After 15 years of cleaning kitchens across Officer, Pakenham, Berwick and Melbourne’s south east, we can tell you the number one reason kitchens stay stubbornly dirty: most people are using the right effort in the wrong order, with the wrong products, on the wrong schedule.
A kitchen that gets wiped down daily but never properly degreased every few months will always feel slightly grimy. The benchtops look clean but the cabinet doors near the stove are tacky. The rangehood pushes steam sideways instead of pulling it up. The grout between the floor tiles has gone from light to grey. It happens gradually enough that most people stop noticing.
This guide covers what we’ve learned cleaning thousands of residential kitchens. Not theory. Practical advice based on what we actually see in Australian homes and what works to fix it.
The Single Habit That Makes the Biggest Difference
Clean as you cook, not after.
This sounds obvious. In practice, almost nobody does it consistently. The difference between a kitchen that needs a 20 minute tidy after dinner and one that needs an hour comes down to whether spills, splashes and prep mess were handled during cooking or left to dry and bond to surfaces.
The practical version: keep a damp microfibre cloth and a dry cloth on the bench while you cook. Wipe splashes on the stovetop, splashback and bench as they happen, while they’re still warm and liquid. A fresh splatter takes three seconds to wipe. The same splatter after it’s cooled, dried and been cooked onto the surface by tomorrow night’s dinner takes three minutes and a scrubbing pad.
This one habit reduces your weekly cleaning workload more than any product or technique.
How to Degrease Your Kitchen Properly
Grease is the defining challenge in every kitchen. It doesn’t just sit on the surfaces you cook on. Cooking generates an aerosol of microscopic oil droplets that settle on cabinet doors, the wall behind the stove, the top of the fridge, the rangehood exterior and light fittings. Over weeks and months, this builds into a thin, sticky film that traps dust and discolours surfaces.
Why most kitchen sprays don’t work on built up grease. Standard supermarket kitchen sprays are surfactant based. They lift fresh grease from benchtops effectively, but they aren’t strong enough to break down the polymerised cooking oil that bonds to cabinet doors and rangehood surfaces over months. For that, you need an alkaline degreaser with appropriate dwell time.
The professional approach:
Apply a kitchen degreaser (we use commercial grade, but a good hardware store degreaser works at home) to the affected surface. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. This is the step most people skip. The product needs time to break the grease bond. Then wipe with a clean microfibre cloth, rinse the cloth frequently, and finish with a damp cloth to remove any residue.
For cabinet doors near the stove, work in small sections. Start from the bottom and work up to prevent drip lines forming on the dirty surface above (drip lines through grease are harder to remove than the grease itself).
How often: Degrease cabinet doors, the rangehood exterior, the wall behind the stove and the top of the fridge every 4 to 6 weeks. If you cook most nights and fry regularly, every 3 to 4 weeks.
The Five Areas Most People Never Clean (and Should)
These are the spots we clean in every kitchen that consistently have the most build up.
1. Rangehood filters. If your rangehood doesn’t seem to be pulling steam properly, the filters are almost certainly saturated with grease. Remove them (most clip or slide out), soak in hot water with a degreasing product for 30 minutes, scrub with a brush, rinse and dry. Do this every 2 to 3 months. Grease saturated filters also restrict airflow enough to become a fire hazard.
2. The gap between the stove and the benchtop. Crumbs, oil and food debris fall into this gap daily. Over months, it becomes a compacted strip of organic matter that attracts pests and causes odour. Pull the stove forward if possible, or use a thin brush or vacuum crevice tool to clear it regularly.
3. The top of the fridge. Out of sight, so it never gets touched. It collects a thick layer of greasy dust that eventually drips down the sides. Wipe it monthly.
4. Under and behind the fridge. The condenser coils on the back or underneath collect dust, pet hair and grease, which reduces efficiency and increases energy consumption. Pull the fridge out and vacuum behind it every 3 to 6 months.
5. The dishwasher filter. Most people don’t know their dishwasher has a filter at the bottom of the tub. When it’s clogged, dishes don’t wash properly and the machine starts to smell. Remove it, rinse under running water and scrub with a brush. Do this monthly.
