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If you read last weeks Spring Cleaning blog about getting the outside of your home spring ready, welcome back! If you didn’t, I wont hold it against you but you should really check it out. Part 2 and beyond is going to focus on getting the inside clean and organized, starting with the KITCHEN.
On average we spend 12% of our lives in the kitchen. When broken down, that’s around 2.8 hours a day. I know some of ya’ll are thinking between cooking for a family with kids, prepping meals, cleaning, and then starting that cycle over again, it feels a lot longer! Keep reading for ways to keep your kitchen sparkling clean and organized to help with the hustle and bustle.
The Pre-Clean
First, take a look around and try to declutter as much as possible. Find a place to put lunchboxes, backpacks, sort through the 4 days worth of mail on the counter. Go as far as opening the cabinets and drawers and clearing them out. Toss broken utensils, plastic cups you’ve been accumulating, the wad of grocery store bags that is now overflowing, etc.
The Pantry
Take all the food out of the pantry and spread it out either on the countertop or table. Toss items that are stale, expired, empty, or inedible. Wipe down all the shelves with a multi-purpose cleaner. Arrange your food like you would see in a grocery store, placing like items together. I use these bins to hold granola bars, spice packets, and other little things. The boxes takes up a lot of space and I like being able to see when I’m getting low. Label containers that hold things such as flour, sugar, cornmeal, etc.
Other Cabinets
Remove seasonal items that only get used once or twice a year. Donate items you hardly use anymore and toss old items such as plastic, stained Tupperware. Wipe down shelves with a multi-purpose cleaner and place your items back in the cabinets. Now focus on the cabinets themselves. Wipe down the inside and outside of the doors and if your cabinets don’t go all the way to the top, don’t forget to dust up there.
Drawers
Take everything out and clean the inside with a multi-purpose cleaner. Place liner paper in the bottom if you would like. Toss old utensils that are broken, and donate any duplicates you have. Use organizers, such as these, to keep everything tidy. I have a system for where the things in my drawers are located. My silverware is closest to where my plates and bowls are. My cooking utensils are beside my stove, next to the drawer that holds my pot holders. Place things where they make the most sense.
Refrigerator
Take out everything that you can. Wipe down all the shelves, walls, and inside of your bins. If your bins hold produce, make sure your cleaner is safe to use and non-toxic. Toss any old leftovers and condiments that are out of date.
Other Appliances
Stove & Oven: clean the stovetop and burners. I have a glass-top electric stove, and this cleaner is AH-mazing. It gives it a brand new shine. Clean your oven and grates. For me this is my most neglected thing. I have a double oven and to me that means double the work.
Microwave: I have this steaming microwave cleaner that makes the job 1000 times easier. A microwave safe container with a water/vinegar mixture works about the same, but I feel like this little angry lady steams better.
Dishwasher: These Lemi-Shine cleaners have been my saving grace. I have such hard water and it seems like my dishwasher collects all the sediment. I use to spray CLR inside and scrub everything. Then I found these. You just sprinkle the packet inside and run a normal cycle with it empty.