Kitchen cleaning checklist: daily, weekly, monthly and deep clean

The short answer: this kitchen cleaning checklist has 34 tasks in four lists, so the busiest room stays clean without a marathon scrub.

• Daily: about 15 minutes
• Weekly and monthly jobs
• Every 3 to 6 months: deeper tasks
• Fast clean order: clear the decks, top to bottom, sink last, then the floor
• Next step: Get the free kitchen cleaning checklist (we email it to you); want more? The Cleaning Schedule is $4.49.

A kitchen cleaning checklist keeps the busiest room in the house clean without a marathon scrub every weekend. This one has 34 tasks in four lists: a daily kitchen cleaning checklist that takes about 15 minutes, weekly and monthly jobs, and deeper tasks for every three to six months. Get the free download for the printable checklist and a one-week kitchen cleaning schedule.

Our Cleaning Schedule printable adds daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal lists plus room-by-room checklists, so the kitchen jobs below land on the right day.

Daily kitchen cleaning checklist

Do these after the last meal of the day. They stop grease, crumbs and germs from building up.

• Wash dishes, or load and run the dishwasher.
• Wipe the counters and the stovetop.
• Clean the sink and faucet.
• Wipe spills on appliance fronts.
• Sweep crumbs from the floor.
• Put leftovers away within 2 hours.
• Take out the trash if it is full.
• Swap the dish towel and sponge, or rinse them well.

The two-hour rule for leftovers comes from federal food safety guidance: FoodSafety.gov says to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it has been somewhere above 90°F.

Weekly kitchen cleaning

While you clean out old leftovers, try our fridge organization guide to set up shelves and drawers that stay neat.

Our guide on how to clean a microwave covers the lemon, vinegar and baking soda methods.

• Clean the inside of the microwave.
• Wipe the fridge handles and front.
• Toss old leftovers and wipe the fridge shelves.
• Wipe cabinet fronts and handles.
• Clean the toaster crumb tray.
• Wipe the small appliances.
• Mop the floor.
• Wash the trash can lid.
• Sanitize the sponge or replace it.
• Wash dish towels and oven mitts.

Monthly kitchen cleaning

When you wipe the pantry shelves, it is a good time to reorganize. Our pantry organization guide has a 10-minute weekly reset.

If the sink smells, see how to clean a garbage disposal with ice, baking soda and a brush.

For the dishwasher itself, our guide on how to clean a dishwasher covers the filter, spray arms, smells and a monthly clean.

• Clean the range hood filter.
• Run a dishwasher cleaning cycle and clean the filter.
• Clean the garbage disposal.
• Wipe the inside of cabinets and drawers.
• Descale the coffee maker and kettle.
• Clean the oven if needed.
• Wipe the tops of the cabinets and the fridge.
• Clean the backsplash and grout.

Every 3 to 6 months

For the oven itself, our guide on how to clean an oven covers baking soda, self-clean cycles, racks and the glass door.

Have a pod brewer? Our guide on how to clean a Keurig covers the weekly wash, descaling and the needle.

• Pull out the fridge and vacuum the coils.
• Deep clean the oven.
• Empty and wipe the pantry; check dates.
• Clean the freezer and defrost it if needed.
• Wash the walls and ceiling near the stove.
• Replace the water filter.
• Declutter gadgets and food containers.
• Clean the light fixtures.

These jobs also appear in our room-by-room deep cleaning checklist, which covers the rest of the house too.

Kitchen cleaning schedule

Page 2 of the printable is a one-week kitchen cleaning schedule. Each row is a job and each column is a day, so you can check off:

Below the tracker is a who-does-what table with rows for four people and columns for daily and weekly jobs, plus lines for notes.

How to clean a kitchen fast

1. Clear the decks. Put food away, stack dishes by the sink and clear the counters.
2. Start the dishes. Load and run the dishwasher, or fill the sink with hot soapy water to soak pans.
3. Top to bottom. Wipe cabinet fronts and appliance fronts, then the counters and stovetop.
4. Sink last. Scrub the sink and faucet once the dishes are done, so it stays clean.
5. Floor. Sweep, then spot-mop spills. Do a full mop once a week.
6. Reset. Hang a fresh towel, put out a clean sponge and take out the trash.

Food safety and the kitchen

A clean kitchen is about more than looks. The FDA's safe food handling guidance asks you to wash hands for 20 seconds before and after handling food, and to wash cutting boards, dishes and counters with hot soapy water after preparing each food item. The CDC lists the same four steps, clean, separate, cook and chill, as the main ways to prevent food poisoning at home.

Seeing tiny flies near the fruit bowl or sink? Here is how to get rid of fruit flies by cleaning out where they breed.

That is why the checklist puts dishes, counters, the sink and leftovers on the daily list and the sponge on the weekly list.

Kitchen cleaning supplies

For appliance fronts, our guide on how to clean stainless steel covers the grain, streak-free wiping and rust spots.

Common kitchen cleaning mistakes

Cleaning is faster when everything has a home. Our 30 kitchen organization ideas show how to set up zones and keep counters clear.

Another common one is soaking cast iron. Here is how to clean a cast iron skillet without stripping its seasoning.

• Cleaning the floor first. Crumbs and drips fall while you wipe counters, so the floor always comes last.
• Using one cutting board for everything. Keep a separate board for raw meat, poultry and seafood, and wash it in hot soapy water right after use.
• Ignoring the sponge. A damp sponge left in the sink stays wet all day. Wring it out, stand it up to dry and replace it often.
• Skipping filters. Clogged range hood and dishwasher filters make the appliances work harder and smell worse. Put them on the monthly list.
• Letting the fridge fill up. A weekly fridge check, right before you shop, keeps old leftovers from hiding at the back.

Make it part of the meal routine

The easiest kitchen to clean is one where meals are planned. When you know what you are cooking, you shop once, waste less food and the fridge stays organized. The Meal Planner and Grocery List printable helps with that side, and our cleaning schedule template shows how to fit kitchen jobs into a whole-house routine. For other rooms, see our bathroom cleaning checklist and general cleaning checklist.

The Cleaning Schedule printable is a 9-page PDF with a daily checklist, a weekly cleaning schedule, a monthly checklist, a seasonal deep clean page, room-by-room checklists, a family chore chart and a supplies list, so the kitchen and every other room have a plan.

For the rest of the house, here's how to start a cleaning routine that is easy to repeat.

If your counters are granite, marble or quartz, see how to clean stone countertops before you grab a spray.

Fruit flies hanging around the sink? Set a DIY fruit fly trap with apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap while you clean.