The Everyday Kitchen Storage Item That Rarely Gets Cleaned

You've vacuumed the spaces on the side of the fridge, cleaned the garbage disposal using TikTok's divisive hack of hot water and ice, and wiped down all the cabinet handles. You felt like you were done, but there's an item you might have overlooked while cleaning the kitchen – and maybe you've never addressed it before. Next time you do a deep dive in kitchen sanitation, don't forget to tackle the cutlery tray.

Why would a cutlery tray get dirty in the first place? After all, you should only be putting clean forks, spoons, knives, and maybe some other assorted utensils in there. The thing is, the drawer that holds the tray gets opened many times a day, making it susceptible to airborne particles and dust. These drawers are normally close to the countertop, so spills, drops of sauce, coffee grounds, and crumbs can easily make their way in.

Have kids (or messy adults) in the house? Dirty or sticky hands could be reaching into this tray and leaving residue. If you're in the middle of cooking or baking and quickly grab a utensil, you might reach into the drawer and unintentionally leave behind oil or batter. Additionally, if your dishwasher struggles to clean everything, you may be putting slightly dirty utensils back in the drawer. It's also possible that you won't realize this tray needs to be cleaned until you visibly see the accumulation of grime over months or even years.

If you've never paid much attention to your cutlery tray, it's definitely time for a deep clean. That means removing everything from the drawer where you have the cutlery tray stored, and taking the utensils out of the tray as well. Start by vacuuming the entire drawer with a handheld vac to eliminate crumbs and particles. If there are old spills or dust, use a multi-purpose spray, which is one of the kitchen cleaning products you should always have on hand, and a rag to wipe down the drawer. Disinfecting wipes would also work well here.

A cutlery tray made out of metal or plastic can be put in the dishwasher. These types of trays can also be soaked in warm water with dish soap and scrubbed with a sponge to remove stubborn stains and residues. If it's made out of wood, wipe the tray down with a cleaning spray and rag. Dishwashing or submerging makes wood waterlogged, and could cause the tray to warp. A quick wipe down is also fine for not-so-dirty trays made from any material.

Cleaning the tray also presents an opportunity to organize your cutlery drawer and get rid of random items that don't belong there. Hot sauce packets you'll probably never use, a wad of just-in-case napkins, and take-out chopsticks? If they've accumulated, you don't need to keep saving these. As for how often you should clean this storage item, once a month is a good goal, or whenever you plan on doing a deeper kitchen scrub-down.