This post is sponsored by Clorox—helping you clean on the go for a happier home.
The kitchen is the heart of our home. It was in the last house, it’s that way in this rental and I’m sure it will continue in the home we buy (hopefully soon!). So much happens in the kitchen and it seems to be the place people congregate. In my childhood home, the kitchen was that place. It was a rectangle, kind of closed off from the rest of the house with a table that was a pull-out-from-the-wall deal and folding chairs that got tucked away in cupboards. Invariably, when people visited, a group would end up in the kitchen, sitting on the floor chatting with each other. I think my mom always wished for more space and maybe a comfy chair or two, but over and over it was proven it didn’t matter that the space wasn’t perfect. Being together and enjoying one another trumped perfect furniture.
My children often join me when I work in the kitchen. Most days I like it, although let’s be honest, there are days when all I want to be is alone. Nevertheless, most days the togetherness is comforting. While I cook and bake, the children play and create and live out imagined scenarios. Life happens here. And when life happens, so does the need to clean. I think at the end of my life, the column for time spent cleaning in the kitchen will be the highest. It’s not so bad; good food is worth it.
Keeping the kitchen clean is my sanity saver. The rest of the house could be in chaos but if the kitchen is clean and neat, I feel good. I think this is because I spend a lot of time in there and my time is spent cooking and baking and if it’s messy and dirty and disorganized, my work is that much harder. I know I’m not the only one who likes a clean kitchen and since I like to think of myself as a skillful cleaner and organizer— experience I’ve gained from being a bit of a cleaning fanatic—here are a few ideas to help keep your kitchen cleaner.
Clean up before sitting down
It’s really hard to get up off the couch once you’ve sat down, am I right? Especially after eating a good meal. Oh, it’s so comfortable! But my practice has always been to get the work done before putting my feet up. Some people (eh hem, MJ) aren’t believers in this method but I promise, cleaning up before you snuggle down ups the chance the clean up will get done.
Clean up before going to bed
This one is similar to the last one but making sure the kitchen is cleaned up before heading to bed ensures a clean and workable kitchen in the morning. Coming into a messy kitchen at the start of a fresh new day is definitely a positive-attitude killer for me. Before heading to bed, clean off the counters, make sure dirty dishes are in the dishwasher, put clean dishes away and clean out the sink. That way, when the new day starts, you don’t have to clean up yesterday before starting today.
Toss the dish rack
It seems weird but it works. We threw out our last rack when staging our old house for a showing and afterwards, I was surprised how much I liked not having it anymore. Dishes spent much less time in the sink ”drying” and the left side of the sink was finally available for other uses besides clean dishes holder. The kitchen profile looks better sans the rack. Plus, that gunk that accumulated in the utensil holder? Gone! So get rid of it and enjoy the freedom!
Utilize the dishwasher (if you’ve got one)
I’m always surprised when I notice a dishwasher being under utilized. It’s a machine that cleans your dishes! All by itself! Fill it with dirty dishes as you use them, don’t stack them up right above on the counter. While you wait for the racks to get filled, the mess of the dishes is hidden. Hurray! Also, consider washing items you might not readily think to put in the dishwasher. Check to see if your pots and pans are dishwasher safe, as well as other kitchen appliance parts from the stand mixer or food processor, for instance. Use it to make things easier for yourself. And then when it’s all clean, empty it promptly so it can be filled again.
Do something everyday
In our house anyway, the kitchen is a high traffic area. Lots of foods, lots of hands, lots of life on the counters, cupboards and appliances. Addressing these areas everyday keeps the mess, and dirt and germs to a minimum (though sometimes, I love it when I find a corner I’ve missed for a few days because there is more gunk too wipe up. I’m weird!). Because I’m cleaning everyday, I keep things simple by using CloroxⓇ ScrubSingles™ kitchen pads. They are a disposable pad, preloaded with the power of Clorox so all I have to do is wet them and wipe. It’s so easy I don’t even have to stop and make time to clean; I just do it as I go.
Cleaning doesn’t need to be a ”stop everything and clean” type of situation, for the kitchen or the rest of the house. Keep up by incorporating simple cleaning acts on a daily basis—they will become habits soon enough—and utilize appliances. With these little tips, you won’t have to be a fanatic like me to have a clean kitchen.
This post is sponsored by Clorox. All opinions and ideas are my own. Thank you for being supportive of our sponsors.
