Even if you're not officially taking the Kitchen Cure this year, we hope you've been inspired and motivated by our decluttering and organizing posts this week! Here's one last post to take with you into the weekend: let's all set aside a little time to clean - really clean! - our kitchens this weekend. We hear you groaning, but let's just throw open the windows, put on some music, and get it done!

We're pretty good at keeping our kitchens fairly neat and clean on a day-to-day basis, but there are definitely some areas that get overlooked. Here's our plan of attack for a deeper clean this weekend:

1. Clean Daily-Use Appliances: These can sometimes get short shrift when we're in a rush to get out the door or get dinner on the table. Personally, we're horrible about remembering to clean the crumb tray on the toaster.

This weekend, let's shine up those appliances and make sure the gunk gets scrubbed from all the nooks and crannies. We like to do this step first so that any crumbs that get dislodged can get swept up in the next few steps.

2. Wipe Down the Counter: Normally, we just use warm soapy water to wipe down the counter, but this time we'll use disinfecting cleaner. Lift up and wipe under spice jars, utensil holders, and counter appliances - you know, all those things we normally tend to wipe around?!

Don't neglect that corner between the counter and the wall. We're amazed by the amount of crumbs that somehow collect there!

3. Wipe Down the Stove Top and Oven: Use cleaning spray to really shine up the backsplash, the stove top, and the oven door. If you have a gas stove, lift up and clean under the grills and drip pans.

4. Wipe Down the Refrigerator: In our kitchen, the refrigerator is right next to the stove and often winds up with drips and splashes from whatever we're cooking. It's time we made sure this gets really cleaned! It's also good to wipe down the front, especially the handles.

5. Sweep and Mop the Floor: Almost done! Sweep up the floor, trying to get as much as you can from under the stove, the fridge, and any shelves. For a clean like this, we also like to mop twice - once with a very wet and soapy mop and a second time with a completely wrung out mop to sponge up the extra liquid.

Brownie Points: Feeling extra motivated? You can always clean the oven, empty and clean your cupboards, and wipe down all the shelves in the fridge!

There! Doesn't that feel good? Now make yourself a relaxing beverage and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Related: No More Mops: Cleaning the Floor with a Sponge

(Image: Flickr member Arria Belli licensed under Creative Commons)