Nine-step daily evening cleaning routine for your kitchen

Waiting for that one weekend when you get to tear the kitchen apart to do a thorough deep clean will be exasperating and tasking if a daily cleaning routine was never a habit.

It is important to create and follow a cleaning routine for your home so that things are as they should be. Implementing this routine does not have to be more than 30 minutes long and you will find that following this routine daily will make it easier the next day and will become a good habit that will remain useful for the rest of your life. Like daily life routines; wake up, brush your teeth, take a bath…here is a run through of my evening kitchen cleaning routine in just nine steps!

. Store leftovers properly
The first thing I do when it is time for my evening cleaning routine is to store leftovers properly. This is important for so many reasons; if not stored in the fridge, some food may go bad before morning especially in a hot country like Nigeria. Keeping food carelessly makes it susceptible to rodents messing with the food, sometimes breeding on it, apart from bacteria actions that could form moulds or contaminate the food in diverse other ways.

. Clear the counter tops
I make it a point to clear the counter tops. If there is one thing you need to do to make your kitchen look clean, it is making sure the counter tops are free from clutter and dirt from the day’s activities.

. Clean the cooker
After preparing any food, if there are crumbs and splashes on the cooker and backsplash, it is necessary to wipe it down with a surface cloth. Taking proper care of your cooker will make it last longer. A dirty cooker is never an attractive sight, any time of the day.

. Wash the dishes
The faster this is done, the quicker it gets out of the way. Piling dirty dishes will make any kitchen look like a mess, keeping dirty dishes over night also attracts rodents and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Wash dishes as soon as they are used.

. Wipe down the surfaces
This does not take more than 5 minutes to do. I have different cleaning products for different purpose. Some are for cleaning granite countertops, wooden cupboards, stainless steel kitchen equipment and more so the cleaning process is easier.

. Dry the kitchen sink
Once plates are washed, get rid of any food bits in the kitchen sink to avoid clogging up the drains and prevent bacteria from breeding. Also wipe down the sink with a dry wash cloth so that you have a fresh clean start in the morning.

. Sweep the floor
After following most of this routine there will be bits and crumbs of food and dirt on the floor and it is important that it is swept. Dirt from the kitchen can easily transfer to other parts of the house and this can easily become messy if you have rugs in your home. If it is really dirty, whip out a mop to give it a good clean.

. Throw the trash away
Keeping the trash full overnight is an open invitation to rodents looking for food. Make sure the bin is emptied every night and be sure to wipe it clean if there are stains. Emptying the trash gets rid of odours as well.

. Power off every appliance except the fridge
For safety reasons, it is important to turn of switches directly from the power source before going to bed. It ensures that your electricity bill is low and minimizes the risk of accidents in the kitchen.