I'm cleaning my kitchen counters wrong according to a professional cleaner – are you guilty of making the same mistake?

Who knew you could clean your countertops incorrectly? This new method will certainly be my go-to from now on

picture of woman cleaning down a countertop
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are some household tasks we don't put much thought into and for good reason. However, this cleaning expert has shared her revolutionary method for achieving a proper countertop clean and we can't believe we've been doing it wrong this whole time.

You might think you know all the essential tips for achieving a professional-level kitchen clean but it turns out we've probably all been cleaning our counters wrong.

Yes, the most simple task and the one we all do most frequently now belongs on the list of most common kitchen cleaning mistakes.

Luckily for all of us, there is a quick fix for this blunder and one that will leave you wondering why you've never done it before.

The kitchen countertop cleaning mistake to avoid

When it comes to genius kitchen cleaning hacks there's no one more experienced than Lynsey Crombie, the Queen of Clean. So when we saw her reveal this simple yet life-changing secret on her Instagram we just had to share.

Seen standing over her marble kitchen countertops Lynsey says, "If you want your cleaning products to work properly then you need to remember this tip."

With antibacterial spray in hand, she goes on to advise, "Spray the product over the surface and leave it to work for a while. Pop off and do some washing up or something else before returning."

This is a great opportunity to do a small job like cleaning your kitchen cabinets properly, it should only take a few minutes. Just enough time to let your disinfectant spray work its magic.

"Then simply wipe it off and this way you know your surfaces are clean and disinfected," Lynsey finishes.

picture of woman spraying surface with cleaner

To clean countertops properly Lynsey advises leaving the cleaning solution for a few minutes rather than immediately wiping away

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By allowing the spray to settle onto your countertops for just a few minutes, the bacteria-killing power is more thorough and it also helps with breaking down larger more stubborn spills.

Just make sure you don't forget about the spray and leave it 'developing' for many hours. One user comments, "I try to leave it but I get distracted very easily so there is a risk I won’t remember until I come back to the room hours later."

If this sounds a little like you then you can also set a timer to remind yourself. And now you can get to organising your countertops without a worry of bacteria spreading.

Shop our favourite countertop cleaning products


We'd also recommend using a fragranced spray with this method as it's a fabulous way of making your kitchen smell good while cleaning it.

Emily Smith
Digital lifestyle writer

Emily joined woman&home as a staff writer after finishing her MA in Magazine Journalism from City University in 2023. After writing various health and news content, she now specialises in lifestyle and home writing where she covers all things cleaning, interiors and homeowning.