How to clean the kitchen, in 12 easy steps.

00. INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YOUR CO-CLEANER! :D

See item title

0. READ ABOUT CAST IRON PANS

We do cast iron pans a bit differently. See https://public.wiki.pikans.org/Kitchen/Cast-Iron.

1. PUT AWAY FOOD

One hour after dinner is served.

Do not store food in pots or pans. Transfer to tupperware.

Tape label with date, what the food is, and V* (vegan) / V (vegetarian) / P (fish) / M (meat) / GF (gluten-free) / D (dairy) / LF (low-FODMAP) / NF (nut-free) / SF (soy-free) ...

2. WASH DISHES

Wash all dirty dishes and cookware in the kitchen and dining room.

If the cooks left a big mess, ask them to clean the pots and appliances they used. Do not just leave these behind.

It’s easier if you start doing this ASAP after you finish eating, so dishes don’t pile up in the sink or on surfaces!

3. STERILIZE DISHES

Warm up the sterilizer with an empty cycle.

Sterilize anything that people eat or drink from.

Do not sterilize pots, pans, appliance parts, and kitchen knives.

Put away and store sterilizer trays above the island.

Clean out interior junk of sterilizer.

Run drain cycle on sterilizer. Make sure it turns off.

4. CLEAN SURFACES

Clear items off of dining room tables and all countertops (except large appliances by back porch).

Spray with soapy water.

Scrub thoroughly with sponge and use steel wool for any caked residue.

Wipe dry with kitchen rag.

Clean any bits of food / spills from burner tops.

Remove the trays that go underneath the burner tops and clean those.

Bonus: Clean the top of the sterilizer.

5. CLEAN APPLIANCES

used for that night’s dinner if any (e.g. rice cooker).

6. CLEAN SINK

Dispose of gunk in drain strainers and wash the whole sink with a sponge.

7. SWEEP THE FLOOR

Sweep the kitchen and dining room floors thoroughly with a broom.

Put chairs on the tables to get them out of the way.

8. MOP THE FLOOR

Check out this helpful mopping guide.

Or, you can use our electro-mop! We have a Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub. Check out the instructions.

Mop all tiled areas of kitchen and dining room.

If you have time, mop the rest of the dining room also.

9. TAKE OUT RECYCLING

Put it in in the recycling bins out front, unless they are full: then ask someone what to do.

10. TAKE OUT TRASH

Take trash to the dumpster out front. Double-bag the trash can with two large black trash bags, pulling the edge of the bag over the handles of the can and tying inner and outer bag together tightly.

11. TAKE OUT COMPOST

Take the compost out to the blue bin labeled "COMPOST" with tape (near the recycling bins). Take it out as soon as it gets half-full, it is heavy! Be sure to double bag the bin.

12. CHECK around kitchen and dining room

if anything disgusting is sitting out or happening (i.e. rotting fruit, open bread containers, shelves looking particularly bad). Clean it up.