The kitchen gets more use than any other room in your home. Food is prepared there daily, appliances run constantly, grease builds up on every surface within splatter range of the stove, and crumbs find their way into places that seem physically impossible. A regular wipe-down keeps things presentable. A deep clean gets your kitchen actually clean.
Knowing how to deep clean a kitchen properly means working through every appliance, every cabinet, every surface, and every floor corner in a specific order with the right products for each surface. This guide walks through exactly that, section by section, with the steps professionals use and the mistakes most people make along the way.
If you’d rather hand this off entirely, SHINENOS handles kitchen deep cleaning as part of our full deep cleaning service across the Twin Cities metro.
What Makes a Kitchen Deep Clean Different From Regular Cleaning
A regular kitchen cleaning covers the surfaces you use daily: wiping down counters, cleaning the stovetop, mopping the floor, and running the dishwasher. A deep clean goes into the areas that don’t get touched during routine cleaning and that accumulate grease, bacteria, and buildup over months.
The areas that separate a deep clean from a standard kitchen clean:
- Inside the oven, including the door glass and the cavity under the bottom panel
- Inside the refrigerator including all shelves, drawers, and door seal pockets
- The range hood filter, which fills with grease vapor from cooking
- Inside every cabinet and drawer
- Grout lines on the backsplash
- Behind and under the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher
- The garbage disposal
- The dishwasher interior and filter
Most kitchens need a proper deep clean at least seasonally. Kitchens with heavy cooking use or multiple occupants benefit from a deep clean every six to eight weeks.
Supplies You Need for a Kitchen Deep Clean
Gather these before you start. Running to get something mid-clean breaks momentum and adds time.
- Oven cleaner (commercial grade for heavy buildup, baking soda paste for lighter)
- Dish soap and a degreaser (separate products, not combined)
- White distilled vinegar
- Baking soda
- Microfiber cloths, at least six to eight
- Non-abrasive sponges and a stiff-bristled scrub brush
- Old toothbrush for grout and tight spaces
- Rubber gloves
- Trash bags
- A step stool for upper cabinets and the range hood
Step-by-Step Deep Kitchen Cleaning Guide
Work top to bottom in every section. Grease and debris fall. Clean upper cabinets before lower cabinets, clean counters before floors.
Step 1: Clear the Kitchen First
Before any cleaning product touches any surface, clear the clutter. Remove everything from countertops. Pull small appliances away from the walls. This gives you full access to every surface and prevents cleaning around items that then get put back on a dirty spot.
Step 2: How to Deep Clean the Oven
The oven is the most avoided appliance in most kitchens. Years of baked-on grease and food residue require a different approach than a quick spray and wipe.
For heavy buildup: Apply a commercial oven cleaner to all interior surfaces except the heating elements. Let it dwell for the time specified on the label, typically 20 to 30 minutes minimum or overnight for significant buildup. The dwell time is doing the work, not the scrubbing. Wipe clean with a damp microfiber cloth and rinse thoroughly.
For lighter buildup: Make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply it to the interior, let it sit for at least two hours, then scrub with a non-abrasive brush and wipe clean.
For the oven door glass: This often gets missed. Mix baking soda with a small amount of dish soap into a thick paste and apply to the glass. Let it sit for 20 minutes. The paste loosens the baked-on residue so it wipes off without aggressive scrubbing.
For oven racks: Remove them and soak in a bathtub with hot water and dish soap for 30 to 60 minutes. Scrub with a nylon brush, rinse, and let dry before returning to the oven.
Do not spray oven cleaner on heating elements, the fan, or any rubber seals.
Step 3: How to Deep Clean the Refrigerator
Empty the refrigerator completely. Check expiration dates and discard anything expired. Place remaining items in a cooler.
Remove all shelves and drawers and wash them separately in warm soapy water. Glass shelves should be brought to room temperature before running hot water over them to prevent cracking.
Wipe the interior walls with a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar, or warm water with a few drops of dish soap. Pay particular attention to the door seals, which accumulate mold and residue in the creases. Use an old toothbrush on the door seals.
Clean the exterior including the door handles. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum or wipe the coils and the floor beneath. Refrigerator coils in Minnesota homes accumulate pet hair, dust, and debris significantly, especially during the winter months when homes are sealed.
Replace contents. Don’t put expired items back.
For the freezer: If there’s significant ice buildup, defrost it before cleaning. A pot of hot water placed inside with the door open accelerates defrosting. Dry the interior completely before plugging back in.
