Every room in the house improves and looks better if it’s clutter-free and well organized. Especially the kitchen, it is the heart of a home where everyone gathers and enjoys a hearty family meal. This is where mothers and family members first learn to cook. It is the place in the home where the family spends time together and bond through cooking, baking and eating.
To make your kitchen clean, functional and lets you work with ease, keeping it organized and clutter-free are the key. With our kitchen cleaning tips list, we aim to help you with your cleaning dilemmas in the kitchen; from arranging your kitchen tools, organizing pots and pans and to keep things running smoothly.
1. You have to purge. In achieving a clean and well-organized kitchen, the first step is to purge. Take out all the stuff in your pantry, kitchen cabinets and shelves under the counter, cupboard and start sorting out things that need to be tossed and to be kept. Check for unopened boxes and cans of food and check the expiration date. Food items beyond their expiration should obviously be thrown and if you have food that is still unopened but is about to expire, consume it right away or you may donate it. Things you need to throw also would be broken kitchen tools like can openers that isn’t working anymore, pots with holes, or chipped plates, ceramic tea cups and cracked glasses. Give away things that are more than what you need or the unnecessary multiples like if you have 5 butcher’s knives, you may give one to your neighbor or friend or donate it. Check your gadgets, baking utensils, and cookware including the dinner ware. Things you don’t need perhaps on a regular basis or things you have never used at all, you should consider giving it away or maybe sell it especially if it is taking up space.
2. Clean out all kitchen cabinets, drawers and other storage areas in the kitchen. Each and every utensil, kitchen appliance and gadget should be taken out. Sort which ones should stay and which items should go. Include tossing out plastic containers without lids, single chopsticks and other items that you hope would find their other halves someday but you sure it will never come.
source from Joy Cho’s Grown-Up Candyland Kitchen
Now that you have taken out all the stuff inside the shelves, cabinets and drawers, start cleaning them with a bucket of soapy water or a spray of surface cleaner and a rag or with a sponge. Wipe out crumbs, flour and even insect droppings. You can also sanitize it by spraying with alcohol. Don’t put back anything unless it is completely dry. You may place foam liners to your drawers to prevent utensils from sliding every time you open or closes it, you may also add liners in the cabinet to protect the wood when placing heavy canned items or kitchen appliances.
3. Storage in the kitchen. Now your cabinets are clean and you have already purged your kitchen and have already determined whether your storage will make your kitchen function and look better. You can place small baskets inside your cabinet to store microwavable popcorn packets, energy bars, cookie boxes and other small packed foods. You can place hanging storage for your pots and pans and cooking utensils that you often use. Hanging them will give your kitchen counter more space and makes it clutter-free.
4. Things you need on a daily basis should be within arm’s reach. Dishes, spices, spoons and fork should be near the sink or near where you are cooking or near the stove. That would include your spatula, skillet and ladles. Your kitchen knives and chopping boards should be near where you will prepare the ingredients for cooking. Place near your baking area the storage for sugar and flour, rolling pins, stand-in mixer and cookie sheets.
source from Becca’s “Just Enough Space to Dabble” Kitchen
5. Put things out of reach, especially those that you rarely use. An example would be your turkey platter which you obviously use once a year during thanksgiving. Your holiday themed plates, dishes and cookie-cutters should be stored together, higher up or lower down in your kitchen cabinet.
6. To make you more productive in your kitchen, use storage containers like cookie jars and canisters that can easily be opened with one hand. Before buying something that you will use to store your flour, sugar, salt, other dry ingredients check if you can easily open it and is light enough for easy use.
source from Stylist Anne Parker
7. Consistency and diligence is the key to maintaining a clean and well-organized kitchen. When you have already assigned a place for all the stuff in your kitchen, it will be easy for you to spot if something is missing or if you are running out of ingredients. Thus you need to be consisting in keeping things in their proper place. Once you start messing up the arrangement, it will become chaotic again in no time.
About the Author
Kristy Jones – I am a DIY type of gal with a lot of experiences in architecture, crafts and basic house renovations. I love writing on my personal blog, biking, bonding with friends and, most especially decluttering things at home for fun. Currently, I am working as an office staff at A Click Away Remotes. I just want to focus on the growth of my career.