How to Clean Your Kitchen in 15 Minutes (and free Printable)

Going to bed and waking up to a clean and tidy kitchen can have a profound effect on how I feel going about my day.

Seriously!

Why do you want a clean kitchen?

Every family differs in how clean they need their home to be in order to feel that it is actually clean. That goes without saying when it comes to the kitchen.

Our home has an open concept plan downstairs with the kitchen, dining room, and living room all open to each other. As a result when our kitchen is messy it makes the whole downstairs look messy.

I don’t like that and neither does my family. Often my husband is really good about chipping in and whipping the kitchen into order when it gets out of hand but after he’s had a hard day’s work I really like to have it already cleaned up by the time he gets home (unless of course I’ve been baking).

As we know aesthetics are not the only reason to keep a clean kitchen.

If you don’t keep your kitchen picked up and wiped down the foody messes can build up and fast!

Just think about it. This room is where you eat and prepare food. You store food there.  Dishes are washed and kept there. And many times the family and even guests congregate there. It’s inevitable that…

• There are crumbs on the floor and counter.
• Spilled is food on the stove.
• Dishes are piled in the sink.
• Fingerprints find themselves on the refrigerator and cupboards.
• and even the insides of appliances need a little help.
• Real Simple has even given us a list of the 5 germiest places in a kitchen. And how to clean them. Ick!

If you try and do it all at once cleaning up such a kitchen can take a while.

Wrapping Your Mind Around Cleaning your Kitchen in 15 Minutes bursts

First things first. If it has been a while since you’ve taken a some cleaner and cloth to your kitchen then you will need several 15 minute blocks to get it Pinterest worthy (or whatever your level of clean is).

Keep in mind that we are not trying to clean the whole kitchen in 15 minutes (although if your kitchen is tiny maybe that is a possibility) but instead using blocks of time to really dig in there and keep this workhorse of a room clean.

Related Article: Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen Part 1

15 minutes may seem like a short time but you would be surprise at how much you can get done in that little block of time.

These days we are so busy and we are home so little. Finding time to do all of the other things let alone clean can seem impossible. But don’t worry or stress about it. Use small 15 minute increments to keep on top of your home.

Some Cleaning Motivation

I’m a nerd and sometimes I watch cleaning videos on youtube. I love to watch the many methods people use to tidy their spaces. And I feel like even if I didn’t learn anything new I really get motivated by watching them.

Here’s a decluttering video from my favorite Home Organizer Cass from the Clutterbug Organizing Course .

The reason I’m sharing this video with you is because many of us suffer from kitchen clutter. Countertop spaces covered with items that should be put away or even in another room!

This is an issue that should be taken care of before any real cleaning can commence.

I timed my self at emptying the dishwasher the other day and it only took 2 minutes! 2 minutes! Why put it off. Get it done and get on to other things.

Where to find a Spare 15 Minutes

Now where to find that spare 15 minutes. You don’t want to think too deeply about it. I”m pretty sure you have lots of spare minutes in your day. And I know it also takes a bit of motivation and inspriration to actually use those 15 minutes for something like cleaning the kitchen. But it’s a good things. So embrace it and give up some of that time to tidy your kitchen.

Here are some places where you can find 15 minutes in your day to tidy up your kitchen…

• In the morning after breakfast.
• Before you leave home in the morning.
• While waiting for dinner to cook (without burning of course).
• Before going to bed at night take 15 minutes

Use a timer. This is the important part. You only want to take 15 minutes to do your task but you don’t want to be constantly watching the clock as you get the job done. Use a timer so you can put your focus on your chore.
Those 15 items

Kitchen Chores you can do in 15 Minutes

Don’t think that because you don’t have the full time it can take to clean up your kitchen that you should table it for later. Au contraire. Instead set your timer and tackle any one of these simple kitchen chores…

• empty dishwasher (this actually only takes about 2 minutes!)
• load dishwasher
• straighten a drawer
• tidy up the refrigerator
• declutter the freezer
• clean out dish drainer and wash it up
• sweep and quick mop floor
• wash out garbage can
• straighten storage cupboard
• organize a pantry shelf (only one shelf)
• wipe down all the cupboard and cabinet fronts

Super Awesome Tools for Kitchen Cleaning

keep the kitchen clean and tidy Printable

Download our free printable and keep it posted in your kitchen!