Resolutionize: verb Enacting a mini revolution on your New Year’s Resolution. Small action with big impact.
Last week we talked about making fast food in your kitchen. I shared a list of 25 Meals in 20 Minutes or Less. This week we’re tackling kitchen cleaning.
My mom reads my blog everyday, and I know that as soon as she read the words “cleaning tips” she started laughing. (Hi Mom!)
I’m not known for being a clean freak. I strive for “live-able”. There are just a few things that really bug me. I can’t take sticky floors or crumby counters, but I don’t aim for spotless in my cleaning routine. In fact, I’m not sure I can really say I have a routine.
This is my list of simple tasks and tools that will have a big impact on your kitchen.
1. Run a sink of hot, soapy water before you start cooking.
This signals to me that it’s time to be neat. When I don’t have a sink of dishwater ready to use, I tend to leave the kitchen a wreck. But when I start with the sink full of water, I will wash as I go without giving much thought to it. The water triggers the cleaning.
2. Scrub the sink with Bar Keeper’s Friend and shine it with Lemon Oil.
I read about this tip on Hope Studios a few months ago. Jennifer shared that she scrubs her sink with Bar Keeper’s friend and follows up with a shine of lemon oil.
I decided to give it a try and I love the results! For just a few minutes of work, you get a super shiny sink. I think it keeps the sink looking better for longer too versus just a regular scrub. Kind of like the lemon oil protects it a bit.
Sink shining is something that Fly Lady recommends as a first step to getting your whole house under control. I can see why. That shiny sink makes me want to keep things neat.
I try to do this task once a week or so.
3. Swap out your dish towels and rags daily. Am I the only person who calls dishcloths rags? The word better fits how mine look. I need to invest in new. I do make it a point to grab a clean towel and dish rag every morning and toss the old in the wash.
4. Wipe up messes on the stove as soon as they happen. No matter what kind of stove top you have, the mess will be quicker to clean if you wipe it right away. That’s another good reason to have a sink of soapy water ready when you cook.
5. Clean a glass top stove with a razor blade and Weiman Glass Cook Top Cleaner.
These two things are the best for getting your glass cook top clean. The razor blade scrapes off anything that didn’t get wiped up right away. It doesn’t scratch the surface at all, kind of like scraping paint of a window doesn’t scratch the window.
The cook top cleaner can be found at Walmart and probably other stores as well.
First, wipe the stove with hot, soapy water. Scrape tough spots with the razor blade and wipe again. Then squirt a generous amount of the cleaner on the stove top. Rub it all over with a paper towel. Grab another paper towel and buff till it shines.
It only takes a few minutes, but it not only cleans the stove top, it also helps protect it from spills. It’s best to do this once a week, but I don’t get it done that often.
6. Mop the floor with vinegar. It’s cheap and it kills germs.
7. Wipe out the fridge when it’s nearly empty. You don’t have to do the whole fridge at once. Wipe up spills as they happen. And when a shelf is looking empty and easy to get to, give it a swipe.
8. Use a fun cleaner to motivate yourself.
I read this tip on The Nester and The Inspired Room, two blogs I’ve been stalking for decorating advice. Both of these ladies share creative ideas for making your house a home. They recently shared how much they like using Mrs. Meyers cleaning products.
I decided to give it a try too. I couldn’t resist when I saw them at Walmart. I mean, the label has a stick lady on it. I’m a sucker for stick people.
I chose Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Counter Top Spray, Lemon Verbena, 16 Ounce Bottle
(which reminds me of Miss Beadle in the Little House books). The scent is clean, but not chemical and I love how it cleans my stainless steel appliances.
Apparently, there are all kinds of Mrs. Meyers scents out there like geranium, lavender, basil, sweet pea, honeysuckle, baby blossom. This may require further investigation…
9. Simple Human trashcan.
Normally, I prefer a cheaper option for tools, especially for a trash can. But this brand is far superior to others I’ve seen.
Being able to neatly corral the trash is essential to a tidy kitchen. The investment is worth it for a can that is hands-free, closes without slamming and stays closed.
We have the simplehuman Step Trash Can, Rectangular, 10 Gallons, Stainless Steel
. We bought it with a gift card when we moved into our house. I was hesitant to spend that much money on a trash can, but I don’t regret it at all.
I have seen these on sale in Target. Even on sale, it’s an investment, but if you have to keep your trash in an open area of your kitchen, it’s totally worth it. If you can afford it, get yourself one.
