One of my pet peeves is a messy kitchen. If I could only clean one room in my house, I would choose the kitchen each and every time. It feels great to wake up to a sparkling clean kitchen in the morning. It helps to start my day on the right foot!
Today I’m sharing seven “magical” ways to keep your kitchen clean. No, they aren’t really magic, but they are so easy to do and after some practice, will seem second nature. Then you’ll always wake up to a clean kitchen. No more mess. Poof!
Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Clean
1. Keep sanitizing wipes on hand at all times. Those simple sanitizing counter wipes are a perfect addition to your under sink storage. Grab one and wipe down your counter in no time without having to pull out a separate spray and paper towel. These make major and minor spills easy to tackle.
2. Put plates directly in the dishwasher. Most dishwashers and soaps now don’t require you to rinse dishes before putting into the dishwasher. Instead of stacking plates and utensils into the sink, have everyone put their dishes right in the dishwasher. This takes just as much effort as piling them into the sink. Even your youngest kids can help with this!
3. Prepare food in containers they can be stored in. This is a huge way to cut back not only on dishes, but also wasted food. There are many great pots, pans and casserole dishes that are made perfectly for going from the oven or stove right to the refrigerator for storage. Make sure to be careful when using glass products. Allow them to cool off before putting into the refrigerator. Hot glass in a cold area can easily shatter and create a huge mess or possible injury.
4. Do a refrigerator purge every weekend. A refrigerator that isn’t cluttered with old or expired items will help you in so many ways! It’s 100x easier when your prepping meals and you’ll always know what you have on hand and what you need to buy on your next shopping trip.
5. Wipe down your stove top when it is still warm. Spill some pasta sauce on the stove top? Don’t let it sit and dry. Instead, while it is still wet and the stove is warm, use a wipe or sponge to clean up the mess. Be extra careful around the burners to not burn yourself. When the spill is still new, it is much easier to remove and requires less scrubbing. Cleaning as you go will also keep your kitchen clean and sparkling with little elbow grease or effort.
6. Don’t allow clutter on your counters. This tip may be the most important one to keep your kitchen clean. Banish the unnecessary clutter from your kitchen. For mail, kids’ book bags and other incidental items you can create a nook at the front entry or hang hooks and shelves outside the kitchen. For things like extra coffee cups, that loaf of bread or cookbooks, simply put things away as you go. Once you get into the habit, it isn’t hard to keep at it regularly.
7. Use under cabinet storage. One of the biggest methods of keeping those counters clean is to use hooks and shelves under cabinets to store everything from coffee mugs to paper towels or even small appliances.
These easy yet magical ways to keep your kitchen clean are simple for anyone to manage. Sometimes, it is the easiest things in life that actually make the biggest difference!
You might also like these Dishwasher Do’s and Don’ts or oven cleaning hacks.
Lynda Cook says
My tip is to have someone clean the kitchen for you, that would be nice!!
Erika Letson says
Great tips! You are so right about wiping down the stove top when it’s still warm. I really do need to work on cleaning my fridge more often!
Linda Bragg says
Great tips! I am guilty at having too much on my counter top….but I am limited on cabinet space so some thing I have to put away in a closet or another area until I need it. I do that with things that I dont use daily and maybe just on weekends…etc. when hubby is home to cook breakfast for. 🙂
Susan says
I’m with you — I love to have a clean kitchen. Due to lack of cupboard space, I have more on my countertops than I would like. I hope to renovate my kitchen next year and look forward to having more space to store items and get them off the counter!
Regina says
Yes to #6!!! My pet peeve.
M.Clark says
Not allowing clutter on your counter is a great way to keep it clean. A lot of people have counters that are cluttered with old and/or broken appliances and other items that they never use. These items are just sitting there collecting dust.
anna says
kitchen is the last room in the house I clean with joy. All that greese on the oven fan, tiles next to the cooker and so on…. hate it. The only thing I like – to wash dishes.