Step 4: How to Deep Clean the Dishwasher
The dishwasher cleans your dishes but doesn’t clean itself. The filter at the bottom collects food particles and needs regular removal and washing.
Remove the lower rack and locate the filter, typically a cylindrical piece in the floor of the dishwasher. Twist and lift it out. Rinse it under running water and scrub with a soft brush and dish soap. Accumulated grease in a neglected filter causes odor and reduced cleaning performance.
Remove and clean the spray arms. The holes in the spray arms can become clogged with mineral deposits. Use a toothpick or toothbrush to clear each hole.
Wipe the door interior and the rubber door seal with a damp cloth, paying attention to the bottom edge where water and debris collect.
Run an empty hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar placed in the bottom rack. This removes mineral deposits and sanitizes the interior. Follow with a second cycle using baking soda sprinkled on the floor of the dishwasher for deodorizing.
Step 5: How to Clean the Range Hood and Filter
The range hood filter is the most neglected kitchen component in most homes. It collects cooking grease continuously, and a blocked filter reduces airflow, which causes heat and cooking fumes to recirculate into the kitchen.
Remove the filter (typically slides or pops out). Fill the sink or a large container with very hot water, a quarter cup of baking soda, and a generous squeeze of dish soap. Submerge the filter and let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes. The baking soda and hot water cut through the grease. Scrub with a non-abrasive brush, rinse thoroughly, and allow to dry completely before replacing.
Clean the exterior of the range hood with a degreaser. Wipe the interior surfaces with a damp cloth.
The grease filter should be cleaned every one to three months depending on cooking frequency.
Step 6: How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers
Empty every cabinet and drawer completely. This is the step most people skip or half-do, and it shows in the result.
Wipe the interior of each cabinet with a damp microfiber cloth. Vacuum out crumbs and debris before wiping. Allow interiors to dry fully before restocking.
For cabinet exteriors: Kitchen cabinet fronts, especially around handles and near the stove, accumulate grease and grime that regular wiping doesn’t fully remove. A degreaser applied with a damp cloth handles this. Wipe with the grain on wood cabinets and dry immediately to prevent water damage.
Before restocking, this is a natural moment to discard expired pantry items, mismatched containers, and items you haven’t used in over a year.
Step 7: How to Clean the Kitchen Sink
The kitchen sink sees more use than almost any other surface and rarely gets properly cleaned. Bacteria accumulates around the faucet base, in the drain, and in the overflow drain.
Sprinkle baking soda into the sink basin and scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Rinse, then spray with white vinegar to eliminate odors. For stainless steel sinks, wipe dry and buff with a dry cloth to restore shine.
For the faucet and handles: Wrap a cloth soaked in white vinegar around mineral-deposited areas on the faucet and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. The acid dissolves calcium deposits. Minnesota’s hard water makes this step more significant than it is in many other parts of the country.
Clean the garbage disposal: Pour a cup of ice cubes and a quarter cup of coarse salt into the disposal and run it with cold water. The ice and salt clean the blades without damaging them. Follow with lemon peels for deodorizing.
Step 8: How to Clean Backsplash Grout
Tile backsplash grout absorbs cooking grease and darkens over time. A surface wipe doesn’t reach into the porous grout.
Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the grout lines. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Spray with white vinegar and scrub with a stiff toothbrush or grout brush. The fizzing action helps loosen grease embedded in the grout. Rinse thoroughly.
For dark staining that doesn’t respond to baking soda and vinegar, an oxygen bleach product (like OxiClean) applied to the grout and left for 15 to 20 minutes handles heavier discoloration. Do not use bleach on colored or dark grout.
Step 9: Clean Behind and Under Appliances
Pull the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher away from the wall if accessible. The area behind and beneath these appliances accumulates grease, food particles, and debris over years.
Sweep or vacuum the exposed floor area first, then mop with an appropriate cleaner for your floor type. Wipe down the walls and sides of adjacent cabinets that were previously hidden.
Step 10: Clean Countertops Properly by Material
Granite and natural stone: Use a pH-neutral cleaner specifically formulated for stone. Never use vinegar, citrus, or ammonia-based cleaners on granite or marble. These acidic products etch the surface permanently.
Laminate and solid surface: An all-purpose cleaner or warm soapy water works well. Dry immediately to prevent water damage at seams.
Tile countertops: Clean tile with an all-purpose cleaner, grout lines with the baking soda method above.
