Keeping the Kitchen Clean
Whether you own your home or live in a rental property, a clean kitchen is a must. Keeping the kitchen clean is the number one way to prevent molds, unwanted guests (i.e. ants and mice), and every day stress!
Cleaning your kitchen usually start at the sink!
I don’t know about you, but in my home, the kitchen is usually the place to be. But after the family is done eating and hanging out, one person is always stuck with the task of cleaning the entire kitchen. That being said, I have found that putting together a system to clean your kitchen saves time and stress and doesn’t leave one person with the entire mess.
One Task At a Time
Instead of looking at the entire kitchen and feeling overwhelmed, break the kitchen up into three separate parts and then set a game plan.
The Kitchen Sink
Start with the kitchen sink. The sink is the center of the kitchen. If you have a sink full of dirty dishes you are more likely to want to eat out then create a new meal with more dishes to clean.
Not only will keeping the kitchen sink clean help you feel more efficient, it can also save you from nasty bacteria. Did you know that if not properly cleaned, more bacteria can grow in or around your kitchen sink than in the toilet? Grossed out yet? I sure am!
Floors and Counter tops
The floors and counter tops in your kitchen should be cleaned very regularly. Just like the sink, these places in your kitchen are magnets for bacteria. And if not cleaned, can also create an inviting space for rodents or ants.
Luckily floors and counter tops are very easy to clean. You can even use home products such as diluted bleach or diluted vinegar to spray down your counter tops to prevent bacteria. For floors just a good handy broom and a bucket of soapy water will do the trick. When mopping be sure to start on one end of the kitchen and then work backward toward the entrance so that the floor remains untouched until it dries. Products like Swiffers and wet floor cleaners have made mopping much easier these days, too!
Appliances
Your refrigerator, microwave and oven all need to be scrubbed down too! Scrubbing shouldn’t be that difficult if you are in a good rental home or have bought your own new appliances because there shouldn’t be that much to scrub initially.
When you do start to really scrub, be sure to use safe cleaning products for each individual appliance. What is used in the oven, might not be safe for the fridge. Appliances should be wiped down after each use, but should also have a deep cleaning regularly.
Deep Cleaning
While keeping your kitchen tidy will help make life more enjoyable, you should pick at least one day a month to do some serious deep cleaning. Deep cleaning is just as important as keeping your kitchen tidy. There are thousands upon thousands of germs that can pile up in your kitchen. Plus deep cleaning will really help make your appliances last longer.
Quick and easy tips
And finally, here is a list of quick and easy steps you can take toward a cleaner kitchen:
- Do a quick fridge sweep one day a week to discard any expired or moldy objects.
- Use a fresh dish towel every time you do dishes to eliminate bacteria.
- Assign a family member to sweep every other day and one to mop once a week.
- While cooking, clean as you go along. If you take something out of the fridge put it back as soon as you are done.
- Wipe down counter tops immediately following a meal. Don’t allow a mess to stay as-is.
- Empty the trash as soon as it is full or if it contains potentially smelly foods.
It is a guarantee that a clean kitchen equals a more stress-free you! So next time you are tempted to leave the pile of dishes in the sink after dinner, just remember that small steps now, save on big stresses later.