9 Weekly Kitchen Cleaning Tasks for a Healthier Home

Cleaning your kitchen is one of those tasks that’s never really done: as soon as you tidy up after preparing a meal, it’s already time to make another one. But establishing a weekly cleaning routine can make that daily cleanup (and the occasional deep clean) easier by preventing crumbs, grime and other dirt from building up. A once-a-week refresh is also a great opportunity to sanitize counters and other high-touch surfaces to ensure that your kitchen is not just sparkling clean but hygienic, too. 

“For a weekly kitchen cleaning, we always start at the top of the room and work our way down, then out of the room,” says Courtney, managing partner of residential cleaning company Philadelphia Scrubs. EatingWell spoke with Courtney to get some expert advice on what to clean in your kitchen every week, plus tips and tricks for getting it done easily and efficiently.  

1. Cabinet and Appliance Doors

A weekly scrub-down of cabinet doors and drawer fronts—starting with those above your counters and ending with those below—will keep drips and fingerprints from building up over time, Courtney says. Be sure to wipe handles and drawer pulls, then sanitize them for good measure. Clean the fronts and handles of your oven and microwave, too. 

2. Refrigerator

Before you create your weekly meal plan, take a moment to assess the contents of your fridge. As you check inventory, rotate older items to the front and keep an eye out for items that are past their prime to toss in your compost bin. 

“As you’re creating your shopping list, evaluate what’s in your kitchen and clear out the old leftovers and stuff from your fridge,” Courtney recommends. You don’t need to do a deep clean—that’s more of a quarterly task, she says—but it’s a good opportunity to quickly wipe away any errant spills you find. 

3. Stovetop

It’s best practice to quickly wipe down your stovetop after each cooking session, but you can go a little deeper during your weekly kitchen cleaning. “Give your stovetop a good hard scrub,” Courtney says. “You want to avoid the buildup of grease, crumbs and stains.”

4. Backsplash

While you’re at it, don’t forget to wipe down your backsplash. It’s there for a reason—to protect your walls from stray splatters during cooking—and you’d be surprised at what can collect there over the course of a week. 

5. Small Appliances

If you have a coffee maker, kettle or toaster, it’s likely that you and your family reach for it every day—or multiple times per day. These items pick up splatters and smudges from cooking or dirty hands. Kitchen appliance handles can be a breeding ground for bacteria and other microbial growth, so wipe down appliance exteriors and sanitize these high-touch surfaces once per week.

6. Countertops

Wiping down the counters with a damp cloth or sponge probably happens at least once a day in your home. During your weekly kitchen cleaning session, take the opportunity to remove appliances and other items to give your countertops a thorough once-over. 

“Appliances can create a lot of hidden space where grime can get built up,” Courtney says. “You want to pull everything out from the wall, get into the nooks and crannies and really scrub and sanitize from corner to corner and edge to edge.”

7. Dish Drying Rack

The last thing you want to do with freshly washed dishes is put them on a dirty drying rack. Give your drying rack or dish drainer a spritz with sanitizing spray and a scrub with soapy water in the sink to remove any mold growth, dust or debris. 

While you’re at it, clear away soap dispensers, sponges or sink stoppers, then scrub and sanitize the surface behind your kitchen sink as well as the tap handles. “You might be wiping down the countertops daily, but behind the sink, grime gets really built up really well,” says Courtney. 

8. Sponges, Cloths and Dish Towels

The soft tools you use to keep things clean in the kitchen—think sponges, dish cloths, hand towels and cleaning rags—should be sanitized or replaced at least once a week. Damp sponges are easy to sanitize in the dishwasher or even the microwave. Plastic scrubbies and brushes can’t go in the microwave, but they can be sanitized in the top rack of your dishwasher. Items that can be laundered should be replaced with clean ones weekly or as needed. 

Courtney keeps microfiber bar mops on hand to sop up spills and perform everyday countertop cleaning. She recommends keeping a hamper or other container handy in your kitchen to toss those soiled cloths and towels as needed. “We keep a glass bin in the kitchen and as things get mucked up, we throw them in the bin,” she says. “Once a week, we take that bin down to our laundry area to clean them.”

9. Floors

Finish your weekly checklist with a thorough clean of your kitchen floor. Courtney recommends sweeping your kitchen daily, especially if you have pets or kids in the house. Your once-a-week kitchen cleaning is your chance to mop up stains, sticky messes and other dirt. Getting stubborn bits of food off the floor is also a smart preventative measure for keeping pests like rodents and insects away. 

If a traditional mop and bucket feels daunting to haul out on a regular basis, Courtney suggests trying an electric mop or wet-dry vacuum. This hybrid tool saves time by vacuuming and mopping floors at the same time—meaning there’s no need to sweep before you mop. 

The Bottom Line 

Keeping your kitchen clean may not be fun, but you can make this everyday task simpler with a weekly cleaning routine. Work from top to bottom to stay organized, and hit high-touch areas and food prep surfaces with sanitizer. Keeping countertops and floors clear of spills, crumbs and food residue can help prevent pest issues. With this regular maintenance, your kitchen will look cleaner throughout the week—and those everyday cleanups should be a little easier, too.