Clean Your Kitchen the Smart Way

Keeping a kitchen clean is about staying on top of the situation rather than letting yourself get crushed under the elephantine weight of it.

Where and how to start if things have gotten really, really bad

If you or the house owner has let the kitchen go, there is a good chance you will find yourselves standing in the doorway feeling instantly defeated. The internet housekeeping guru known as the FlyLady, a.k.a. Marla Cilley, says she believes that key to breaking that sense of hopelessness a person feels when confronting a messy kitchen is to "shine the sink."

Even if it means taking the dirty dishes out of the sink and setting them on a counter or table for the time being, make that sink look as close to brand new as possible.

"That gives them that little bit of hope to get the ball rolling," she says. "Once you have a shiny sink, you are ready to move on to the whole kitchen." Check out the inspirational sink-shining video on her site.

Alternative ways to get started

It is easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of any cleaning job. Breaking it all down into manageable mini-jobs helps immensely. Another good place to start is to remove everything from the kitchen that doesn't belong there (workplace and school items that got dumped there for example).

• Take all spices and cooking oils off the counters and put them back in the cupboards.

• Take all the clean utensils and cooking tools off the counters and put them in drawers.

• Find a permanent place for everything that has been sitting out and getting in the way.

• Don't forget the music! Almost every expert I spoke to advised playing your favorite music to motivate you to clean just as you would use it to motivate you to exercise.

Cleaning fluids, solutions and concoctions

One and only one rule. Never combine a product containing bleach with a product containing ammonia. This comb creates lethal fumes.

Environmentally friendly cleaning solutions

If you are interested in environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, Jorge Lee of Marin House Cleaning in Sausalito, California, says, "Most grime will come out with a sponge, baking soda and some elbow grease." An effective all-purpose cleaner can be made from equal percentages of borax, liquid castile soap, vinegar, and water." Try some of these "green" recipes for homemade cleaners for gentle and effective cleaning-they're easy too.

About windows, in the kitchen and otherwise, Lee says, "The hands down best thing for use on windows is club soda, the kind you use for mixing well drinks." No matter what kind of cleaning product you use, however, one important tip is to give it time to do its job. Don't be too hasty. Three or four minutes, at least, is what many experts advise. It saves a lot of grunt work on your part.

Counters

Take everything off the counters (including the tops of all appliances) before you wipe them down. David Losh of Seattle House Cleaning says, "In the kitchen we start at the far ends of the counters and work towards the sink," he says. "If need be, the counter items can be moved towards the sink; (we clean) out the toaster over the sink, then move the items back to the outer edges so we have room to clean closer in to the sink. By moving things en masse, it's possible to wet the entire area to be cleaned. Wetting action does much more than scrubbing." Take it from a pro.

Sponges

Sponges spread germs if not properly maintained. Each sponge should have a specific job. Don't use the same sponge for different tasks the way you would use cross-training shoes for different sports. You can sterilize sponges by microwaving them on high for a minute or washing them in the dishwasher. Or, err on the side of safety-toss them and replace with new ones on a regular basis. Using washable rags instead will cut down on the trash.

Floors

Where cleaning floors is concerned, it's all about white vinegar and water--just don't use it on marble, granite and slate.

An ounce of soapy prevention...

The FlyLady recommends that you start cleaning before you start dirtying. Fill the sink with hot soapy water before you've dirtied your first dish. That way, as you cook a meal, you can plunge whatever pots, pans, and dishes you have finished using directly into the water. Don't go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. The only thing worse than rinsing dishes when you are aching to go to bed is walking into a dirty kitchen after work the following day.

Experts agree that keeping a kitchen clean means simplifying. Store or discard utensils you don't use very often; ditto with rarely used appliances. Cleaning as you cook means the job breaks down into smaller tasks rather than growing into a Herculean ordeal.

Steve Penhollow writes about pets and family issues for Care.com and is the Arts and Entertainment features writer for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.