The Tidy LifeHow To | April 8, 2016
Spring cleaning can seem like a daunting task, especially in the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home and a place where we spend a significant portion of our time throughout the year. From preparing our morning coffee to cooking our nightly meals, it’s not always easy to keep up with the scrubbing, sweeping and organizing required on a daily basis. That’s why it’s even more important to have a detailed plan for how to clean a kitchen properly every spring. By following the simple tips below, you can achieve and maintain that spotless kitchen you and your family deserve.
All successful spring cleaning projects begin with a spring cleaning checklist. Writing down a detailed plan will save time and increase your overall effectiveness. Use the kitchen cleaning tips below to help create a plan that works best for you.
1.) Clean by category: Separate your project into specific categories like kitchen appliances, cabinets, drawers, counters, sinks, windows and floors. Clean your appliances first, then move to the cabinets, drawers and other areas. Leave sweeping and mopping your floors for last.
2.) Empty your refrigerator: After cleaning appliances like your stove, dishwasher and microwave, empty all of the items out of your refrigerator. Thoroughly clean the drawers, shelves and inside of your fridge. After cleaning, throw away anything that is expired before putting the rest of your items back in the fridge. This will help you later on during the organization portion of your project.
3.) Soak oven knobs in vinegar: Remove the oven knobs and burners and soak them in a vinegar solution to loosen debris. Also, the appliance is easier to clean with the knobs and burners out of the way. Rinse the knobs with hot water before putting them back in place.
4.) Empty your cabinets and drawers: After you’ve finished with your appliances, empty your cabinets and drawers. Clean the inside of your cabinets and drawers before doing the same on the outside. Throw away anything you don’t need before restocking your shelves and drawers.
5.) Sink, counter, then floor: Leave the sink, counters and floors for last. You will need the sink to clean items like the appliance knobs and refrigerator shelves, and you will also need the counters to stage the items you’ve removed from your cabinets and drawers. After all that is done, wipe down the counters and then sweep the floors. When that is complete, you can mop the kitchen floor on your way out of the room.
It is important to keep organization in mind throughout your kitchen spring cleaning project. The more organized your kitchen is, the better chance you have of keeping it clean throughout the year. Incorporating the following tips into your detailed plan will help you accomplish that goal.
1.) Check expiration dates: Check the expiration dates on all of your food items. The best time to do this is when you are removing items from storage. If the date has passed, throw that item away instead of staging it on the counter.
2.) Group similar items together: When you are restocking the items stored in your refrigerator, group your similar items together. For example, put all of your drinks on one shelf, fruit in one drawer and produce in another.
3.) Maximize cabinet storage: Put the biggest pots and pans together in your larger cabinets to maximize storage. Also, make things easy to find by putting similar items like glasses, bowls or serving trays in their own sections of cabinets. This will help you avoid wasting space and will keep things easy to access.
4.) Store cleaning supplies under the sink: Keep all of your cleaning supplies organized and away from any food items by storing them under the sink (if you have small children, consider moving cleaning supplies to an area that is out of reach or making access child-proof). When you are doing your dishes on a nightly basis, this will help remind you to wipe down the counter to keep your kitchen fresh throughout the year.
If you have kitchen equipment or household items that needs to be stored, consider ezStorage. We offer household storage solutions that will free up the space you need for a clean and organized kitchen. Check out one of our many locations throughout the Baltimore, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas to serve your storage needs.
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