6 Steps to Spring Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets – On the Inside

Talk of spring cleaning is, naturally, common this time of year.

Whether you’re on top of your house cleaning year-round and therefore don’t really do a deep clean in the spring OR you’ve got the energy of a toddler and thrill at adding to your cleaning list, here’s a quick run-down for spring cleaning the inside of your kitchen cabinets.

1.  Gather your cleaning supplies.

• Two or more sturdy cloths like microfiber
• A toothbrush and/or cotton swabs
• Food-safe cleaner: mix 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle or small bucket. You can add a little lemon juice and essential oil if you like. Another great choice is Speed Cleaning’s Red Juice. It’s non-toxic, odor-free, biodegradable, and pH neutral. The USDA gave Red Juice an A-1 rating for use around food.
• Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment. (if needed)

2.  Completely empty one cabinet or drawer at a time, setting the items out on a clean counter so you can see everything. You’ll come back to this.

3.  If there’s a lot of loose debris in the cabinet or drawer (crumbs, lint, etc.), vacuuming the space out first with the brush attachment will make the rest of the cleaning easier.

4.  Using the cleaner of your choice, wipe the inside of the cabinet or drawer well – tops, bottoms, and sides. Use the toothbrush and cotton swabs to get in tight places like corners and drawer glide tracks.

{If you frequently burn scented candles, you may notice a gray, soot-like coating on items

throughout the house, especially plastic. This can even show up in your cabinets and on your dishes.

Candles that contain paraffin and/or metal wicks are generally the culprits.}

5.  Dry the areas well and leave the cabinet or drawer open to dry further while you decide what to put back.

6.  Now look over all the things you took out of the cabinet or drawer. For each item, ask yourself if you really, really, use it. If it’s food, is it still good and do you want it? Start a donation pile, put the things you’re keeping neatly back in their place, and move on to the next cabinet or drawer.

{Are your spatulas and potholders stored on the opposite side of the kitchen from the stove?

Now’s the time to move things where they’re most convenient for everyday use.}

By the time you’ve gone all around your kitchen, you will be feeling pretty satisfied with your project. If you do this task every year, you’ll find you have less and less “stuff” accumulated and the job becomes that much easier! For a how-to on cleaning the outside of cabinets, check out “3 Easy Steps to Remove a Sticky Buildup on Wood”.