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We all want a sparkling clean kitchen, but who has the time for heavy-duty scrubbing every day? The good news is that with a few simple habits and homemade solutions, you can cut your cleaning time significantly while still having a fresh, hygienic kitchen.

The purpose of this article is to provide 10 time-saving hacks to help you efficiently clean your kitchen. Implementing even a few of these tips can save you hours each week, leaving you more time to cook and enjoy your space. We’ll cover quick daily tasks as well as solutions for stubborn, baked-on messes.

With a strategic approach and the right tools, cleaning your kitchen can be fast, easy, and affordable. Read on to learn simple shortcuts that will transform your kitchen cleaning routine.

Declutter Your Countertops

A cluttered countertop makes your kitchen look messy and disorganized. It also makes cleaning more difficult and time-consuming. Start by removing everything from your countertops – small appliances, kitchen tools, jars, bottles, etc. Put items away in cabinets, drawers or pantries. If you don’t have a home for something, consider getting rid of it.

Only keep essential daily-use items on your countertops like your coffeemaker, utensil holder, and fruit bowl. Limit your countertop clutter as much as possible. This gives you a clean slate to work with when cleaning. It also prevents dirt and grime from accumulating under and around items left on the counters. A decluttered countertop is faster and easier to clean. You’ll be able to quickly wipe down the entire surface without having to stop and move things around.

Clean as You Go

One of the best ways to stay on top of kitchen messes is to clean them up immediately before they have a chance to build up. This prevents food spills and grease splatters from becoming crusty and stuck on. As soon as you finish prepping ingredients, give your countertops a quick wipedown. If you spill some sauce on the stove, clean it up right away instead of leaving it.

Get in the habit of doing these quick cleanups as you cook so messes don’t have-time to accumulate. Keeping a roll of paper towels and an all-purpose cleaner easily accessible can make it easier to tackle spills and splatters on the spot. Deal with them in the moment rather than leaving them for after dinner.

Cleaning as you go keeps your kitchen tidy and prevents small messes from becoming big cleaning headaches later on. It only takes a minute to wipe up a spill or clean a dirty utensil. But leaving it could lead to stubborn, hardened messes that require more scrubbing. Save yourself time and effort by tackling messes immediately.

Soak Baked-On Messes

One of the best time-saving tricks for cleaning baked-on messes in your kitchen is to let hot, soapy water do most of the work for you. Rather than immediately scrubbing at tough, stuck-on food or grease, simply fill your sink or a bowl with hot water and a generous amount of dish soap. For especially stubborn messes, mix in a quarter-cup of baking soda too.

Then place your dirty pots, pans, baking sheets, dishes, utensils, etc. in the hot soapy water and let them soak anywhere from 10 minutes up to a few hours depending on how bad the mess is. The combination of heat and soap will help loosen and dissolve the baked-on gunk. Once the soaking time is up, you’ll find the mess can be gently wiped away with minimal effort using a sponge, cloth, or scrub brush.

Soaking baked-on messes in hot soapy water is an easy time-saver that makes cleaning the kitchen after cooking so much faster and easier. Put this tip to use next time you’re faced with scrubbing tough, stuck-on food or grease and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start soaking sooner!

Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is a versatile cleaning agent that can be used throughout the kitchen to clean and deodorize. Make a paste by mixing baking soda with water, then use it to scour stainless steel sinks, countertops, appliances, and more. The abrasive texture of baking soda will help scrub away grease, grime, and odors.

For extra cleaning power, sprinkle baking soda directly on surfaces before scrubbing with a damp sponge or cloth. The baking soda particles will lift dirt while the water activates the cleaning properties. Rinse well after scrubbing.

Baking soda is safe for most surfaces but should not be used on natural stone like granite or marble, as it can dull the finish. Test a small area first before applying widely.

Keep a box of baking soda handy under the sink or in the fridge to tackle messes as they happen. Its uses are endless – from deodorizing the garbage disposal to polishing stainless steel. Just a sprinkle of this pantry staple can save time and elbow grease on all sorts of kitchen cleaning tasks.

Clean the Sink Daily

Your kitchen sink sees a lot of action on a daily basis. From food remnants going down the drain to dirty dishes sitting in the basin, keeping it clean can feel like an endless chore. But allowing grime to build up day after day can lead to germs, bacteria, stains and even clogs.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution – wipe down your sink every night before you go to bed. Here’s how to make this quick cleaning habit stick:

• After washing dishes, give the sink a preliminary rinse and wipe with a freeloader or dishcloth. This will remove leftover debris and suds.
• Spray down the entire sink basin with an all-purpose cleaner or disinfectant. Avoid bleach – it can damage stainless steel over time.
• Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes, then scrub with a non-abrasive scrub brush or sponge. Pay special attention to the drain area.
• Rinse thoroughly and wipe away any excess moisture with a paper towel or microfiber cloth.

