Not a bad thing but still keeping me busy. As a person who preserves I am always looking for ways to sanitize and clean my kitchen. A few questions for you: My cabinets are wood and terribly greasy. I suppose your method would work well on the wooden cabinets also? I have a porcelain sink. I’ve been using Comet or Ajax to clean it. Would the baking soda and bleach be a better solution? (BTW you are a brave man using bleach while wearing a black shirt!) I have granite counter tops. What would be the best way to clean them? I’ve been using a product called Thieves from an essential oil company. I’m not sure it is the best solution for the granite.
Thanks for the great tips. I enjoy reading your blog and have gotten great ideas from you.
Kathleen says
Hi Kevin,
Thanks, as always, for the great tips! How do you recommend to clean the inside of the oven? For some reason I hate to use the self-clean feature. I’ve read about steam-cleaning it with water & baking soda. Is that what you do?
Thanks again!
Erica says
Great video! Thanks for giving me a kick in the pants to do a deep clean this weekend. Quick tip: cloth diapers make incredible cleaning cloths and may be cheaper than terry cloth. I know that Walmart in the US sells the gauze type for a few dollars a dozen. They are super absorbent (obviously!) and soft. 🙂
Mary says
Nice job Kevin! Let me know when
you can make it to clean before the holidays!
Diane says
I just bought a newly renovated home and the kitchen countertops are a pure white quartz. (Not what I would have chosen). Anyway, never having any experience with quartz, how can I safely clean them? It marks and stains very easily and quartz cleaner doesn’t do the trick. I’ve gently cleaned with baking soda (not recommended) but helps to remove black marks. Perhaps was it not sealed properly?? Help!
Kay says
Kevin. Love the microwave idea. I have been using a steamwand, but this is better. However, it is more labor intensive because I have to heat up the terrycloth pretty often. But you know what? I could care less. This is a keeper idea. Thanks.
Juls Owings says
I am so thankful you posted this. I am getting ready to do fall cleaning right after the contractor comes in next week to repaint 4 major rooms that has bad paint. Went to wash them and the paint came off when it was washable paint. I did search for how you do your wood floors. We have REAL wood (as in the wood was harvested from the trees cut to build the house and it’s only 22 yrs old) and so far it’s been a battle to get them to look clean even after sweeping with vacuum and dust mop and mop etc.
lauren says
ditto on what works on greasy wood cabinets, please? same technique?
Sherry in Willow Grove says
Great video! I second, third, fourth the request for the bathroom cleaning video. Hot towel on grease – genius 🙂 I have used the steam in the microwave trick, and microwave towels for fingertips and facials (very cautiously so as not to burn myself), but never thought about cleaning greasy cabinets. Sometimes someone else needs to point out the obvious. Thanks again!
Barb says
Thanks, Kevin! Love the terry towels rather than paper towel. And, the baking soda for the sink…I’ve always used Soft Scrub. Baking soda is much more economical. Bleach…I know there are people who balk at using, but I love knowing my towels & wash cloths (all white) are germ free. I’ve never bleached my sink s, but certainly will now. Should be good for the drain, too.
Thanks again!
Julie R says
Great video Kevin. You have inspired me to clean my kitchen cabinets. I have laminate kitchen cabinets that look like a fake wood. I never would have picked laminate, but they where already here when I moved in. Have tried SO many things to clean grease off of them, but nothing has worked. After watching your video, I will try cleaning them with the hot water on the cloth and see if that removes the grease. But I’m thinking of warming up a container of water and dipping the cloth into the heated water as needed, to avoid having to rewarm the cloth so frequently in the microwave. I say this because my kitchen has a lot of cabinets, not just a few, and they all need cleaning. Either way would work. As for cleaning my kitchen counters and inside of the sink, I clean them with peroxide and it does a great job and leaves a nice shine on them and disinfects at the same time. I too, along with many others would like to see a bathroom cleaning video from you Kevin. I so enjoy all of your videos. = )
Susan says
But you skipped cleaning the wood island top. I’m assuming you do something completely different there?
Lori says
Did you know if you have baked on debris on your stove grates, you can do one of two things. Soak lightly soiled grates in with dishwasher detergent over night and old debris comes off easily. I learned this by accident. It also works great for lightly parched food on pans.
If you have heavy soiled grates, you put a cereal bowl of ammonia in a zip lock bag and balance the grate on the bowl, and zip it up over night (or 2) and the heavy debris just wipes off. I learned this technique from a local resort. Some people even do this trick on their grills.
I’ve never tried the baking soda and I like your way better. Back in the day for my heavily limed water, I used lye (Easy Off oven cleaner). Now I have soft water so no need for heavy cleaners.
But I can’t wait to try the heated rags at the resort I work at. Kitchen cleaning is my duty. Let’s hope it makes things easier for me.
Weimar also comes in wipes.
Dana N FERRIGNO says
Kevin, I sooo appreciate this video. I am certainly going to do everything as per your instructions for cleaning my kitchen. I would like videos showing cleaning bathroom mirrors, dusting, wood floors, lamps etc. Sorry to overwhelm you but you are a great teacher. I found you on internet for growing my garlic! I love love your garden posts just all your posts. Your food looks scrumptious! Unfortunately I eat a whole plant life style now. Vegan. Soooo if you have any of those recipes put them up. PLEASE don’t quit posting. I love site MORE than ANYONES!! Dana Ferrigno