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Clean Your Kitchen in 15 Minutes or Less: Quick and Easy Checklist for a Speedy Tidy

These effective cleaning tips can save you a ton of time.

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Alina Bradford CNET Contributor
Alina Bradford has been writing how-tos, tech articles and more for almost two decades. She currently writes for CNET's Smart Home Section, MTVNews' tech section and for Live Science's reference section. Follow her on Twitter.
Alina Bradford
2 min read
woman with cleaning products in kitchen

Cleaning can be so easy with these helpful tips. 

Wojtek Skora/iStock

It's a misconception that housework has to take huge chunks of time to complete. You're probably already balancing a mix of responsibilities from work, school and child care to shopping and cooking before you even get to thinking about all the housework you need done. That means you likely won't be able to spend hours cleaning every crevice in your home every week. 

The good news is you won't need to, especially when it comes to your kitchen space. 

With a little planning, your kitchen can go from slimy to shiny in just a few minutes. Here's the steps you can take to get daily cleanings done in a flash. Plus, check out how to wash your bedding the right way and how to clean your bathroom in 10 minutes (or less).

Gather the right cleaning equipment

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I'm a big proponent of having cleaning equipment stashed away in each room. If you have what you need to do the job on-hand, the process goes much faster. This is what you need in your quick kitchen cleaning kit:

  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Sponge
  • Broom
  • Mop with disposable cleaning pads 

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Ready, set, clean that kitchen!

Got all of your supplies? Great. Now you can dash through the cleaning.

  • Load the dishwasher. Remember, you don't need to rinse your dishes, just scrape them.
  • Throw a wet sponge into your microwave for 1 minute on high. The steam from the sponge will loosen any gunk.
  • Wipe down the sink and counters with the disinfectant wipes.
  • Run a disinfectant wipe over the stovetop surface to remove any crumbs.
  • Go back to your microwave and wipe down the inside with the sponge. Be careful. The sponge may still be hot.
  • Sweep the floor.
  • Mop and put away your cleaning supplies.

These steps only work quickly if you don't let your kitchen get overwhelmingly gross in the first place. Be sure to wipe up spills as they happen throughout the day to avoid major dried-on messes that will take longer to clean.

For more, check out how to kill mold in your washer and keep it away, and how to degunk your showerhead.

More cleaning tips and tricks