We've settled it: These are the 3 places you're probably forgetting to clean in your kitchen

We all want our kitchens to be super clean, right? I mean, for me it's the place I prepare my food, I cook it, and I eat it. So of course I don’t want it to be gross. While you can wipe down your countertops several times a day and you can spend hours on end watching satisfying cleaning TikToks, there will inevitably be a few places you might be forgetting to clean in your apartment or home. So, as a team we had a long hard think about all of the ways we clean our own kitchens, and here's what we've come up with.

Between us, we've fessed up about all the places in our kitchens that rarely get cleaned. Some because they simply slipped our minds and others because sometimes, honestly, we have zero interest in cleaning them. I'm not afraid to admit it: Keeping a spotless home can be a little overwhelming — even if your place is small. So, don't get yourself down if you've never even considered cleaning these places.

I love making my kitchen sparkle, and with spring around the corner, I’m planning on another major deep clean pretty soon. If you’re like me and looking to do the same, be sure to note these places on your checklist and you can thank me later. I've also listed some cleaning products and tools I can suggest to help tackle these jobs, highly rated by reviewers and the Real Homes team, right at the bottom of this page.

3 places you're probably forgetting to clean in your kitchen

1. Your extractor fan

Personally, I’m always super worried about setting off the fire alarm, so my extractor fan goes on pretty much every time I cook. I think it’s just air, but no! It collects all those cooking particles, which then just sit there getting dirty and greasy. If you’re living in a rental and are worried about taking apart your extractor fan to clean it, then just wash its exterior carefully with a damp cloth sprayed with a kitchen spray that specifically targets grease. Then, dry with a piece of kitchen towel. If your extractor fan isn’t too high up, use your vacuum cleaner with its crevice tool attachment for getting all the dust off the top as well.

2. Your spice rack

It might sound a little random, but hear me out. When you’re cooking up a storm and flinging around all your spices, you just don’t think about cleaning them, let alone consider tidying up your spice rack after you’re done. But those tiny speckles of spices will all start to gather and eventually make your spice rack super sticky and greasy. Go for an all-purpose cleaning spray matched with a cloth or environmentally-friendly cleaning wipes for an easy way to wipe them down. 

3. The top of your fridge

When something goes bad or spills inside your fridge, you always know about it because let’s face it: it stinks. But the top of the fridge? Unless you’re one of those people who are blessed with long legs, you’re never going to look up there without wobbling on a chair. There's probably a bunch of dust and some crumbs leftover from questionable food, so you'll want to start with a long duster first, or even a handheld vacuum cleaner, but you'll need to stand on something to reach. Then, go in with a cloth sprayed with an all-purpose cleaning spray. Finish by wiping with a dry cloth and you’re golden.