How to Speed-Clean Your Kitchen

The best time-saving tips, techniques, and to-do lists for polishing off the kitchen.

Kitchen Cleaning To-Do List

When cleaning the kitchen always start with the sink. "Keep it empty and shining," says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15, amazon.com) and creator of FlyLady.net, a housekeeping website.
 
A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.
 
 

Every Day

• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
• Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
• Wipe down the counters (one minute).
• Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).
   

Every Week

• Mop the floor (five minutes).
• Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).
• Wash the dish rack (four minutes).
• Wipe the switch plates and phone (one minute).
• Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).
   

Every Season

• Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).
• Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).
• Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).
• Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).
• Perform "Shiny Sink 101"