10 Micro-Tasks to Help Keep Your Kitchen Clean

The Kitchen. You spend a lot of time there—cooking, baking, maybe eating. And all those little crumbs and drips seem to appear on the countertops and floors out of nowhere. I certainly don’t remember spilling any coffee this morning, yet there’s a little brown ring on my counter the next time I walk in the kitchen!

Sometimes it feels like the more you clean, the messier it gets. As soon as there are a few dirty dishes in the sink, even stepping into the kitchen can feel like a chore.

It’s okay if the floor isn’t always spotless or if you’ve forgotten about that tray under your toaster. But if you want your kitchen to be a little cleaner, just a little bit more often, it can be quicker and easier than you think.

One of the best strategies we’ve found is creating micro-habits—small actions you can take while you’re already doing something else from your daily routine. Like tossing expired items from the fridge before your toast pops up. Or organizing a pantry shelf while you wait for your pasta water to boil. While you’ll still need to deep clean occasionally (or at least think about deep-cleaning), these small things, done regularly, will keep your kitchen at an acceptable level of tidiness. 

Here are a few tiny tasks that will help prevent your kitchen from becoming a full-on nightmare. And each one can be done while you wait for your morning cup of coffee to brew!

1. Wipe the countertops.

   We like to use a fresh dishcloth every day and keep it within easy reach, to grab and wipe the counter anytime. At the end of the day, clean a grimier mess (looking at you, stovetop), then toss it into the laundry pile. We generally prefer good old-fashioned cotton kitchen rags or tea towels, but we’ll admit that UNpaper towels are becoming kitchen staples.

2. Quick-clean the fridge.
   Pull outdated items and wipe down sticky spots. You don’t have to do it all in one day or deep clean the farthest corners. Spend just 2 minutes while dinner’s cooking and you’ll be amazed at how much better it looks and feels.

3. Use fewer dishes.
   My kids were notorious for forgetting where they placed their drinks and then grabbing a clean glass. The dishes really piled up fast. We decided to start using only one water cup per day. It took a little time and a lot of reminders, but eventually we all got used to it. Now, our dish pile is significantly smaller every day. 

4. Clear the countertops.
   Countertop clutter has a compounding effect—it attracts even more clutter. Try to put away items right after you’re done with them. Take your least used appliance off the counter and store it in a cupboard. Take your never-used appliance out of the cupboard and sell or donate it.

5. Wash pots and pans right away.
   The longer cooked food stays on your dishes, the harder it is to scrub off the dried stuck-on gunk. Plus, bulky cookware takes up a lot of your precious kitchen space. A little effort now will save you time and stress later.

6. Wipe out the inside of the microwave.
   Gently remind your kids or sloppy roommates to cover their containers when heating. But when the inevitable splashes come, it’s easiest to clean right after the microwave runs and spilled contents are warm. They wipe right up. When you’re ready for a deeper clean, take a look at this handy tool.

7. Get rid of the bag of bags.
   Seriously. Right now. Stop reading and do it. You will never use them all. Ever.
   Tip: If they’re paper bags, toss them into your recycling bin. If they are plastic, they probably can’t be recycled through your household pickup. Instead, bring them on your next trip to the grocery store, Target or Walmart, and throw them into the plastic bag recycling bin at the front of the store.
   Tip #2: For the love of Gaia, remember to bring your reusable bags when you go shopping!

8. Organize your kitchen cleaning supplies.
   Get rid of the ones you don’t need, use or want.

9. Sweep the floor.
   If you’re like us, you probably have your broom shoved in that awkward space between the fridge and the wall. Pull it out of the cobwebs and sweep the floor. Catch the corners and the edges, too. Save even more time by vacuuming crumbs right after they appear. These wand vacuums are super handy in the kitchen!

10. Wipe out the oven.
    This is a great end of day task. Take a damp dishrag and give the oven a once-over, inside and out. The next time you’re pre-heating the oven for a pizza, you’ll be glad you did.

Cleaning the kitchen can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into smaller jobs will help you get it done without it feeling like such a chore. Tell us your favorite kitchen cleaning hack or micro-task!