Tips For a Kitchen Clean Up

Whether you live in a railroad style apartment or an old Victorian house, the kitchen is the heart of the home. While most people associate cleaning the kitchen with major holidays, cleanings should be happening monthly or at least seasonally to make room for different fruits, vegetables or spices. In addition to clearing out that clutter from the cupboard, cleaning out your kitchen can help with dietary changes. By tossing or donating foods you don’t eat on a regular basis (or foods you’re trying to stay away from), you create a more mindful space to make better choices when you eat. In addition, there are plenty of eco-friendly cleaning supplies that don’t contain harsh chemicals (such as Earth Friendly, Mrs. Meyers and Green Works) which you can use to tackle those grease stains on your stovetop or ceramic countertop. We’ve listed some helpful tips below to get you started on your kitchen cleanup today:

Start with The Refrigerator:

You might be thinking that your fridge is always empty, but you’re just bypassing all of those leftovers and old jars of olives. Work your way through the freezer and the fridge by getting rid of any expired or freezer burned foods and old containers. Glass jars are great items that can be reused at a later time or for storing spices, utensils and even arts and crafts supplies.

Move onto the Pantry:

Just like with the fridge, your pantry has a supermarket’s worth of food hidden in the back behind the first layer. While you think you might get to try out all of those spices or cook with all those cans of beans, it’s important to separate what you usually cook with from the items that are just taking up shelf space. A pantry should go through a cleaning seasonally and you can donate all those extra bags of pasta, rice or canned goods to the food bank. You won’t be facing any expiration dates while helping others reap the benefits!

Clean As You Go:

This one is a simple solution to an obvious problem. No one likes to see dishes pile up in the sink or envelopes pile up on the countertop, but if you clean as you go, you create more space and minimize cleaning time later when you’re feeling exhausted. Plus, the dishes don’t accrue and gunk or slime if they’re taken care of immediately (and the bills get paid quicker).

Use Door Hangers and Racks:

The kitchen doesn’t have the best real estate for storing things, so you need to think smart. Using racks and over the door hangers to consolidate your cleaning supplies or spices are great ways to stay organized. Rather than keeping the soap by the sink or corralling all the cleaning products in the cupboard, your doors will do the job for you, creating that much needed extra space

The Junk Drawer:

Whether it’s flashlights, bills or rubberband balls, every kitchen has a junk drawer. By going through everything and clearing out what you don’t need, you’re making room in your kitchen for, well, kitchen supplies. You’ll have at least one free drawer dedicated to utensils or baking supplies or all those wraps and foils.