10 Ways to Clean Your Kitchen Less Often, and Enjoy It Way More (original) (raw)
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She…read more
updated Jun 6, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
(Image credit: Sandra Rojo)
Once or twice a year it’s a good and necessary thing to dig deep and really scrub your kitchen. But what about daily maintenance? The stuff you can do the rest of the year to keep your kitchen clean and enjoyable? That’s what we’re talking about today.
Here are 10 tips that will help you keep your kitchen cleaner on a daily basis with less work. Bonus: These things will probably make you a little happier in the process!
1. Start with an empty dishwasher and an empty sink.
This is such a simple, but smart suggestion. Make sure your dishwasher and your sink are empty before you start cooking; this way, you can rinse and load messy tools and dishes right away instead of leaving them to sit out for a few hours (or overnight, or days!).
2. Clean as you go.
With an empty dishwasher and sink at the start of your meal prep, cleaning as you go suddenly gets a lot easier!
3. Wash your sink after you wash the dishes.
Faith washes her kitchen sink with Mrs. Meyer’s basil soap and warm water after every dishwashing session. She says: “It’s a rather soothing, satisfying little ritual, and it keeps the sink clean and smelling good. It’s a cleaning habit that’s good for the kitchen, and it makes me feel good too.” Plus, dishes don’t get extra-greasy or gunky as they sit in the sink, saving you time when you catch up on the washing-up. Win-win!
4. Do some maintenance work once a month on your cookware and knives.
Need to clean burnt-on stains and remove rust spots from your stainless steel pots and pans? Or just remove stains and polish? Maybe your knives have gotten a little rusty or spotty, and you want to get them shiny and new again, or they need to be honed. Once a month it’s a good idea to take stock of these items and address any issues before they get out of control and take a whole afternoon to address.
Some Helpful Stories
5. Oil your cutting boards once a month.
On the same note, all it takes is five minutes a month to maintain your wooden cutting boards. You can also do this for your wooden spoons! This saves time and money; you’ll replace these items much less often if they are cared for.
6. Get the right cleaning tools, and keep them close by.
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting ready to do a little cleaning or maintenance work only to be thwarted because you either don’t have the right tool, or you have to run around your house finding it. On the other hand, you probably don’t need 10 different kitchen cleaners clogging up your under-sink space. Pare down to the essentials and then store them neatly under the sink or in a cabinet you can easily access.
Related: The Smartest Ways to Store Your Cleaning Supplies
7. Keep your countertops clear, and then clean them properly.
Messy countertops — heck, even countertops that have pretty things, but just too many of them! — can make a kitchen feel untidy and claustrophobic, whereas mostly clear countertops are invigorating and inspiring. They also invite you to cook, instead of feeling like your kitchen is unready for you. Try clearing a few things off your countertop, and you’ll see what I mean!
2 Stories That’ll Help
8. Make sure your trash and recycling containers are big enough.
Do you have an overflow area for your recycling? My current trash can is one of those trash-and-recycling duos, but the recycling part is way too small, and I frequently find myself putting a paper bag (or two) next to my trash can for all my recyclables. This is not an ideal solution, as it makes the kitchen look cluttered and I constantly have to maneuver my way around the bags!
9. Develop good cooking habits.
With all cooking there comes cleaning, but how much and for how long you have to clean depends on your cooking habits. These eight tips have the power to transform your cooking (and thus, cleaning!) life.
10. Love what you love.
This is really less a cleaning tip than an overall life-in-the-kitchen tip. Enjoying your kitchen means really paying attention to the things that make you happy, and the things that frustrate you, so you can fix them. It means really taking care of that stock pot even if it only cost you $10. It means keeping seven crocks of wooden spoons even if your friends think they’re overkill. It means being open to new ideas, tips, and techniques, but it also means not apologizing for the way you cook, clean, shop, and feed yourself or your family, if it works for you.
What are your tips for keeping your kitchen clean every day, and enjoying it?