10. Candles
Candles don’t make things clean, but they do make them smell nice. Whenever the cooking smells need to be cleared out, I light a candle. My favorite is Mulled Cider from Walmart. I haven’t found a favorite summer scent yet, but I’m open to suggestions.
Those are my 10 kitchen cleaning tips. Do you have any to share?
Note: None of the companies I mention in this post know who I am, but the Amazon links are affiliate links.
This post is linked up at Top Ten {Tuesday}. Find lots of other top 10 lists there!
My grandmother always had a sink of warm soapy water while she cooked and I almost always do that too. It really does help keep things flowing better. Thanks for all the hints. I can always learn something new.
Great tips! I’d never heard of the full sink idea before. Makes perfect sense to just get the dishes right in there as you go along.
And I LOVE Mrs. Meyers. Lavender for me. Smells so amazing.
I jotted down several of these tips! Thanks for sharing!
I take five minutes at night to make sure the kitchen is spotless before I go to bed. This includes shining the sink faucet, and making sure all the air-drying dishes are put away. I love having a clean kitchen to start the morning.
Great ideas–I love the invest in a fun cleaner. Seriously, I’m a sucker for cute packaging! Thanks for linking up!
Me too! And I adore the Mrs Meyers line!
One thing to add: If you don’t want candles in the house for whatever reason, you can add lots of things to a potpourri cooker and let it cook all day. I love to put in a little water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Orange or peppermint extract (just a drop) smell like Christmas. I’m sure there are other spices or extracts that would work.
Great tips and you are not alone my Grandma, mom and I all say dish rags. It must be inherited. I have seen the Mrs. Meyers products on Melissa’s blog too and I have been wondering about them. I will have to check them out. I love the idea of sweet pea in the air.
Excellent list. A clean sink and a clean stove top helps your mom groove so very much! I use a razor blade on my stove top (as well my my counters and kitchen table)!
You rock!
I love candles too. Sometimes, I light them, and sometimes, I put them on a candleburner. My favorite summer scent is coconut. I also like apple (not apple cinnamon) for the summer.
You and I seem to have similar views regarding cleaning. If one area of my house is going to be cleanest, it’s the kitchen. I can’t start cooking in a messy kitchen. I start it clean, and most often leave it clean – or at least EASY to clean (for others in the house who didn’t cook).
Hi Tiffany! Those are awesome hints – some I’ve shared myself. I always begin working in the kitchen with a sinkful of hot soapy water – works well. These are all really good tips – I clean other people’s homes…and need to clean my own! Isn’t that the way it goes? ha Hey –
check out my blog post today – you are there…www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com Thanks for all you do to keep me inspired!
My favorite kitchen cleaning tip is for the microwave. Fill a glass measuring cup with about 1-1/2 cups water – pour in a couple TB. of lemon juice. Turn on high for about 4 -5 minutes – let it stand and steam up the inside. Then all you have to do is wipe it out – and the lemon juice keeps it smelling fresh.
Thanks for this tip. I can’t wait to try it. Cleaning the microwave is one of my least favorite tasks.
Thanks for sharing this top 10 list of great ideas. I am going to look for that glass top stove cleaner. I haven’t tried that one yet.
Great list, thanks for all of the great tips. I too change dish cloths and towels daily, and totally agree with the glass top cleaning tip. If you let stuff sit on there for too long, it is so hard to get off.
Great tips! My favorite summer scent for candles is Sunflower. I love Gold Canyon candles or Yankee. Cucumber-melon is another fresh and clean scent.
I love using a vinegar solution! My countertops are shiney, so the vinegar cleans and disinfects them without streaking. I like having it on hand because it’s safe for the fridge, chrome fixtures, and the floor, too. The smell fades away quickly.
Does the vinegar need to be diluted?
I don’t think you have to dilute the vinegar, but you can make up a spray with part vinegar and part water.
Tiffany, Great Advice. I will keep this in mind as I clean my kitchen!
These tips are great! I really don’t like to clean, but I have made a resolution to overcome my dislike of cleaning and embrace that awesome feeling of working in a clean space. So your tips are very simple, helpful, quick and easy ways of keeping on top of things. Keeping a clean kitchen definitely is more inviting and inspires me to cook. I’m really excited to try using the lemon oil on the sink to make it shine. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Kim, I like the idea of embracing the feeling of working in a clean space. That’s focusing on the positive!
great tips!! thanks for sharing
Wonderful tips, they sound very practical! I’m doing a little cleaning tomorrow, so I’ll try them and get back to share! 😉