Everyone has one of those friends, neighbors or relatives whose kitchen is always spotless, no matter what. How do they do it? We can't answer that, but we can share the best secrets from Right@Home™ members and other experts for keeping a kitchen shipshape.

1. Accomplish a little each day.

Schedule a small amount of tidying each night as you're cleaning up the dinner dishes. For instance, on Wednesdays you could clean the stove, and on Sundays you could check the fridge for leftovers that should be thrown out. This kind of daily routine helps keep your kitchen in good shape, without having to spend hours at a time.

2. Use your dishwasher.

These days, it seems like everything is dishwasher safe. So take advantage of it! Member Ardis Y., for instance, takes apart her electric can opener and puts the nonelectric parts in the dishwasher. Stove drip pans and burner covers, small refrigerator shelves, plastic drawer organizers and other plastic or metal items can probably go in the dishwasher—just make sure to load plastic items onto the top rack.Some experts believe that dishwashers use less water than hand washing, so as an added benefit, you could potentially conserve resources and save on your water bill while saving time and energy. If possible, run the dishwasher only when it is fully loaded. To see if something is dishwasher safe, check your product manual, the manufacturer's Web site or a customer service number.

3. Get a new perspective.

As you're cleaning your kitchen, stand on a step stool or a chair and take a look around. From the higher perspective, you'll be able to see spots you might have missed or areas that need attention, such as the tops of cabinets. Conversely, if you sit or kneel on the floor, you'll probably see lower cabinet doors that need washing or crumbs that should be vacuumed up.

4. Work top to bottom.

When you're doing a deep cleaning of your kitchen, it makes sense to take it from the top: start by dusting cabinet tops; then wash cabinet doors (and wipe out cabinet interiors as needed); move on to wiping countertops, then under-counter cabinets and finally the floors. As dust and crumbs fall while you're working, they're not falling onto areas you've already cleaned—so you'll avoid having to clean an area twice!

5. Cover it up.

Beverly M. of Louisville, KY, discovered an easy way to keep the top of her refrigerator clean: she covers it with Saran™ Premium Wrap to catch dust and spills. "When it's time to clean, I just remove and replace the Saran™ Wrap," she says. Similarly, you can cover cabinet tops with Saran™ Premium Wrap. When the wrap gets dusty, simply discard and replace it with a fresh layer.

6. Get creative with your cleaning tools.

When your sponges and cleaning brushes won't work for certain tasks, look around your house for an ad-hoc tool that can help. The tip of a chopstick or pencil wrapped in a piece of paper towel is just the right size to clean the crevices in an unplugged countertop grill or waffle maker, while a retired toothbrush with some fantastik® All Purpose Cleaner With Bleach can scrub away debris around handles and knobs and gunk from your sink drains. And a plastic knife can scrape baked-on spills from the stove or even chip away debris in the space between the stove and the countertop.

7. Take it outside.

If your kitchen is small, it can be hard to maneuver when you're cleaning it. Wash bulky items such as refrigerator shelves and oven racks in the bathtub or even outside, in a basin of water. You'll have more room, and you'll be less likely to splash water on the floor.

8. Wipe up spills right away.

Grab a paper towel or Windex® Original Glass Wipes to wipe up spills and drips as soon as possible. It's much easier to get rid of them while they're fresh than after they dry and need scouring. What's more, even a splash of milk on the floor can turn the entire kitchen into a sticky mess once the kids or pets start tracking it around.