Think Your Kitchen Is Clean? Think Again

Here are the spots you’ve (okay, we’ve) been missing—plus the best cleaning tools to get the job done.
Multicolor plastic dishes in a soapy sink
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness

Sure, you do the dishes after dinner, and you even reorganized your pantry last month. But when was the last time you cleaned your coffee maker? Or your dishwasher filter? Did you even know that your dishwasher has a filter you should clean? We’ll be honest: We did not. That’s where this spick-and-span guide comes in. Think of it as your cheat sheet to a kitchen so clean that if it were a cartoon, it would sparkle. We rounded up the nooks and crannies that you definitely are not scrubbing often enough (we’re right there with you), plus the tools to get the job done, including dish sponges you can trust and a cleanser we’d marry if we could.

Herein find a week's worth of cleaning tips—or spread it out over a few weeks if that's more your speed. Turn on some tunes, grab a pair of rubber gloves, and let's get into it.

Skip ahead

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Emma Ringness

How to Clean Your Fridge Without Ruining All Your Food

Whether it’s a drippy jar of jelly or a floret-shedding head of broccoli, our fridges put up with a lot. Thank goodness the chaos hides behind closed doors—but at a certain point, enough is enough. Here’s how to give your fridge the fresh start it deserves.


Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Emma Ringness

Best Cleaning Products

Our favorite cleaning products run the gamut from high-tech robot vacuums to lo-fi steel wool. But one thing they all have in common: Our editors use these soaps, brushes, and brooms either at home or in the Bon Appétit test kitchen.


How to Clean Your Microwave

Because the soup splatters aren't going anywhere.
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Yes, There Is a Correct Way to Microwave Food

It all comes down to three things.
Read more.


This Cookware Made Me a Microwave Person

Why you should invest in microwave bowls.
Read more.



Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Emma Ringness

How to Clean Your Oven, Depending on How Much Time You Have

Blame the roast chicken, the crispy bacon, the Thanksgiving turkey. Your oven is covered in sticky drips and stubborn splatters that refuse to leave town. But they will! With these trusty techniques.


How to Clean and Care for a Wooden Cutting Board

Take care of your cutting board and it’ll take care of you.
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The Best Dish Sponges Make Scrubbing a Cinch

And they won't get stinky either.
Read more.



How to Clean Any Kind of Coffee Maker

Whether you have a drip machine, French press, or Keurig.
Read more.



Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness

Your Smelly Garbage Disposal Can Basically Clean Itself

If you have a garbage disposal, you know not just how often they come in handy, but also how awful they can smell. Even the cleanest kitchen is ruined by a stinky sink. Let’s freshen it up, shall we? 


I Never Thought I Would Say This, But I Love My Mop

Thank you, TikTok, for changing my relationship to cleaning.
Read more.


This Broom Will Change the Way You Clean Your Kitchen

Muji’s modular cleaning system reaches all those places other brooms cannot.
Read more.



Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh

What Is Bar Keepers Friend?

Sure, I have real, animate, human friends, but sometimes I think Bar Keepers Friend is my best friend of all.


Have You Ever Cleaned Your Dishwasher Filter? Didn't Think So

Here’s how to find it, take it out, and get it sparkling clean again.
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I Splurged for the Fanciest Dishwasher and It Was Worth It

My Miele dishwasher cleaned a pot coated with burned caramel. Need I say more?
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Yes, There Is a Correct Way to Load a Dishwasher

Let us show you. (But you’re still going to have to load it yourself.)
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Emma Ringness

You’ve Waited Long Enough to Clean Your Stovetop

No matter what kind you have (heavy-duty gas range or sleek, shiny induction), odds are your stove top is kind of dirty. After all, you probably use it more than most other appliances, for noodlesstewsstir-fries, and more. Let’s learn how to clean any type of stove top. 


You Can (and Should) Clean Cast-Iron Skillets With Soap

This heavy-duty pan can last forever—even if you get it all sudsy—if you follow this easy protocol.
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Cast-Iron Devotees Need This Scrubber

The Ringer looks like a piece of chain mail, and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to my cast-iron pans.
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This Stain Remover Works Wonders on My Countertops

Turmeric, red wine, and matcha are no match for Defunkify.
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This Japanese Scrubbing Brush Is My Favorite Scrubber

From someone who usually hates scrubbing of any kind.
Read more.


The Best Kitchen Towels Cost Around $1 Each, So Stock Up

Bonus: They make great cloth napkins too.
Read more.