We’ve all done it.
Your hands are covered in whatever you’re cooking, and you forget an ingredient or tool. So you grab it with messy hands. Handles get sticky, fingerprints creep up, and stuck-on food quickly becomes kitchen cabinet decor.
White cupboards will show more of the filth, making you more aware and more likely to clean up messes, but dark colors like black, blue, or green can be just as revealing. Get in the habit of regularly wiping up messes on any color, because grease marks will stain over time.
If you aren’t careful, you will have 20-year-old cupboards that always look dirty. Permanent marks will need to be refinished. So, if your shit is new, take care of it!
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1. Take Everything Out!
Take every last item out of the cupboard. Purge and donate what you no longer use. Items in your cupboards that are not being used are taking up valuable space and are only collecting dust. If you can, take out or adjust shelves so they are more functional for items when you add them back in (USA) (Canada). Organization really does help with stress levels and also promotes you to adulthood.
2. Vacuum Inside and Outside
You will need to get up high to vacuum, so please use a sturdy chair or ladder when climbing up on your counters and make sure you are wearing non-slip footwear. If this is something you need help with, please ask someone for support. (For the love of GAWD, do NOT fall!)
Our favorite Bissell® Zing (USA) (Canada) and horsehair brush (USA) (Canada) are perfect for this job. It is easy to haul it up on the counter with you and light enough to hold it while on a ladder. The horsehair brush picks up the crumbs and dust, especially in shaker style cabinet doors. Vacuum both sides of the doors and hinges too.
Got drawers in a lower bank of cabinets? Vacuum crumbs in there too. It takes less than two minutes to empty it section by section, vacuuming as you go.
3. Hot Water, Powdered Tide and Bleach
To clean the front and inside surfaces of cabinets, this is our go-to. Fill the sink with hot water and a pinch of powdered Tide. A small amount of bleach can be added, too.
Damp microfibre cloths are the best for wiping down cupboards because they are highly absorbent and attract dirt and grease. We love Grab-A-Rag®! They can be washed and used over and over. If you are not using microfibre, you run the risk of using a cloth with too much water and that will warp your wood. In particular, shaker doors can soak up water in the joints, so it’s paramount to use microfibre on those, and to keep your cloth barely damp.
4. Mr. Clean® is Your Man!
Do your cupboards go all the way to the ceiling? Excellent. Skip this step and pat yourself on the back for upgrading.
Dust and grease is a nasty mixture to wipe up. If you have never done this job in your house, the top of your cabinets will shock you. When you do not turn on your hood range fans while cooking, the grease created will travel and settle on everything. Grease is sticky and tacky to the touch and dust LOVES it.
We use yellow, undiluted Mr. Clean®. It comes in a jug but we put ours in a spray bottle. Mr. Clean® is a degreaser, and this is exactly what you need. Make sure you wear gloves!
Spray down the entire top surface of the cabinets with Mr. Clean®. Don’t bother using rags for this job, as they will get wrecked. Using paper towels (and lots of them), wipe up each section of the upper cabinets carefully. Keep going until you can feel that all the tackiness is gone.
Once you have soaked up all the gunk, line the tops of the cupboards with clean, dry paper towels or parchment paper. These will absorb future oils and will make the next clean up a breeze.
Carefully climb back down and enjoy a beverage.
Pro tip: If you are building or buying a new home, make sure your cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. It will just make your life easier.
Ever wonder why your grandmother would have things wrapped in saran wrap on top of her cupboards? THIS! This is why. An important life skill is to clean as you go. If you slop on the handles or cabinets, wipe it up before it dries.
Even if you are completely incapable of cleaning as you go, try not to put off your clean up routine. Deep cleans are so much easier if you keep up with the little messes along the way. This will prolong your cabinet’s life and keep your kitchen in tip top shape.
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– Katie W @gocleanco
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gocleanco
Nov 18
I circled rollerblades in the Sears Wish Book every year…and every year my mother would patiently explain that we lived on an acreage with gravel roads and rollerblades do not work on gravel…and every year I would be so disappointed when they didn’t show up under the tree. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ #nostalgia #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 15
PSA: A lot of people don’t know you can do this when you order a gift off of Amazon. At check out, you can select that the item is a gift and then choose the option to add a gift bag and a custom message and this is how it is delivered! You don’t have to worry about the surprise being ruined if they open the box because it’s already wrapped and they can plunk it under the tree. Perfect if you have family far away that you won’t be seeing this holiday season. Saves ya time and energy in the chaos of the season. 🎁🎄🎅🏻🕰️🕰️🕰️ #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 13
Nostalgic Christmas!!!! Bring on the tinsel and the garland. I can handle it. 🤭We have some fun things planned to take you back to the days when we made ornaments outta fishhooks, so STAY TUNED ya filthy animals! 🎄🎁 ⛄️ 🎅🏻 🤶🏻❄️ ☕️
gocleanco
Nov 12
Best part of getting my hair done is hanging with sister @hellohairhouse the results aren’t too shabby either
gocleanco
Nov 9
Just out here doing the lords work. meganrreed_
gocleanco
Nov 4