Kitchen Cleaning Frequency Guide
Not everything needs cleaning every day. And some things need attention more often than most people realise. Here’s the schedule we recommend for a household that cooks most nights.
| Task | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Benchtops wiped and sanitised | Daily |
| Stovetop wiped | Daily (after cooking) |
| Sink scrubbed | Daily |
| Dishes done, nothing left in sink overnight | Daily |
| Floor swept or vacuumed | Daily or every 2 days |
| Floor mopped | Weekly |
| Splashback wiped | Weekly |
| Microwave interior wiped | Weekly |
| Bin washed and deodorised | Weekly |
| Small appliance exteriors (kettle, toaster) | Weekly |
| Cabinet door degrease (near stove) | Every 4 to 6 weeks |
| Rangehood filter soak and scrub | Every 2 to 3 months |
| Fridge interior clean (shelves removed) | Every 2 to 3 months |
| Oven interior deep clean | Every 3 to 6 months |
| Behind and under fridge | Every 3 to 6 months |
| Inside cupboards (wipe shelves) | Every 6 months |
| Dishwasher filter cleaned | Monthly |
| Grout scrub (floor and splashback) | Every 3 to 6 months |
Print this, stick it on the fridge, and delegate.
Common Kitchen Cleaning Mistakes
These are the ones we see most often across the homes we clean.
Using the same cloth for everything. A cloth that wipes the raw chicken prep area, then the benchtop, then the stovetop is spreading bacteria, not cleaning. Use separate cloths, or rinse thoroughly between surfaces. Microfibre cloths should be washed in hot water (60°C+) after every use.
Spraying and wiping immediately. Every cleaning product needs contact time to work. Spray the benchtop, then do something else for 30 to 60 seconds before wiping. For degreasers, 3 to 5 minutes. Rushing this step halves the effectiveness of whatever product you’re using.
Cleaning the floor first. If you clean the floor before the benchtops, stovetop and sink, crumbs and drips from above fall onto the freshly cleaned floor. Always work top to bottom.
Using abrasive scourers on glass or ceramic cooktops. Steel wool and green scourers permanently scratch glass and ceramic cooktop surfaces. Use a soft cloth with a purpose made cooktop cleaner, or bicarbonate of soda paste for stubborn marks.
Ignoring the sink drain. The drain and plughole harbour more bacteria than almost any other surface in the kitchen. Pour boiling water down the drain weekly, and scrub around the plughole with a brush and disinfectant.
Never pulling appliances out. The gap behind the stove and fridge is where grease, crumbs and moisture combine to create the ideal environment for cockroaches and silverfish. In warmer months across Melbourne’s south east, this is a genuine pest risk.
Kitchen Cleaning Products That Actually Work
You don’t need 15 products under the sink. For residential kitchen cleaning, these cover everything.
A good quality dish soap. The workhorse for daily dishes, bench wipes and general cleaning. Nothing fancy needed.
A kitchen degreaser. For rangehood filters, cabinet doors, splashbacks and the wall behind the stove. Look for an alkaline formula. Avoid anything marketed as “all natural” for serious degreasing, as vinegar and bicarb solutions are not alkaline enough to break polymerised cooking oil.
A food safe sanitiser. For benchtops and food preparation surfaces after cleaning. This is a separate step from cleaning. Cleaning removes visible dirt. Sanitising reduces bacteria to safe levels. Many people skip this step entirely.
White vinegar or a mild acid cleaner. For limescale on taps and hard water marks on the sink. Don’t use on stone benchtops (marble, engineered stone, granite). Acid etches stone.
Bicarbonate of soda. Mild abrasive for sinks, stovetops and stubborn spots. Also effective as a fridge deodoriser (open box on the shelf).
Microfibre cloths. Replace paper towel for almost everything. They clean more effectively, waste less, and are reusable. Keep a set of 5 to 10 and rotate daily.
When to Call a Professional
DIY handles daily and weekly kitchen maintenance well. Where it typically falls short:
Rangehood filters that are completely saturated. If soaking and scrubbing at home doesn’t clear them, they need a commercial degrease that’s difficult to do in a household sink.
