- 1). Clear off the counter. Move all the appliances, bottles, jars and anything else sitting on the counter somewhere else temporarily. This gives you a clear surface to begin cleaning.
- 2). Wash the counters. Use mild dish soap, hot water, and the soft side of the sponge to wash the entire counter. Get up to the very edges, and clean off the backsplash and front lip of the counter as you go. Let the soap solution sit on the countertop for a few minutes to soak into any tough spots.
- 3). Rinse the counters. Wipe the majority of soap and dirt off with the sponge. Use hot water and a clean cloth rag or paper towels to get off the remaining soap residue as well as any dirt. You may find that some spots didn't come off with the first cleaning once the soap is rinsed away.
- 4). Get out the tough spots. Spray them with household cleaner and let them soak for a minute or two. Then use the scrubbing side of the sponge to remove them. For tough waxlike stains, the dull side of a dinner knife can serve as a scraper to get it up. If the spray cleaner isn't strong enough, you may use a scouring powder cleaner with some hot water on the stain, taking care not to scratch the countertop.
- 5). Disinfect the countertops. You may use a household bleach diluted with water, or use baking soda with vinegar. Spread the baking soda over the counter with a sponge, working it into the surface. Wipe it off with a clean damp cloth or sponge, and either spray or wipe vinegar onto the countertops.
- 6). Dry the counter. Use a clean cloth rag, terry cloth or paper towels. Make sure to soak up any liquid that has run into corners or edges. You can also let the counters air dry if they are laminate. If they are wood or stone, be sure to dry them completely to avoid future cracks.
- 7). Replace your appliances. As you do, give the bottom of each item a once-over with a soapy wet cloth to remove kitchen grime that will go back on the clean counter. Dry the bottoms off to avoid wet marks on the countertop.
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