When flipping through magazines or on social media, do you ever stop to stare at pictures of the most beautiful, perfect and spotless kitchens? Do you wonder why your kitchen looks nothing like it? I know I did until I finally implemented the hacks listed below which have now made my kitchen all sparkly and shiny. So, have a look down below if you too want your kitchen looking spotless all day.
- Clean as you cook
This is the number one, hard and fast rule for maintaining a clean kitchen. As soon as you start prepping your meal, it does not take long for the counter to be strewn with vegetable peels and cuts, condiments, spoons, pans and what not. As a result, a clean kitchen can turn into a huge mess in a matter of minutes.
Keep on top of things by cleaning as you cook. Dump the waste in the trash, put the condiments back in their place, wash the dirty dishes, and finally wipe the counter.
- Have cleaning supplies close at hand
Store your cleaning supplies under the sink in a cabinet rather than someplace else. This will encourage you to clean any spills and splatters right then and there without leaving it for later.
- Stay organized
A spotless kitchen is always an organized kitchen. The proper storage and organization system will go a long way in keeping things looking neat all the time. Do a little research beforehand when you purchase any storage containers or organizers. Not only will they prevent things from getting messy but you will also be able to store everything in a designated place without having to rummage through the entire kitchen in search for something.
- Make your time count
Rather than staring at the oven as you wait for the cookies to bake or lazing around while the microwave heats your food, use your time wisely in cleaning any mess in front of you. In doing so, you will cut your meal prep times by half.
- Do the dishes
As soon as you are done with your meal, load the dishes in the dishwasher. Don’t let it pile in the sink hoping to clean it later. Seriously, don’t! Putting it off for later will only deter you from the task and you will find yourself constantly procrastinating.
- Wipe down the appliances
Nothing is a more repulsive sight than a kitchen filled with dirty, grimy appliances. Just take a cloth and a cleaner and wipe down the toaster, sandwich maker, beater, coffeemaker, etc. as soon as you are done using them. To clean the blender, pour in some water and dish soap and turn it on. Finally, rinse with water and let it dry. The basin will also need a rinse with hot water followed with some scrubbing with a cleaner and cloth before finishing it off with a wipe.
- Say no to dirty stoves, ovens and microwaves
The stovetops are bound to get dirty with the daily cooking, therefore wipe it clean each day or once or twice a week.
Instead of getting down on your knees and spending hours scrubbing the hard gunk in the oven, put a heat-safe bowl of water in the oven for 20 minutes. Once cooled, simply wipe with a cloth and the dirt will come off very easily.
In case of a microwave, just place a bowl of water with some chopped up lemon in it. Let it run for a few minutes, take the bowl out and using the water wipe off the insides. That’s it!
- Check the fridge
Regularly check the contents of your fridge to see if any food is going bad or has expired. Once a week, wipe down the shelves with a cloth and cleaner. Lastly, polish the outside of the fridge including the handles.
- Clean the floor
Before you step out of the kitchen at the end of the day, vacuum or sweep the floor followed up with mopping to get rid of dirt, stains and sticky spots.
- Take out the trash
People usually forget to take the trash out before it starts stinking. A good reminder is to place it near the front door so you can toss it in the garbage when you head out in the morning. If it has already piled up, why not throw it out now?
Essentially, all it takes to have a clean, spotless kitchen are some good habits. So, keep following these hacks and soon enough maintaining the kitchen won’t seem like a big chore.
