This One Forgotten Area Can Make Your Whole Kitchen Look Dirty, a Pro Cleaner Warns

Your fridge doors are sparkling and the range top is polished to perfection, so why does your kitchen still feel like it’s not quite guest-ready? To get to the bottom of it, we asked a cleaning pro what makes a kitchen look dirty even when everything seems clean.

Read on to find out what that one spot is, plus discover a few other forgotten areas that could more than likely use a refresh.

Kitchen Cabinet Fronts

Kitchen cabinetry is deceptively sneaky: From a distance, everything can look spotless. But take a closer look and those faint, ghostly splatters tell a different story, and reveal that your kitchen may be overdue for a little TLC.

“The biggest offender is definitely the cabinet doors and drawer fronts,” says cleaning expert Jon Margalit.

According to Margalit, everyday cooking culprits are often to blame: grease, egg yolk drips, and milk. Cleaning cabinets, however, requires a gentle touch. Painted finishes can scratch easily, while wood surfaces are prone to tarnishing.

“Grease is the toughest of all to remove,” Margalit says. “That’s why we use a handheld steamer—it lets us clean cabinet faces thoroughly without damaging the finish.”

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How to Clean Cabinet Fronts The Right Way

1. Wipe away dust on your cabinets with a soft microfiber cloth.

2. Fill the handheld steamer and let it heat fully.

3. Steam a tiny, less-visible area first to ensure that your cabinet finish won’t be affected.

4. Hold the steamer a few inches away from your cabinets and use short bursts of steam to clean, wiping immediately with a microfiber cloth.

5. Tackle sticky grease-covered areas and hardware with the brush tool, and avoid extended steaming on metal hardware or hinges.

6. Dry everything thoroughly and leave your doors open to air out.

4 Other Forgotten Spots to Clean in the Kitchen

Kitchen cabinets clean, but something still feels off? Here are four other common culprits that could be to blame.

Air Vents

Most people don’t even realize their kitchens have air vents, and that’s exactly why they land on Margalit’s list of most-forgotten spots.

Kitchen vents are a different beast from the ones in the rest of your home, as those near stoves collect tiny airborne grease particles that act like glue, causing dust to cling even more stubbornly.

It’s also worth noting that kitchens tend to run more humid, and that extra moisture can encourage mold growth if vents aren’t cleaned regularly.

While a quick dry dusting is often enough for the outside of a vent cover, don’t overlook what’s hiding on the back side. That’s where most of the buildup settles, which means you’ll need to remove the cover entirely.

The good news: a simple once-over with a vacuum and a brush attachment is usually all it takes to get your vent grates gleaming.

Cabinet Tops

When asked which spots in the kitchen are most likely to be missed during routine cleaning, Margalit doesn’t hold back.

“The tops of the cabinets are number one by far! Every time we deep-clean a kitchen, the tops of the cabinets are filthy,” he says.

Grab a vacuum with a brush attachment or a dry microfiber duster on an extension pole to lift off the loose stuff. Then, mix up a gentle degreasing solution such as warm water pumped up with a few drops of dish soap, and use a clean microfiber cloth to cut through the remaining grime.

Light Switches and Electrical Outlets

Your light switches and electrical outlets probably get plenty of attention during cold and flu season, but the rest of the year? They’re quietly collecting fingerprints and smudges.

They deserve more, says Margalit, who notes that outlets are particularly prone to grime from sauce-covered hands unplugging immersion blenders or other appliances mid–meal prep.

To clean them safely, a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with a multipurpose cleaner works perfectly.

Top of the Refrigerator

Much like the tops of your cabinets, the top of your refrigerator has probably been neglected for a while says Margalit.

Start by tackling it the same way as the cabinets: give it a first pass with a dry microfiber cloth to lift dust, then follow up with a simple solution of warm water and dish soap. If the gunk is especially stubborn, a splash of vinegar can speed things up.

For a streak-free, photo-ready finish, reach for a stainless steel cleaner, or raid your pantry for a little olive oil. Buff in a few drops, and you’ll have a polished shine that makes your fridge look practically brand new.