This post is sponsored by Dawn but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Dirty kitchen getting you down? Here is how you can clean up the whole kitchen in just 18 minutes, with a minute-by-minute breakdown of what to do!
There’s nothing like the delicious feeling of settling in to relax, knowing the house around you is clean and sparkling… probably because it’s a rare occasion!
Seems like no matter how many times you clean that darn kitchen, it has the audacity to get dirty again. But the good news is- if you’re willing to devote a small chunk of time each day, the cleaning job is super easy!
Related: Make over your medicine cabinet
It only takes about 18 minutes a day for an always clean, sparkling kitchen! I’m going to give you the breakdown, minute-by-minute, of how to get this done, and I’m also going to share my secret cleaning weapon– one product that gets a LOT done quickly!
Quick Kitchen Cleanup
First, my secret weapon… dish soap! You probably already have it in your house, but I bet you aren’t using it to its full potential.
I picked up Dawn Ultra Total Clean, Lemon Twist from Sam’s Club to use with my own kitchen cleanup. This new, more powerful formula requires 50% less scrubbing, to help you get through more dishes faster. Perfect for busy moms who’d rather be doing something else!
Plus, Dawn Ultra can be used on way more than just dishes! This is something I just learned. You can use Dawn to clean countertops, the stovetop, cabinet fronts, stainless steel appliances, and more! It’s a major time-saver to be able to use one product for the whole kitchen!
Minute-by-Minute Kitchen Cleanup
0:00-1:00: Remove anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
Your goal is the kitchen right now, so don’t get distracted by going into other rooms- you’ll find yourself cleaning in there! Take anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen and toss it in the nearest bedroom or closet. You can deal with those things later!
1:00-3:30: Empty and reload dishwasher and start it running.
Oh, I love what a time-saver the dishwasher is! If you’re lucky and already have an empty dishwasher, you can do this step even faster. But it should only take 60 seconds to unload and quickly put away clean dishes, and another 90 seconds to load everything from the sink into the dishwasher and get it running.
3:30-4:00: Fill up the sink.
If you have a divided sink, fill up one side with hot water and a few drops of Dawn Ultra. If you have dishes left that didn’t fit in the washer or need to be hand-washed, put them in the other side of the sink.
If you only have one sink basin, go ahead and let those dishes soak in the hot water for now.
4:00-5:00: Wipe outside of top cabinets.
It’s good to work from the top down, or else you’ll end up having to reclean something. Use the soapy water you prepared, and a sponge, and wipe down the top cabinet doors with the soft side of the soapy sponge.
Dawn locks away grease so that it is not re-deposited as you clean the rest of the surface. For tougher spots, apply a couple of drops of Dawn directly to the sponge and then rub. Rinse the sponge out on the other side of the sink to keep your soapy water useable for the next few jobs!
If a lot of moisture remains on the cabinets after you’ve cleaned, use a paper towel to do a final wipe-down.
5:00-6:00: Wipe down all surfaces.
Use the same soapy water/sponge method to wipe all countertops!
6:00-8:00: Clean the stovetop.
Same deal here, except the stove can sometimes be an extra challenge! Remember to apply some Dawn directly to the sponge for extra greasy spots.
8:00-9:00: Wipe outside of bottom cabinets.
9:00-10:00: Wipe down fronts of stainless steel appliances.
Use the sponge and make sure you are wiping in the direction of the grain (because apparently stainless steel has a grain!). Dry right away with a clean cloth to prevent water spots.
10:00-11:00: Clean the microwave.
If there are some stubborn stains in your microwave, do this trick: pour a cup or two of water in a bowl, add a few drops of white vinegar, and then microwave the bowl for about 30 seconds. Careful taking the bowl out- it will be hot! The stains can now be easily wiped away!
11:00-13:00: Wash dishes in sink.
Wash any remaining dishes, set them to dry, and give the sink a quick wipe down. You can even freshen up the garbage disposal by giving it a squirt of Dawn, letting it sit for 30 seconds, and then running warm water until all the suds are gone.
13:00-15:00: Sweep the floor.
Now everything should be clean except the floor! Use a broom to sweep up any dust, dirt, or food particles.
15:00-18:00: Mop the floor.
Lastly, give the floor a quick mopping to get that shiny, all-clean look!
And you’re done!
If it’s been a while since your kitchen got some lovin’, then it might take a little longer, but if you do this on a regular basis, it can be done quickly!
But don’t stress- kitchens tend to get messy several times every day! If you clean each evening, then you can wake up every morning to a beautifully clean kitchen, helping that morning routine go just a bit smoother!
Remember how I called Dawn Ultra my secret weapon? Well, it’s not only for use in the kitchen! You can use it to get grease stains out of clothing, for cleaning tools and tires, and in lots of other ways!
For over 40 years, rescue workers have relied on Dawn to clean wildlife affected by oil!
Head to your local Sam’s Club or try out Club Pickup at samsclub.com to purchase Dawn Ultra and test it out for yourself!
