Kitchens
Again, everyone notices Kitchens and Bathrooms
Required Wipe all fronts of cupboards and tops of benches
Wipe the outside and top of the refrigerator, stove and oven
Clean the inside and the outside of the microwave oven
Clean off all splash marks on tiles behind stove top and
window above kitchen sink, then dust window sills
Clean marks off walls around light switches
Wash up dirty dishes or place them in dishwasher
Place the dishes that are in the drying rack away
Empty the bins, sweep (or vacuum) and mop the floor
And finally, empty, clean, rinse, dry and polish the sink, leaving it sparkling
Logical Order
- Spray the oven and leave as long as possible when doing a Spring-Clean.
- Prepare heavily soiled surfaces with degreaser or concentrated soap mixture.
- Spray bleach on white sinks (if you need to wash up do this after washing up).
- Collect all dirty dishes, pack the dishwasher and put it on, or wash dishes in the sink.
- Commence cleaning from top to bottom ie: from exhaust fan downwards.
- Clean the kitchen sink last (there always seems to be something else to clean or rinse)
Prepping dirty surfaces saves time because it lets the product do the work for you. While it does, tidy in a clockwise direction.
Fridges should be wiped over on the outside for a maintenance service, and both inside and out on a Spring-Clean. Concentrate on the areas around the handles and the edge of the door. You will find hand and fingerprints at all levels along this edge, as both kids and adults will try to open it from here. Take off all fridge magnets and reminder notes to wipe over the front of the door, always remembering to replace them exactly where they were. Remember to do the top of the fridge as well. Use Spray ‘n Wipe, and dry with a chamois. Windex is also effective.
Microwave ovens must be cleaned inside and out on both a Maintenance and a Spring Clean service. When cleaning the outside where the program surface is, open the door of the microwave so that you don’t start the oven cooking while there is nothing in it. Finish off the glass door with Windex and newspaper. When cleaning the inside, use a mild detergent. The glass plate needs to be washed as required, and take care not to break or chip it – it will be costly to replace. To leave a nice smell behind after cleaning the inside, squeeze some lemon juice into a glass of water and boil it in the microwave.
Ovens
Doors are best cleaned with mild detergent, then dried and finished with Windex and newspaper. Use an old toothbrush to get into the joins.
Control Panels – knobs can be prised off to enable access to clean underneath them. If you only clean around these knobs grease and dirt will build up in the space between the knob and the ceramic or glass front. Prise them off, soak them, and then use a toothbrush to clean them thoroughly. While the knobs are soaking clean the area underneath where they normally sit. Be careful not to clean the control markings off the appliance. Once again, an old toothbrush does wonders getting into grooves and joins.
Inside – This is only to be done on a Spring-Clean. It is recommended that you ask your client to spray the oven the night before your booking so that the product will have time to work before you try to clean the oven. See instructions on how to clean an oven in the chapter on Spring-Cleaning.
Check for dirty dishes in the oven – they need to be washed or stacked in the dishwasher.
Check the grill – remove and clean the tray if necessary, remembering to wipe the bottom of the grill area. If you find that the grill is always dirty when you arrive to clean, you can line the grill-tray with foil each time you clean. This makes it easier next time – you just remove the foil along with all the grease and cooked meat scraps, and then the tray may only need a wipe over.
Stoves should be cleaned regularly as part of a Maintenance service. In taking them apart remember to align things back in their right place when you put them back together. Be careful not to scratch the enamel or stainless steel. Oven cleaner can be used on the base of the ring around the hot plates (the flat, solid type), and also around the stainless steel ring that slips in and out with the coil type hot plates.
Halogen stove tops will need a special product designed by their manufacturer in order to clean them. Ask your client to provide this product for you if they request that you clean the marks off the actual stove plate.
Remember that the splashback tiles behind the stove get marked and dirty, so use a detergent based cleanser to remove the grease first, then use Windex or Methylated Spirits to polish the tiles so that they shine afterwards. The extractor fan above also gets very greasy. If it is the type that has a clear plastic pull-up or pull-out guard this should always be cleaned and kept clear.
Never use metal scourers on stainless steel! Just use liquid detergents or a mild abrasive like Jif or baking soda, and then polish with either metho and paper towel or Domestos and a soft cloth (I know that I have mentioned this before, but this is extremely important)
Make sure you put things back together properly and in their right place – it is very frustrating for your clients when they arrive home and have to move everything back into place, or to fix things. For example, make sure the top part of a gas stove lines up with the bottom of the hob, or that the items arranged on bench tops are where they originally were etc.
Bench top Appliances should be cleaned – it’s a joy to come home and find your stainless steel kettle or toaster sparkle, or has emptied the crumbs from the tray at the bottom. For white ones use Gumption or Jif. Coffee pots and plungers should be kept clean too if they are left out on benches. But be careful – before cleaning any electrical appliance, unplug or switch it off at the main control panel.
Cupboard Doors get very grubby around the handles and often have drip marks from the bench above down the front of them. Always check for these marks and keep them clean. You may have to dry some glossy cupboard doors so that streaks don’t remain.
Garbage Bins should be emptied and the bin itself (and the area around it) should be cleaned and sprayed with antiseptic spray. Take the rubbish out to the wheelie bin outside.
Sinks are always noticed. Unwashed crockery or cutlery left in the sink should be washed or stacked in the dishwasher. Stainless steel sinks should really sparkle. Use crème Jif and a bit of elbow grease to scrub clean, and then polish dry with a soft cloth. If the sink is white spray it with bleach or sprinkle with dishwasher powder, and the stains will come off in a few minutes. The plug hole area should be cleaned with a toothbrush and steel wool. To clean a sink very quickly, a waterless method can be employed. Wipe the surface with a dry cloth dampened with glass cleaner and baking soda. The soda provides the abrasion necessary to clean, and the glass cleaner, which usually contains ammonia, provides the sparkle. Because no rinsing is necessary, this method reduces the number of cleaning cloths needed, as well as saving time and increasing the profitability of the job. Sinks should be left until last to clean, as buckets need to be emptied after washing floors.
Granite bench tops must be cleaned with care. Never, never use anything abrasive on granite. Use mild detergent and warm water, and then dry the bench with a T-towel. To give the surface a lovely shine to finish use Windex and paper towels.
Marble surfaces on floor and wall tiles must also be cleaned with care. Use Lemon juice to remove the stains from white marble, and you may sometimes use vinegar mixed with lots of water as well.
Most kitchen surfaces streak and often have to be dried off with a towel. Stainless steel benches and appliances should be polished at the end with either Metho and paper toweling, or Domestos and a soft cloth. Never use abrasives or steel wool. Remember, there should be no telltale signs that you have done the cleaning, for example, leaving watermarks from using your cloth on the surface of the cupboard doors. Dry everything after you have cleaned it so that this does not occur.