Problem: The kitchen is like a magnet for dirt. I’m left overwhelmed by what I see.
I really think someone could do a great dissertation on the magnetic force of the kitchen area to schmutz. I really clean it every day but it doesn’t seem to make a difference….
The key to my kitchen system involves a moderate cleaning (not SUPER deep cleaning, I’m not talking toothbrushes and toothpicks here) of 5 areas once a week.
1. My fridge. This isn’t really cleaning at all, unless something has spilled. It’s just trying or organize stuff. My family tends to just throw stuff in where it fits (are you shocked?). I need to just put stuff where it goes so we can find stuff. {be sure to see my post on organizing your fridge publishing soon}
2. Counters. We often have an ant problem. If I clean off the counters REALLY well with a vinegar solution once a week, that seems to help. Nothing crazy, just half vinegar, half water with a few drops of dish soap. I use a microfiber cloth to wipe it all up.
3. Stove. Most weeks I just clean it off with the vinegar solution, but sometimes I use this baking soda trick to get it really clean. I think that works as well as any commercial product I’ve bought. I have an enamel cooktop, which I don’t love, but it is what it is (and our neighborhood doesn’t have gas).
4. Sink. Fly lady got it right, having a clean sink makes everything brighter! I have your basic ugly white sink, and I use comet on it once a month (with a sponge), the rest of the weeks I either use dishsoap and hot water or vinegar.
5. In addition to these 4 areas, I try to organize an area of the kitchen every week. I tend to organize in circles, just going back to where I left off the next week.
These 5 things take about 20-30 minutes each week and it keeps the kitchen functioning pretty well. You just need to have a really clean foundation to run the week against.
If you’re looking for organization tips check out my organized home page! Tons of tips for every area in your home, including the kitchen!
Do you have a kitchen cleaning system? If you’ve blogged about it, link it below or comment with your ideas! Check out all my other cleaning posts!
Havok says
I wish having a clean sink made my kitchen brighter! It’s a metal-thing, that no matter what I do, still looks dirty, even though there is nothing in it.
I do need to get in the habit, though, of cleaning in the kitchen every day. Sometimes I’ll do dishes. Most of the time I don’t. Which is counterintuitive, but with our eating habits, if I do the dishes each day, I’ll still have dishes the next morning, and I’m not about to do dishes a million times a day.
Okay, I admin, I’m a lazy jerk, ha!
Hilary says
I had a stainless steel sink too when we lived in CA. I think this white one may look even worse… but someday we’ll both get upgrades, right? 🙂 When there’s just 2 of you, dishes seem even harder, not sure why. 🙂
Kelly Bryant says
Extremely helpful post! I need to do a deep cleaning in my kitchen once a week. I have two little boys and we are spending a big part of our time there. Sometimes when I have to cook they bring their toys and they play in the kitchen, so I can’t afford the room to be dirty!
Hilary says
I am a bit of a nazi about clean counters and floor in the kitchen, I hear you there!