The kitchen is the hub of the home, the place everyone in the family spends most of their time, the place where friends gather. Since the kitchen is a gathering place of people it can also quickly become a gathering place of stuff. When the clutter begins to pile up it can feel like the room is stale and tired. Follow these tips to freshen up and bring new life to your kitchen by getting the clutter under control.
Clear the Counters
The fastest way to give the kitchen a quick makeover is to take everything off the counter and put back only the essentials. Even a small kitchen can feel much roomier and airy with just a few very needed things out on the counter. Maybe even consider hanging a few things, like cooking utensils, up on the wall over the counter.
Sort out the Spice Cabinet
A commonly cluttered area in most kitchens is the spice cabinet. If you are playing the lift and look game when you are cooking a spice-filled dish it is time for a spice jar organizer. You will be glad you invested in it the next time you are cooking.
Clean the Disposal
Funky smells coming from the disposal makes people want to run to fresher smelling rooms. Get rid of the funk by cleaning the disposal with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda sprinkled right into the disposal. Let it sit for a few hours (make a sign to tell others not to use it) and then run the disposal with plenty of water. To make it and the kitchen smell good again grind up a few small pieces of citrus including the peel, or eat the whole piece of fruit and throw all the peels in the disposal. You can use lemon, lime, grapefruit, and oranges.
Take on the Tupperware
It is a running joke that every lost sock in the laundry returns as an extra Tupperware lid. Pull everything out of the cabinet and match every container to its lid. Get rid of anything that doesn’t match up or never gets used. Put everything back in stacks of the same shape. Or if you can afford to just get rid of the several different sets and buy a few new matching ones that are made to stack together neatly.
Put Out Just a Few Pretty Things
We did say to keep the counters nearly free of objects, but adding just a few pretty items to bring some color and style into the space will do wonders. Consider a few small plants like herbs, or succulents if you don’t have a green thumb. Hang a fresh dish towel, get a pretty soap dispenser, put out a bowl of fruit for a pop of color and/or a vase of fresh flowers.
Restyle the Fridge
Wipe down the fridge and get a few clear organizer bins to help cut down the chaos and keep like things together. Once the inside is streamlined its time to turn to the outside. Let go of all the fliers, schoolwork, and Christmas cards that have become like wallpaper. Toss all the old things you no longer need, create a place to display the latest school work and a system to save the old, and maybe get a bulletin board to hang up each year’s cards. A clean fridge front not only cleans the kitchen it will be a great way to release stress.
Create a Peaceful Pantry
It is very easy for the pantry to get out of control and before we know it we have a five-year-old can of beans hidden in the back corner. Pull everything out and re-categorize it so you can easily and quickly find what you need when you need it, and if you’re lucky maybe even cut down on the kids asking you where something is.
Get Rid of Grimy Grout
Dingy grout makes your tile look like it could use a complete remodel. Even the most diligent of kitchen cleaners can end up with grimy grout over time because grout is very porous and regular cleaning tools won’t reach the deepest down areas. Call in a professional to do some intensive grout cleaning followed with a sealant. You will marvel at your seemingly new kitchen. For grout cleaning in Mill Creek and surrounding areas make an appointment online or over the phone with All Kleen.
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