Spring Cleaning Party: Tackling the Kitchen

Today we’re finishing off the first week of the Spring Cleaning Party with Day 2 in the kitchen. Be sure to link to your before and after pictures in the comments of Tsh’s post so we can see what you’ve accomplished!

Organizing and Cleaning the Kitchen

Tsh has some great before and after shots today of her cabinets as she describes the process for organizing food staples, pots and pans, kids dishes, storage containers and more.

Last week, I shared pictures of my kitchen, which I love because of its simplicity and function. My lower cabinets are organized in theory, but my 19-month-old thinks they are a treasure trove created just for her playing pleasure –and I think kids playing in the kitchen cabinets is one of the simple pleasures of life – so they rarely look organized.

I’ve also shared before about the many benefits of having an organized pantry. Organizing your ingredients not only saves you time and money, but also makes grocery shopping easier because you know what you have and what you need.

And finally, while you’ve got your drawers and cabinets cleared out anyway, consider reorganizing some of your kitchen, making use of “zones” to create a more efficient and functional space.

On the cleaning side of things, be sure to clean out the vent on the bottom front of your refrigerator, vacuum under the oven (if you have a drawer, they often pull right out) and get rid of any gadgets with broken or missing parts.

I think the kitchen is often the most cluttered room in the house because so much of it can be judged as useful as we try to justify its presence. Try taking a radical approach and packing up as many of the gadgets as you can to see how having more space actually makes your kitchen more user-friendly than the gadgets themselves do!

Quick Tip: Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances

While stainless steel appliances are pretty, they can often be a pain to keep clean and fingerprint free. Rather than buying expensive stainless steel cleaners, simply grab a bottle of baby oil next time you’re at the store. Use just a little bit, wiping it on with one rag and buffing it off with a clean, dry rag, for shiny appliances that can be touched up throughout the week!

Enjoy your weekend, and rest up as we get ready to tackle the rest of our homes next week!