How to Deep Clean a Kitchen: Step-by-Step Order and Realistic Timings

To deep clean a kitchen, start the jobs that need soaking time first, then work from the top down: high cupboards and the extractor hood, cupboard interiors, the fridge and freezer, the oven and hob, tiles and grout, and finally the bins and floor. In a typical London flat kitchen, expect 4 to 7 hours of hands-on work.

What do you need before you start?

• Products: a kitchen degreaser or washing-up liquid, an oven cleaner, and a glass hob cleaner if your hob is ceramic or induction.
• Tools: rubber gloves, several microfibre cloths, non-scratch scourers, a glass hob scraper, an old toothbrush and a bucket.
• For the freezer: a cool bag, old towels and a shallow tray for meltwater.

Open a window and use one product at a time. The UK Health Security Agency explains that bleach mixed with acidic products gives off chlorine gas, and mixed with ammonia-containing cleaners can form chloramines that irritate the airways (UKHSA). Keep each product in its original bottle (nidirect), and keep pets out of the room until cleaned surfaces have dried, as PDSA advises (PDSA).

In what order should you deep clean a kitchen?

Work so that dirt only falls onto surfaces you have not cleaned yet, and let products soak while your hands are busy elsewhere. Timings are for one person; a small galley kitchen in fair condition sits at the low end.

1. Set up (15 minutes). Clear the worktops, apply the oven cleaner, soak the oven racks and hob pan supports, and move freezer food into a cool bag so the ice can start melting.
2. High surfaces (20 to 30 minutes). Tops of wall cupboards, light fittings, the outside of the hood and the top of the fridge.
3. Extractor filters (10 minutes hands-on).
4. Cupboards and drawers (45 to 75 minutes).
5. Fridge and freezer (45 to 60 minutes hands-on).
6. Oven (45 to 90 minutes hands-on).
7. Hob (15 to 30 minutes).
8. Splashback, tiles and grout (20 to 40 minutes).
9. Sink, taps, small appliances and worktops (20 to 30 minutes).
10. Bins, then the floor (25 to 40 minutes).

A heavily greased oven or a freezer packed with ice pushes you towards 7 hours. If your oven cleaner works overnight, apply it the evening before.

How do you deep clean an oven?

Use a proper oven cleaner, give it time, and read the label first. Heavy-duty oven cleaners are caustic, so wear rubber gloves.

Oven Pride's guidance shows what to look for. It recommends leaving the product for at least 4 hours, or overnight for very dirty ovens and racks, and says it must not go on the oven door glass, any part of the hob, or non-stick and aluminium surfaces. It also says to keep it away from children and pets while it works (Oven Pride FAQs). Other brands have their own rules.

• Racks: soak them in a sealed oven-cleaning bag, scrub with a non-scratch scourer and rinse well.
• Inside: lift out the softened grease with damp cloths, rinsing them often, then wipe the cavity with clean water so no residue bakes on.
• Door glass: use a product that is safe on glass. On some models the inner pane lifts out; the manual shows how.

How do you clean a hob properly?

Whatever the type, switch it off and let it cool completely first.

• Ceramic and induction: Bosch recommends washing-up liquid and a soft sponge, then a glass scraper held at a shallow angle for burnt-on spots, and a hob cleaner buffed off with a lint-free cloth. Abrasive products scratch the glass (Bosch).
• Gas: soak the pan supports, burner caps and rings in hot soapy water. Scrub, rinse and dry them completely, then refit each part exactly as it came off.

How do you degrease an extractor hood?

Switch the hood off and take the filters out. Metal grease filters can sometimes go in the dishwasher, but check the manual: Bosch says some of its filters are dishwasher safe and should sit in the bottom of the machine. By hand, soak them for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a mild detergent and use a soft brush, and do not dry them with a hairdryer or other direct heat. Carbon filters, used in hoods that recirculate air, cannot be washed and need replacing (Bosch).

For the hood itself, spray degreaser onto a cloth rather than near the lights and controls. On stainless steel, wipe along the grain and buff dry.

How do you clean the fridge and freezer?

Empty the fridge, bin anything past its use-by date, and wash the shelves and drawers in warm soapy water. Scrub the door seals with a toothbrush, because crumbs and mould collect in the folds, and dry everything before the food goes back.

Check the temperature while it is empty. The Food Standards Agency says a fridge should run between 0 and 5°C and a freezer at around -18°C, with raw meat, poultry and fish sealed on the bottom shelf (FSA).

A freezer that is not frost-free needs defrosting, which Beko suggests doing twice a year or when the frost is around 7mm thick (Beko):

1. Switch off and unplug it, and move the food to a cool bag or another freezer.
2. Put bowls of hot water inside, with towels and a tray for the meltwater.
3. Let the ice melt. Do not chip at it with a knife, because sharp objects can damage the appliance.
4. Wipe the inside, dry it fully, switch it back on and restock. Use or throw away anything that has thawed.

How do you deep clean cupboards and drawers?

Do one unit at a time: empty it, vacuum out the crumbs, wipe the inside, dry it and refill it. Emptying every cupboard at once leaves a small kitchen with nowhere to put anything.

• Doors and handles: grease gathers near the hob and around handles. Use warm water with washing-up liquid or a degreaser.
• Tops of wall cupboards: grease and dust form a tacky layer here. Let degreaser sit for a few minutes before wiping.
• Painted, wooden and high-gloss doors: use a damp cloth, not a wet one, and dry straight away. Scourers leave dull patches on gloss.

How do you clean kitchen tiles and grout?

Spray the splashback with degreaser, leave it for a few minutes, scrub the grout lines with a stiff brush, then rinse. Grout behind the hob is usually stained by cooking grease, so degreaser does most of the work. For black mould spots near the sink, use a mould spray exactly as its label says, with the window open. Scale on the kitchen tap needs the same treatment as in the bathroom, covered in our guide to limescale removal in London.

How do you clean and deodorise the kitchen bin?

Wash it inside and out with hot soapy water or a disinfectant used as directed, in the bath, shower tray or outside rather than the sink you prepare food in. Get into the lid hinge and around the pedal. Dry it completely before fitting a new liner, and add a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda to the bottom to absorb odours. Give the food waste caddy and recycling box the same treatment.

Finish with the floor: vacuum first, including under the plinths if they unclip, then mop as you back out of the room. If you are moving out, compare the result with our end of tenancy cleaning checklist, which lists what a check-out clerk inspects.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a kitchen be deep cleaned?

There is no fixed rule. For most homes, the full routine once or twice a year is enough, with the oven and extractor filters done more often if you cook every day. A weekly wipe of the hob, handles and fridge shelves keeps each deep clean shorter. Our weekly cleaning checklist shows which kitchen jobs belong on it.

Can I use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven?

Only where the manufacturer allows it. Self-cleaning ovens either burn grease off at a very high temperature (pyrolytic) or have special liners that absorb it (catalytic). Oven Pride, for example, says its cleaner can be used on the racks and grills of a self-cleaning oven, but not on the sides. Check your oven's manual before any product goes in.

Is it worth paying a professional to deep clean the kitchen?

It often is when the oven, extractor and cupboard fronts are heavily greased, or before moving in or out. At SW Clean London, deep cleaning costs £23 per cleaner per hour, minimum 3 hours (£69), with products and equipment included. Our deep cleaning cost guide explains how the hours are estimated.

Short on time? Book a deep clean online and mark the kitchen as your priority, or see what our deep cleaning service covers.