Why Most Kitchen Cleans Fail
The most common mistake when deep cleaning a kitchen is random order. Starting with the worktops, moving to the hob, cleaning the floor, then noticing the cupboard tops are filthy and dropping debris onto the clean floor — and ending up frustrated with a kitchen that still does not look clean. The professional approach is systematic, and the sequence matters.
Step 1: Clear Everything First
Before any cleaning begins, clear all surfaces completely. Every item on the worktop, every item on top of cupboards, everything stored on open shelving. This is not optional — trying to clean around things produces a poor result every time.
Step 2: Top to Bottom, Left to Right
Start at the top of the room — cupboard tops, extractor fan and light fittings — and work downward. Grease and dust fall. If you clean the worktops before the cupboard fronts, you will be cleaning the worktops again.
Within each area, work consistently in one direction — left to right or right to left — so you do not miss areas or double-back over what you have done.
Step 3: Extractor Fan
This is the most neglected area in most kitchens and often the most grease-laden. Remove the filters and soak them in hot water with a degreaser for at least 20 minutes. Clean the exterior housing, the internal housing (if accessible), and the grease traps. Rinse and dry before replacing.
Step 4: Cupboards Inside and Out
Cupboard fronts require a pH-alkaline degreaser applied with a cloth and wiped clean — not sprayed and immediately wiped, as the product needs contact time to work. The interior of cupboards should be emptied, wiped with a damp cloth and dried before items are replaced.
Step 5: Hob and Appliance Surfaces
For a gas hob, remove the burner caps and pan supports and soak them. Clean the hob surface, then replace them. For induction hobs, use a ceramic hob cleaner and a non-scratch pad. Appliance exteriors — microwave, kettle, toaster — are wiped with a damp cloth and dried to avoid water staining.
Step 6: Worktops and Sink
Worktops should be wiped clear, sprayed with an appropriate surface cleaner (not a bleach-based product on wood, stone or composite without checking compatibility), and wiped clean. Sink and taps require a descaling product in hard water areas like Cambridge — standard cleaners will not remove limescale from stainless steel effectively.
Step 7: Tiles and Splashback
Kitchen tiles accumulate cooking grease in the grout as well as on the tile surface. Tile grout should be scrubbed with a grout brush and an appropriate cleaner. The tile surface can be cleaned with a general kitchen spray and a microfibre cloth.
Step 8: Floor Last
Always last. Sweep or vacuum first to remove all loose debris, then mop with an appropriate floor cleaner. Kitchen floors in Cambridge properties are commonly tile, vinyl or laminate — each requires a different approach, particularly regarding the amount of water used.
When to Call a Professional
A systematic DIY clean works well for maintenance. But if a kitchen has not been thoroughly cleaned in a year or more, grease has built up behind appliances, the extractor fan is significantly blocked, or tiles and grout are heavily stained, a professional clean with commercial-grade degreasers and equipment will produce a significantly better result — and often in less time than a thorough DIY attempt.
Book a professional kitchen deep clean in Cambridge →Frequently Asked Questions
Book a Kitchen Deep Clean in Cambridge
Professional degreasers and a systematic approach — results that a DIY clean simply cannot match on a heavily soiled kitchen.