Okay my DM’s are full of people asking for this to live on the feed. Brew a cup of coffee. I use a @nespresso pod but any regular cup java will do. Add in one scoop of your fav protein powder (or do half if you find this too sweet). This-is-a-wing-it-to-how-you-like-it-recipe as most cups of coffee are. I used vanilla protein powder here with a sprinkle of cinnamon, tastes a Christmasy! My go to is usually chocolate protein because it tastes like a mocha. Froth it with frother and drink it hot or over ice. This gets me 26 grams of protein right in the morning which helps cause I’m not a breakfast person. I’m trying y’all. 💪🏻 🍑
gocleanco
Nov 1
You asked and I delivered! You have been requesting I test the viral Tineco floor washers forever so here they are! Full break down of the S5 and S3 model in my stories plus they are both on sale at Canadian Tire and Amazon! @tinecoglobal #sponsored #floorcare #evolutionofclean
gocleanco
Oct 28
Best one yet. 🤣😂🤣🤣 I told you guys he looks like @mrclean
gocleanco
Oct 25
I have shared my new BLANCO sink and faucet but let’s talk about accessories, did you know BLANCO also has under sink organization systems? I completed my BLANCO UNIT with the BOTTON II, it tidies up the mess under your kitchen sink and it pulls out like a drawer; you can store your cleaning supplies in it and also has a handy dandy little handle so you can take your supplies with you around the house. I have a post up on their blog that goes into depth about BLANCO maintenance and care, and more tips in my stories so make sure you check them out. You folks had lots of questions about BLANCO last round and I am happy to help. Plus BLANCO customer service can answer any maintenance questions you might have. #sponsored @blancoamerica1
gocleanco
Oct 22
You can’t win them all. 🐷🩰
gocleanco
Oct 20
Ghosts have chores too! #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Oct 13
It’s a blessing and a curse, really. #housework
gocleanco
Oct 11
Me for the last 24 hours straight 🥴😵💫 What didn’t you snag that you had on your heart set on for Prime Big Deals Days? Drop ONE THING you didn’t nab in the comments below and maybe we will do some surprise Amazon deliveries! 🥰 The only thing I have had time to buy for myself is a Home Alone Pillow with Kevin’s face on it and some Tide Rescue 😂 Swipe to see ➡️➡️➡️
gocleanco
Oct 9
It is the final week of the Fall Cleaning Challenge which means we are cleaning the Common Area’s in our homes (that’s hallways, closets, mudrooms, porches and laundry rooms) we are ALSO taking our buckets, Aquablades, power washers and shop vacuums outside to clean up our outdoor spaces before the ❄️ hits. This is a big week. What’s the biggest disaster area that you need to tackle this week? I’ll go first. It’s my scary linen closet which currently it has a sign on on it that says CAUTION ⚠️ 😂 I also got a new leaf blower that I am very excited to blast some dirt and 🍂 with. Pace yourselves, WE GOT THIS! 👊🏻 #cleaningtips
gocleanco
Oct 8
If you are sick of doing dishes, we got this off Amazon for Stella’s apartment cause she didn’t have a dishwasher and she would not stop complaining about it. The little window is so cute, you can watch everything that happening in it, it’s almost as dramatic as and episode of Love is Blind. 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ from Stella! #amazonfinds
gocleanco
Oct 7
Hiiiii 👋🏼 Sarah here. I’m the one behind the cleaning hacks, motivation, business tips, home design, decor and sometimes fashion advice and sassy commentary. Oh and I wrote some books in the early days too 🤓 How long have long have you been following along for the ride? Thanks for sticking with me 💕💕💕
gocleanco
Oct 6
Takes me just as long to pick a blanket as it does a pillowcase. 🫠🤣 Everything is linked up in my Amazon Store front! Link is in my bio. Reminder it’s Prime Deals Days next week so expecting lots of stuff to be on sale next week! My rug is from @ruggable and is 9x12 and called the Kamran Hazel. #falldecor
gocleanco
Oct 4
Entering spooky season but it’s just a regular Wednesday for us. Today I learned not everyone pronounces it 👻—GUR 🤣🤣🤣 #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Sep 24
Heya. 👋🏼 Sarah here. We are wrapping up Week One (Kitchen Week—the most overwhelming) of the Fall Cleaning challenge. How is it going? What have you got done? My job during these Challenges is to motivate and help educate you on the most efficient and effective ways to clean so you feel confident about moving onto the next week with us! The Cleaning Challenges get easier each time we do them as it’s a scheduled, routine deep clean that helps you stay on top of things before they get out of hand. If you deep cleaned in the Spring Challenge with us, I know (based on the hundreds of DM’s🤣) that this week felt easier because you lined the tops of your cupboards with parchment paper in the Spring! I find it hard to put into writing how cleaning can make you feel SO GOOD, satisfied and proud of your home. I can’t explain the feeling feeling until you roll up your sleeves and get to work and feel it yourself. Once one room is done, please stop and stand back and survey your work. Take a minute to feel the accomplishment in your bones. This is hard but rewarding work and you CAN do it—I will cheer you on the entire way. Keep sending me your before and afters! They make me so happy and proud of each you, I feel like I am helping clean millions of homes around the world and that’s honestly pretty cool. 😎
gocleanco
Sep 22
It’s Kitchen week of the Fall Cleaning Challenge and I can finally share my new kitchen sink from BLANCO that everyone has been asking about. I am very excited to be working with @blancoamerica1 they are THE kitchen experts and a global brand with over 95 years of experience. Head to my stories to see how I care for this beauty on the daily and how easy it is to treat stains. BLANCO is more than just sinks; they also have faucets and organizational systems (like the BOTTON) that work together as an integrated UNIT. #ad