Doing these steps daily prevents yesterday’s messes from becoming today’s major cleanup project. It also reduces the spread of germs and keeps your sink looking shiny and stain-free. The bonus? It only takes a couple minutes each night before heading to bed. Just a small amount of effort will keep your sink – and your kitchen – sparkling.

Take Advantage of Dishwasher Cycles

One easy way to save time cleaning the kitchen is to use your dishwasher’s different wash cycles. Most dishwashers have quick cycle options that can wash lightly soiled dishes in under an hour. The quick cycles use less water and energy than a full heavy wash. 

For dishes that just need a quick rinse or light wash, use the dishwasher’s rinse only or light/quick wash cycles. This can clean lightly soiled plates, utensils, and cups in 30 minutes or less. You’ll save time hand washing each item, plus you won’t have to wait for a full cycle to finish.

The quick wash cycles are perfect for giving dishes a speedy clean after a meal, so you have clean items again right away. You can also use them for glasses that just need a rinse. Take advantage of the different dishwasher cycle options to get clean dishes fast without needing to hand wash each item.

Wipe Up Spills Quickly

Kitchen spills happen to all of us. Whether it’s coffee dripping off the counter, pasta sauce splattering out of the pot, or milk spilling on the floor, liquid messes in the kitchen are inevitable. But it’s important to clean them up right away, for a few key reasons:

• Prevent slipping hazards: Spilled liquids that aren’t wiped up quickly can create slippery surfaces and tripping dangers in your kitchen. Take care of spills as soon as they happen to prevent falls and injuries.
• Avoid stains: The longer a spill sits, the more likely it is to stain your counters, floors or cabinets. Certain spills like coffee, wine and tomato sauce can be tricky to remove if left for too long. Clean up spills immediately for the best chance of avoiding stubborn stains.
• Stop smells: Spilled milk, juices, soups and other liquids will start to sour and create unpleasant odors if left out too long. Cleaning up spills right when they happen prevents rancid smells in your kitchen.
• Prevent bug problems: Left out spills can attract ants, fruit flies and other unwelcome kitchen pests. Wipe up spills ASAP to keep bugs out of your cooking space.
• Simplify cleaning: It takes much more effort to scrub dried, caked-on spills than fresh ones. For easier cleaning, grab a towel and wipe up spills the moment they occur, before they have a chance to dry.

Make it a habit to keep paper towels or a cleaning cloth handy when cooking or pouring drinks. Treat spills like an emergency and take care of them immediately. Your floors, countertops and cabinets will thank you!

Organize Under the Sink

Keeping your cleaning supplies organized under the sink makes cleaning so much easier. No more digging around to find what you need or having bottles tip over when you open the cabinet door. Take some time to organize this space and you’ll reap the rewards every time you need to grab a cleaning product.

Start by taking everything out from under the sink so you have a blank slate. Toss anything that’s expired or you simply don’t use anymore. Gather like items together – all purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, soaps, etc. Consider using adjustable shelves, turntables, or slide out drawers to neatly store everything.

Label any containers that don’t already have a label so you can easily identify what’s inside. Group products together by category or usage. Keep daily use items within easy reach. Transfer cleaning supplies from bulky packaging into slim containers designed for under sink storage to free up space. Having a small cleaning caddy ready to go with products you use frequently saves time as well.

A few minutes spent organizing under the sink pays off every time you clean. You’ll be able to quickly grab what you need and know exactly where to put it back when you’re done. An organized space looks so much nicer too!

Conclusion

Keeping your kitchen clean doesn’t have to be time-consuming. By following some of these simple time-saving hacks, you can maintain a clean kitchen without spending all your free time scrubbing. 

The most useful hacks to save time cleaning your kitchen include:

• Cleaning as you go: Wipe up spills and messes as they happen so they don’t have time to dry and stick to surfaces.
• Soaking baked-on messes: Let pots and pans soak for a bit before washing to loosen burned on food residue.
• Using baking soda: Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces as a gentle scrubbing powder that’s also a deodorizer.
• Organizing under the sink: Keep cleaning products and tools easily accessible so you can grab and go.
• Taking advantage of dishwasher cycles: Use quick wash cycles for lightly soiled dishes to get them clean faster.
• Wiping up spills quickly: Clean up liquids right after they happen so they don’t drip and spread.

By putting some of these cleaning hacks into practice, you can maintain a tidy kitchen without needing to do heavy duty cleans as often. A little effort each day goes a long way to prevent bigger messes from building up.