Butcher block: Scrub with a paste of coarse salt and half a lemon. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Apply food-grade mineral oil periodically to condition and protect.
Step 11: Floors , The Final Step
Sweep or vacuum thoroughly before any wet mopping. Food particles and debris tracked around by a mop create more mess, not less.
Mop with the appropriate cleaner for your floor type. For tile floors, the same vinegar and water solution that works on other surfaces is appropriate. For hardwood, use a pH-neutral hardwood floor cleaner and a barely damp mop (moisture is hardwood’s enemy).
Don’t forget the area under the toe kicks of the lower cabinets, which collect debris and are rarely swept.
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Kitchen Cleaning Schedule
Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
- Wipe down countertops after cooking
- Clean the stovetop after each use, especially any splatter
- Wipe down the sink and shine the faucet
- Sweep the floor
- Empty the dishwasher so it’s ready for the next load
Weekly Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
- Clean the stovetop burners and grates thoroughly
- Wipe appliance exteriors: refrigerator front, microwave, dishwasher front
- Clean the sink basin properly with baking soda
- Mop the floor
- Wipe cabinet fronts around handles
- Clean the garbage disposal
Monthly Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
- Clean inside the microwave
- Wipe down all cabinet fronts
- Clean the dishwasher filter
- Wipe the refrigerator door seals
- Check and clean the range hood filter
- Purge expired pantry and refrigerator items
Seasonal Deep Clean Checklist
- Full oven interior clean
- Full refrigerator interior clean including freezer
- Inside all cabinets and drawers
- Behind and under all appliances
- Backsplash grout
- Refrigerator coils
Kitchen Deep Clean: Professional vs DIY
The main differences between a professional kitchen deep clean and a DIY one are time, products, and completion rate.
Most homeowners start with good intentions, complete the oven and refrigerator, and then run out of time or energy before getting to the range hood, cabinet interiors, and grout. The result is a kitchen that’s partially deep-cleaned, which still leaves the hardest-to-clean areas untouched.
Professional kitchen cleaners complete every item on the checklist in a single visit because this is the work they do every day. They carry commercial-grade degreasers that cut through buildup in a fraction of the time of consumer products. They also know the specific order of operations that prevents re-cleaning surfaces.
Our deep cleaning service covers the full kitchen scope including oven, refrigerator, range hood, cabinets, grout, and under-appliance cleaning. We serve Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Wayzata, and Excelsior.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you deep clean a kitchen?
Seasonally for most households, meaning two to four times per year. Kitchens with heavy daily cooking use benefit from a deep clean every six to eight weeks. A monthly cleaning schedule handles most maintenance, with the full deep clean addressing inside appliances, cabinets, and grout.
How long does a kitchen deep clean take?
For a solo homeowner doing it thoroughly: three to five hours for a standard kitchen. For a professional team: one to two hours. The time difference comes from experience, commercial products, and two-person efficiency.
How do you degrease kitchen cabinets?
A dedicated kitchen degreaser applied with a damp microfiber cloth removes the greasy film from cabinet surfaces. Let the degreaser sit for two to three minutes before wiping. For wood cabinets, wipe with the grain and dry immediately.
What should I not use to clean kitchen countertops?
On granite, marble, and other natural stone: never use vinegar, citrus cleaners, or ammonia. They permanently etch the surface. Use only pH-neutral cleaners designed for stone. On laminate: avoid abrasive scrubbers that can scratch the surface permanently.
How do you clean a range hood filter?
Soak it in very hot water with baking soda and dish soap for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub, rinse, and dry completely before replacing. The filter should be cleaned every one to three months.
What’s the best way to remove grease from kitchen cabinets?
A commercial kitchen degreaser or a mixture of dish soap and warm water with a few drops of white vinegar. For heavy buildup, a product like Krud Kutter or Simple Green cuts through grease that dish soap alone won’t touch. Always test on a small area first.
Can I use a steam mop on kitchen tile floors?
Yes, steam is effective on ceramic and porcelain tile and grout. Do not use steam mops on hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, or any floor with a wax finish.
Ready to Get Your Kitchen Properly Deep Cleaned?
Deep cleaning a kitchen thoroughly takes most of a day when done correctly. If you’d rather spend your weekend differently, SHINENOS handles every item on this checklist in a single professional visit.
Book your kitchen deep cleaning with SHINENOS and see what a professional clean actually looks like.
