Article Excerpt
A fresh, clean kitchen is hard to maintain. You're back to step one after every meal. But these routines and simple tricks may cut down your cleaning time.
Everyone in your home uses the kitchen. And, in newer, open-concept homes, the kitchen is no longer hidden behind walls, but clearly visible to all your guests. If you struggle to keep your kitchen tidy, these simple tips and new routines can go a long way!
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Organize
Tool: Stackable Wire Baskets
The idea is to use these wire bins to use these wire baskets to separate different items and foods. This prevents unrelated items from piling on top of one another or getting lost in the back of the pantry.
A well-organized kitchen is easier to keep clean. Collocating mixing bowls, measuring cups and mixing utensils, will simplify baking. Similarly, coffee, cups, and filters can all be stored in the cabinet above the coffee maker. Use bins in your pantry to hold similar items such as grains, pastas, seasoning packets, etc. Store your lids with the bowl or pan it goes with.
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Declutter
Tool: Appliance Lift
This appliance lift is an elegant and practical tool for larger appliances like food processors or electric mixers. It extends a small shelf up and outward from your bottom cabinets, allowing for easy access when in use and easily storable when it’s not!
You may have the coolest kitchen gadgets, but are they cluttering your countertop space? If you find yourself dusting your rarely-used Instant Pot, it should be removed from your counter and put in a cabinet or the pantry. Even if your kitchen is clean, it can look messy if all the countertops are covered.
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Counters
Tool: Disposable Counter Covers
This tool is a baker’s best friend. These disposable counter covers are thin but sturdy. They also stick to the countertop just enough to remain in place while cutting vegetables or rolling dough. Most importantly, they keep your countertops clean and your food safe from contaminants.
You should also measure, pour, and spray over your sink. Cooking spray is notorious for covering much more than intended. Lastly, always give your counters a good wiping with a disinfectant after meal prep.
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Dirty dishes
Tool: Sink Caddy
Having sponges and brushes laying around haphazardly isn’t a good look. The Sink Caddy holds your dish cleaning tools neatly in your sink. Brush, wipe, and put dishes away in the washer. Run the machine over night and wake up to clean dishes and a neat sink!
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Range and Microwave
Tool: Splatter Screen
Dirty stovetops, ovens, and microwaves attract bugs - especially roaches. One way to minimize mess is by using a grease splatter screen when frying. It may prevent you from getting “popped” by specks of hot grease, too.
A coffee filter is an effective cover for food in the microwave. Use your oven’s self-cleaning feature which uses high heat to decompose stuck-on foods, leaving behind a small amount of ash that wipes out easily with a wet cloth.
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Mop + Vacuum Combo Tool
Tool: Shark VACMOP™ Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop
The Shark VACMOP is the ultimate kitchen floor cleaner. As it wipes fine particles with a damp mop, it vacuums larger ones. This combo tool is perfect for both the crumbs under your table the sticky spots on the floor.
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What’s that smell?
Tool: Arm & Hammer 12-Count Sink Garbage Disposal Cleaner
If the trash has been taken out but your kitchen still doesn’t smell as fresh as it should, the garbage disposal is a likely culprit. Try Arm & Hammer’s Garbage Disposal Cleaner for stubborn gunk. For lighter build-up, Consumer Reports suggests a cleaning method that uses ice, lemons, bleach, and baking soda.
Other things to check may be old food in the fridge or rotting potatoes in the pantry. Both of these things attract fruit flies which are happy to spawn hundreds of eggs in your kitchen!
