Spring Cleaning in the Kitchen
“I dusted once. It came back. I am not falling for that again….”
Spring Cleaning Made Easy: Kitchen Tips for a Fresh Start This Season
You know those people who love to clean? Yea, me neither. Now, don’t misunderstand me: you could pop in on me unexpectedly and always find my house neat and tidy. But most of my dusting and vacuuming occurs on an as-needed basis – when company is coming!
But the kitchen is a different story. I cook every day and even I recognize the need for the occasional deep clean and organizational effort, and spring is the perfect time for that. So, from our talented designers (and cooks!) here are some great spring cleaning kitchen tips to get your kitchen in tip-top warm weather shape.
Cleaning Appliances: Tackling Grease and Residue
Do you always use your exhaust hood, even when boiling water? Or, worse yet, are you stuck with a microwave/hood combo unit that moves air about as efficiently as a toddler, blowing out their birthday candles? Then your kitchen probably has my #1 pet peeve “ick” factor: that sticky, tacky residue on surfaces.
Use your cabinet manufacturer’s recommended cleaner to wipe down those doors! And while you’re at it, remove and clean the filter on your hood. It’ll do a much more efficient job of cleaning the air of cooking grease, smoke, and steam.
Deep Cleaning Kitchen Appliances and Countertops
Your appliances and countertops are the workhorses of your kitchen. Show them some love with a deep clean and organizational effort! Run the self-clean function on your oven to rid it of all those heavy winter meats, then wipe up the resulting ash.
Deep Cleaning Checklist:
- Remove everything from the refrigerators and scrub down the interior, shelves, and bins
- Check expiration dates and wipe off everything before putting it back
- Don’t forget to clean the microwave, including the glass tray and any food splatters
Clean and Organize Your Countertops Effectively
Now the counters. Taking one section of work surface at a time, remove all the small appliances, utensil jars, oil or spice containers etc. Use the recommended cleaner for your countertop material. Then wipe each item, piece by piece, before putting it back in place. You could even see about storing some of the countertop clutter behind cabinet doors if possible.
Innovative Cleaning Hacks from Design Experts
It’s said that you learn something new every day. These next two nifty tops are ones I’ve never heard before. “For your stainless-steel sinks, moisten a soft cloth with a dishwasher rinse aid (such as Jet Dry) after you’ve thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed it, and the water will bead right off into the drain,” says Aston Smith, Senior Designer from Bilotta Kitchens’ Manhattan showroom. And the other tip, according to Bilotta designer, Fabrice Garson, is an easy way to clean crumbs and dust from your drawers and shelves. “Put the dusting attachment of your vacuum cleaner in the top rack of your dishwasher to sterilize it and make quick work of that tedious chore,” says Fabrice.
As long as you’re removing items from the cabinets to vacuum, take the time to sort through your kitchen cabinet contents just as you did with the refrigerator. I’m willing to bet there’s more than a few duplicates, expired canned goods and spices that are too pooped to be potent.
Creative Uses for Baskets, Shelving, and Cabinet Organization
So enough cleaning! Now for the fun part: kitchen organization! No household chore gives me more satisfaction than bringing order to chaos. And my favorite organizing tool? Baskets!! That pile of mail on the counter than never seems to go away? Get a basket! All that fresh produce that shouldn’t be refrigerated? Get a basket! And “basket” doesn’t necessarily mean wicker or reed. It can just easily be a wire basket or woven fabric. Either way, it can bring color and texture to your décor and help rein in clutter.
Sometimes the simplest ideas can have the greatest impact. What about adding an extra shelf or two in your wall cabinets? Instead of stacking items in a cabinet like a game of Jenga, additional shelves will allow you to store more and access it more easily.
Revitalize your kitchen with Bilotta Care & Maintenance! Our expert team offers professional cleaning, polishing, and adjustments for all cabinetry finishes.
Pantry Organization Potential: How to Make Your Kitchen Space More User-Friendly
Speaking of access, the worst offender in the kitchen is the pantry. Says Paula Greer, CKD and senior designer at Bilotta, “If you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in space, you could probably still benefit from some extra organizing (see baskets, above) and pretty containers, like mason jars or canister that can also be labeled, can help organize your pantry and more easily identify and access items.”
To maximize your pantry’s potential, consider the following:
- Add roll-outs to tall pantry cabinets to bring items to the front and prevent them from getting lost
- Retrofit your pantry with aftermarket roll-outs, available online and in home improvement stores
- Use kitchen storage solutions, such as drawer dividers, cabinet organizers, and containers, to keep your pantry organized and clutter-free
Some popular pantry organization products include:
- Mason jars and canisters for dry goods
- Baskets and bins for snacks and other items
- Drawer dividers and inserts for utensils and tools
- Cabinet organizers and shelves for maximizing vertical space
The Reward: A Clean, Organized Kitchen Ready for Spring
When you’re all finished, you’ll be exhausted. But the most used room in your home will be sparkling clean and neat as a pin – all ready for easy summer living.
This post was written by Paulette Gambacorta. Paulette has been designed kitchens with Bilotta for over 25 years.
Tips from the Experts:
Penny Bittner & Laurie Stolowitz are the founders of From Chaos to Calm. This dynamic duo works with homeowners to calm the clutter in their homes. Their tip is to organize your kitchen by stations. According to Penny and Laurie to de-clutter your kitchen you should set it up so everything is within reach for a given task:
- Prep Station: cutting board, knives, olive oil, the vinegar you reach for most often, garlic, salt & pepper. When you start to cook, this is the space in which you most often work. It’s close to the sink/stove/refrigerator triangle found in most efficient kitchens. Chefs organize their “mise en place” here, which means having everything in its place.
- Clean-Up Station: in/under/around the sink, ready for clean-up chores, this may include sponges, scrubbers and soap, garbage and liners, leftover containers, Saran wrap/foil. Less moving around means it goes faster.
- Coffee Station: ease into your morning routine! With coffee maker, coffee (pods, ground, filters), tea, mugs all grouped together, you can clear your morning fog with fewer steps.
- Cook Together: even the tiniest kitchen can function for two. With two cutting boards, you can divide the prep and each participate. Peeling and chopping go faster x2, and then you can assign tasks so that you can each take a part in getting dinner on the table.
