4 Days to a Spotless (and Efficient!) Kitchen
By Kristin Hillery from Modernize.com
Pots and pans on the stove with remnants of last night’s dinner, spices randomly stashed in three different cabinets, dirty dishes piled a mile high in and next to the sink — we’ve all been there, and it’s not pretty. Since the kitchen is such a busy place, it can turn chaotic pretty quickly. But, fear not: We’ve compiled this how-to that’ll get your kitchen spotless and organized before the week’s up. The idea is to spend one hour every day on each step. Ready to have a kitchen you won’t want to hide from? Let’s do this.
Day 1: Cabinets
We found this one charming and functional,photo by Yvonne Eijkenduijn, creative commons 2.0
Especially if you’re short on storage space, organized cabinets are an essential part of an efficient, functional kitchen. Start off by taking everything out of each cabinet and getting rid of items you don’t use (donate ‘em) and any expired ingredients (toss ‘em). Clean the inside and outside of each cabinet while they’re empty.
Before you put everything back in, group similar items together. Cups should all be in one place, spices neatly organized together, bowls and plates together. Think about how you typically use your counters, and use that to determine where things should go. For example, you might want to have all of your cups close to your fridge, and you might want to keep your spices close to the stove or a spot you typically prep meals.
photo credit: paul goyette via photopin cc
Day 2: Counters
Read Chaya’s blog about maximizing counter space here.
You’ll enjoy cooking way more if you have a place to work, so take this opportunity to maximize your counterspace. Any appliances you don’t use often need to be stored in a cabinet or pantry, or donated. If you’re short on space, consider getting rid of your bulky knife block and putting up a magnetic strip on the wall to hold your knives. Ever wind up with random mail or keys on the counter? Make a place for those items by placing a small mail organizer and catch-all bowl on the counter with hooks on the wall for keys and purses.
Day 3: Pantry
It’s so easy to just put cereal, snacks, and other pantry items wherever, but organizing that little space will make your life way easier. Remember how you organized your cabinets a couple of days ago? You’re going to do the same thing with your pantry today: Take everything out and toss any expired or stale foods. Use your pantry’s shelves to organize by type of food. It’s up to you to decide what’s best, but less frequently used ingredients or even appliances could go at the very top. Bonus points: Use clear, airtight containers to store cereal and snacks.
Day 4: Refrigerator and Freezer
Oh, man. Bad fridge smell is no good. You might have it, you might have had it for longer than you want to admit, or you might be on your way to having it. Regardless, now’s the time to go through your fridge and freezer and get rid of anything that resembles a science project gone wrong. That pickle jar with just the juice left in it? It’s gotta go. The shriveled up cucumber at the back of your crisper drawer? Bye-bye. The steak you put in the freezer 2 years ago? Nope. Take everything out and clean every nook and cranny. If your fridge has removable drawers and shelves, take those out and clean them in your sink. Organize similar items together on shelves.
Day 5: Enjoy
Four days of hard work calls for a celebration. Bust out the champagne glasses (you’ve stored them in the cabinet with your other glasses!) and enjoy the view — a kitchen this gorgeous is something to admire. And because you’ve spent time organizing, you’ll be able to keep it looking fabulous.
Kristin Hillery writes for Modernize. We want to thank her for this motivating piece that breaks a big job down into bite-sized tasks.