Holy Stuffing! Rehabbing Your Kitchen After Turkey Day Trauma

Clean up that Thanksgiving kitchen disaster in a flash with these tips from The Maids.

You know those people who pitch tents in the cold at jumbo retailers the night before Black Friday? We have a theory they’re escaping kitchen cleanup duty after Thanksgiving. You, however, are of a stouter heart. After you wake up from your massive food coma, it’s time to clean the kitchen.

Yes, the room probably looks like it was cruelly attacked with gravy and cranberry bombs. Luckily, The Maids teamed up with Coldwell Banker to show you how to turn this shattered cooking battlefield back into a squeaky clean room in no time.

Start the Big Sweep

Start by clearing out all the battle debris. This means using a cloth to sweep turkey bits, flour spills, and whipped cream off the counters. Sweep all the scraps off the floor as well. Don’t forget to clean around your stove and wipe down the range hood.

Let the Scrubbing Begin

Put on your favorite holiday soundtrack – it’s technically after Thanksgiving, so it’s time– and start scrubbing down your counters. You can use water mixed with vinegar and a few drops of orange essential oil or a cleaner specially designed for your counter surfaces. Make sure you fully clean your counters to get rid of any bacteria left behind after handling raw meat. Next, give your stove a good scrub. Go ahead and pop your grates into the dishwasher if you have a gas stove. Now is also a great time to put your oven into self-clean mode.

Make sure to switch out soiled rags so you aren’t just spreading dirt and bacteria around. After your counters are sparkling, give your cabinets, fridge, microwave, and sink a good scrub. It’s probably easiest to just add your microwave plate to the dishwasher as well.

Bring your old friend, the mop, out of the closet. Fill your bucket with a mixture of water and cleanser and tackle those stains on your tile or wood.

Get the Sink Squeaky Clean

Your sink, especially your garbage disposal, probably worked overtime today (and didn’t even ask for holiday pay!). To keep unpleasant smells from rising up, clean out your drains with a half cup of baking soda followed by a half cup of vinegar. Watch the fun fizz show and when it dies down, flush with hot water. You can also finely slice citrus and run a few pieces through the garbage disposal for a burst of freshness.

Clean Out the Fridge

You are already in cleaning mode, so go above and beyond the call of duty by cleaning out your fridge and freezer. Both should be a little less full after Thanksgiving. Pull everything out – everything! – and scrub away all the gunk in the bins and shelves. Consider putting in new boxes of baking soda to absorb smells. Now is also the perfect time to throw away any food that is past its prime. Be brave when opening the lids of things that have been living in the back corner all year long.

Give Your Trashcan a Bath

Smells can linger in your trashcan, especially if you’ve ever had a bag leak. Throw out the current trash and scrub down the can with a cloth and soap. As long as it’s not below freezing outside or raining, put your trashcan in the backyard for a while to soak in some fresh air. It makes a big difference.

Now your kitchen is cleaner than ever. You’d never know that a major food fest just went on. Don’t relax quite yet! If you’ve got family coming into town next month, you have more cleaning for the holidays ahead!

Lindsay Listanski

Lindsay is the the Director of Media Engagement for Coldwell Banker Real Estate and manages the brand’s media and social media department. She is also a licensed real estate professional. In 2017 & 2018, she was named a top 20 social influencer in the real estate industry in the annual Swanepoel 200 power rankings.

Lindsay lives in Livingston, NJ with her college sweetheart and now husband Joe and rwelcomed another Joe into her life as she became a mom in June 2016.