Order in the Kitchen Without Stress: Tips That Really Work 0 8

Cleaning the kitchen is a completely necessary task. And since we don't have housekeepers, let's figure out how to turn this tedious and unpleasant chore into something simple and almost enjoyable, writes prelest.

So, let’s transform the drab dirty kitchen into a shining beauty.

What Needs to Be Done Every Day?

If day after day you pile dirty dishes in the sink, brushing it off with "Later!", if you constantly forget to clean the stove and tiles on time, if you create dirt in the kitchen cabinets... No, the end of the world won't come, but it will be unpleasant to enter your kitchen, let alone enjoy a meal. So remember the first rule: dirty dishes need to be washed immediately! After dinner, take five minutes to wash the plates, forks, and pot.

My friend, who works a very demanding schedule at a serious company, rushes home during her lunch break for literally twenty minutes, but she never leaves behind dirty plates and cups. "You can always find a minute to rinse the dishes under the tap!" she says, not wanting to accumulate a pile of dishes with dried food remnants by evening.

If you have a little more than a minute, do a quick clean-up right after eating. This is the second rule. Hide any leftover food in the fridge. Check for any dirty dishes. Wipe the dining and cutting tables, and the stove with a sponge and special cleaning solution. The kitchen sink must be cleaned of grease and dirt! Finally, you can literally vacuum or sweep the floor and wash it in just a couple of minutes.

The third rule – throw out the trash often! If you leave the house several times a day, take a bag with food scraps and other waste each time. Otherwise, an unpleasant odor will quickly settle in the kitchen, which will be hard to get rid of. By the way, those repulsive "aromas" are not the only negative aspect of the trash can: bacteria and microorganisms actively multiply in it. Do you need that?!

The fourth rule – do not use sponges for dishes for more than 2-3 days! Change kitchen cloths and rags more often. The reason is the same: the accumulation of pathogenic bacteria and microbes, their rapid reproduction. With a dirty sponge, you’re not washing the dishes, but dirtying them! For items that can be washed (reusable cloths, towels), try to change them every day.

The fifth rule – do not go to bed in the evening until the kitchen is tidy! Just imagine: how nice it is to enter a clean, sparkling kitchen in the morning and start preparing breakfast! So take 10 minutes of your precious time to go to bed with a clear conscience.

What Needs to Be Done Once a Month?

Of course, once a month is very conditional; some people do such a thorough cleaning every week. It depends on your strength.

1. Gather ALL dirty dishes (including pots, pans, baking trays, and anything else you haven't gotten to) in a large basin, fill it with hot water and detergent.

2. Take everything out of the fridge, remove any removable parts, and put them in the soapy solution as well.

3. Sprinkle (or pour) cleaning solution on the kitchen stove.

4. Wash and dry all cabinets and drawers, as well as the table. Of course, while doing this, you need to sort through all the contents of the cabinets; throw away anything unnecessary or questionable, and neatly stack what remains.

5. Now go through all the products in the fridge, check the jars of grains and spices, and get rid of the excess.

6. Has the stove "soaked"? Great – just wipe it down.

7. Clean the fridge until it shines.

8. Clean the tiles.

9. Return to the soaked dishes and wash them all.

10. Finally, wipe the floor – and the kitchen will shine with cleanliness!

And now – the most important thing. If you do daily what I suggested, you will spend minimal effort and time on your monthly (or weekly) cleaning.

How to Maintain Constant Order in the Kitchen?

To make order in the kitchen a habitual state, rather than a surprise for your household from time to time, you need to perform several small and simple actions – but constantly!

Make sure that every item in the kitchen is always in its place. This means – where it is convenient for you. It’s very simple: pots and pans are best kept near the stove (or under it, depending on the furniture). Cutting boards, knives, and various bowls should be near the sink and work surface. Plates and other dishes – in cabinets or drying racks, close to the sink.

Grains, spices, pasta, and other items should be within reach. To make it easier for you, gather all grains and other bulk products in one cabinet, in nice jars. Sugar, salt, tea, and coffee should also be here. Allocate a separate shelf for spices.

To prevent various kitchen odds and ends (like molds, lids, and caps) from lying around everywhere, you can group these items in containers.

Set aside all items that you use rarely and send them to "exile" – somewhere in the pantry, on the top shelves, or on the balcony. The remaining items that you need every day can be conveniently placed within reach.

If your kitchen has completely unnecessary things (like a tacky figurine gifted by a colleague, an old dusty cactus, or a broken meat grinder that you somehow feel sorry to throw away) – ruthlessly send them to the trash.

Of course, it’s unrealistic to avoid cleaning altogether. But by following our tips, you can spend no more than 15-20 minutes daily tidying up the kitchen (time yourself if you don’t believe it!) and an hour on a deep clean. And this process will stop causing you an overwhelming aversion.

And one last piece of advice. If you are planning to buy new furniture for the kitchen, choose it based on the amount of dishes and kitchen utensils you have at home. Perhaps you don’t need huge cabinets in incredible quantities, and a minimal set will be enough – then there will be much less mess, and you can clean up faster!