• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
go to homepage

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

go to homepage

How To Clean Stuff.net

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

Home / Cleaning Guides / House / General Housecleaning / How to Clean Shelves

How to Clean Shelves

pantry

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Clean the Shelves
  3. Additional Tips and Advice

Sabi asked: Is there a procedure for cleaning shelves? How can I clean my kitchen shelves?

Shelves offer valuable storage room as well as a beautiful way to showcase special pieces all over the house. Whether your shelve are in the bedroom, living room or kitchen, they will need to be cleaned from time to time. Here are some steps to make the job a little easier.

You Will Need:

  • Boxes
  • Paper towels
  • Cleaning products:
    • Wooden shelves: Murphy’s Oil Soap or other wood cleaning product
    • Plastic/Resin shelves: all purpose cleaner
    • Glass shelves: Windex or other glass cleaner
    • Metal shelves: Cleaner designed for specific type of metal
  • Soft cloths
  • Swiffer duster (optional)

Steps to Clean the Shelves:

  1. Begin by removing all of the items from the shelf. If the individual items need cleaning as well, this is a great time to do so.
  2. Place the items in a box and set it off to the side.
  3. If there are several shelves, start at the top and work your way down. This way, if any dust or debris falls, it will land on a shelf that has not yet been cleaned.
  4. Once the shelf is clear, dust it with a soft cloth or Swiffer duster to remove any loose dust. If the shelf is lined (such as a bathroom, kitchen or closet shelf), remove the lining and clean that as well.
  5. Now you are ready to clean the shelf itself. Use an cleaner designed for the material that the shelf is made of.
  6. Wipe the shelf down with a soft cloth and the cleaning product.
  7. Rinse if necessary.
  8. Dry with a soft cloth.
  9. Replace the shelf liner, if applicable.
  10. Return all of the removed items to the shelf.
  11. Continue onto the next shelf, repeating the steps above.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • If the shelves have greasy residue or dirt and dust build up, see the guides How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets and How to Remove Dirt Build Up from Wooden Furniture for additional cleaning tips and advice.
  • Dusting the shelves periodically (at least weekly) will help extend the time between needed deep cleanings.
  • Shelves in high moisture rooms, including the bathroom and kitchen, will need  to be cleaned more frequently.
  • When all of the items are removed, it allows for a great time to sort through items that need to be kept or thrown away. These items can be sorted as you are removing them or replacing them, whichever is easiest for you.
  • Bookshelves are another area that need to be cleaned regularly. It not only looks better, it helps to make the books last longer as well.

Cleaning Guides, General Housecleaning

Was This Guide Helpful?

+14
-8
Rating: 64%. From 22 votes.
Please wait...

Related Posts

  • How to Clean The World
  • How to Clean Nicotine Buildup
  • How to Clean Stuff
  • How to Clean Household Air Filters
  • How to Clean Lycra
  • How to Clean a Soapstone Sculpture

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse ctetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam.


Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

About the Author

Avatar photo

Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

Primary Sidebar

Featured Guides

How to Clean a Hairbrush

How to Clean a Microwave Oven With ZERO Chemicals

How to Clean Every Dental Retainer

How to Clean your Macbook’s Screen

Join our mailing list.
Be the first to know about new arrivals, sales, and special events.
Thank you for subscribing!

Footer

Browse by Category

  • Automotive
  • Clothing & Fabrics
  • Floors & Carpets
  • Housecleaning
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Outdoors
  • People & Pets
  • Household Stuff

Contact

  • Ask Us Your Cleaning Questions
  • Contact Form

Follow us on Social Media

Site Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Guest Post Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • XML Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · HowToCleanStuff.net · All Rights Reserved · Website by Anchored Design