Built up grease on cabinets and walls. If the film has been building for a year or more, household degreasers often can’t cut through it. Professional grade products and technique make a noticeable difference.
Oven interior. Deep cleaning inside the oven cavity, racks and between the glass door panels is time consuming and physically difficult. Most people either avoid it or spend hours with mediocre results.
Grout that has changed colour. Once kitchen floor or splashback grout has absorbed grease and discoloured, household scrubbing rarely restores it. Professional grout cleaning uses targeted products that penetrate the grout surface.
Before a rental inspection. Property managers check kitchen condition closely. If your kitchen hasn’t been deep cleaned during the tenancy, a professional clean before the inspection is the safest way to protect your bond.
After a renovation. Construction dust settles inside every drawer, on every surface and behind every appliance. A standard wipe down won’t remove it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a kitchen be deep cleaned?
Every 3 to 6 months for a household that cooks most nights. A deep clean covers everything a weekly clean doesn’t: inside the oven, behind the fridge, rangehood filters, inside cupboards and detailed grout cleaning. Between deep cleans, the daily and weekly schedule above keeps things manageable.
What is the best order to clean a kitchen?
Start at the top and work down. Dust light fittings and the top of the fridge first. Then clean the rangehood. Then splashback, stovetop and benchtops. Then the sink. Then lower cabinets and appliances. Floor last. This way, anything that falls or drips lands on a surface that hasn’t been cleaned yet.
How do I remove grease from kitchen cabinets?
Apply a kitchen degreaser to a small section, let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes, then wipe with a clean microfibre cloth. Rinse the cloth frequently. For heavy build up that has been there for months, you may need to repeat the process or use a stronger commercial degreaser. Always test on an inconspicuous area first.
Is vinegar a good kitchen cleaner?
Vinegar is effective on limescale, hard water stains and light soap scum. It’s not effective on grease (it’s an acid; grease needs an alkaline cleaner) and should never be used on stone benchtops, as the acid etches marble, granite and engineered stone permanently.
How do I clean a rangehood filter?
Remove the filter (most clip or slide out). Soak in hot water with a squirt of dish soap and a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda for 30 minutes. Scrub with a brush, rinse under running water and dry before refitting. Do this every 2 to 3 months.
Why does my kitchen still smell after cleaning?
The three most common causes are the rangehood filter (saturated with old grease), the drain and plughole (food debris and bacteria), and the gap between the stove and benchtop (compacted food debris). Address all three and the smell will go.
Can I use bleach in the kitchen?
Diluted bleach (1 tablespoon per litre of water) sanitises effectively. However, it’s harsh on skin, requires rinsing from food contact surfaces, and shouldn’t be mixed with other cleaning products. A food safe sanitiser achieves the same result without the risks and is our recommendation for home kitchens.
How do I keep my kitchen sink clean and fresh?
Scrub the basin daily with dish soap and a brush. Clean the plughole and overflow with a brush and disinfectant weekly. Pour boiling water down the drain weekly to clear grease and food particles. The sink harbours more bacteria than most bathroom surfaces, so regular attention matters.
What’s the best way to clean a glass cooktop?
Wait for it to cool completely. Apply a cooktop cleaner or a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water. Use a soft cloth or a cooktop safe scrub pad, never a green scourer or steel wool. For burnt on food, apply the paste, cover with a damp cloth for 15 minutes, then wipe. The softened residue lifts without scratching.
How do I clean grout in the kitchen?
For light discolouration, scrub with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water using an old toothbrush. For heavily stained grout, an alkaline grout cleaner with 10 minutes of dwell time is more effective. Once clean, applying a grout sealer helps prevent future staining.
Is it worth hiring a professional kitchen cleaner?
For ongoing weekly maintenance, most households can manage themselves. Professional cleaning makes a genuine difference for quarterly or half yearly deep cleans: rangehood degreasing, oven cleaning, behind and under appliances, inside cabinets, and grout restoration. It’s also worth it before rental inspections and after renovations.
How long does a professional kitchen clean take?
A standard kitchen clean takes 1.5 to 3 hours. A full deep clean including oven interior, fridge interior and inside cupboards takes 3 to 5 hours. The time depends on kitchen size and condition.
