The kitchen. Yuck. For the room that we prepare food in, it can get nasty quickly. As someone who struggles with germaphobe tendencies, the thought of cleaning the kitchen can send me into a panic.
But over the years I have mastered a pretty simple cleaning routine that makes me feel comfortable with the level of cleanliness without taking 2 days and scrubbing floors with a toothbrush.
The sink is an issue unto itself. I remember as a child I always had to wear rubber gloves when I did the dishes because I couldn’t STAND the feeling of chunks of food in the water. *shudder* Especially lettuce. Can anyone relate here, or do I need to contact a shrink? I still harbor some residual fear of yucky, wet food scraps, but since we don’t have a garbage disposal, they have to be dealt with. Using an old fashioned sink stopper/strainer like this plus a pair of gloves solves that problem for me.
I have a porcelain sink, and if you have ever had one you feel my pain. Pots and pans, and even regular dishes, can leave scuffs and marks. Bar Keeper’s Friend removes them like magic! It also shines the chrome faucet up like new. Wipe the sink down EVERY time you use it. A squirt of Thieves Cleaner and a rag accomplish that job easily.
Try to keep excess clutter off of your countertops. If you don’t use an appliance daily, try to find room for it in a cupboard. This will IMMEDIATELY make your kitchen look more orderly. I use Thieves Cleaner to wipe my lovely formica countertops down, and a little Barkeeper’s Friend is anything stains them. I have heard other’s really like Thieves Cleaner on their stone countertops as well.
The stove is easy, IF you stay on top of it. I have a ceramic, gas stove and this is what it looked like when we moved in.
The people who lived here before us were here for less than a year and didn’t clean AT ALL while they were here. And apparently cooked a lot of greasy food. Bar Keeper’s Friend and LOTS of elbow grease cleaned that mess up. The oven probably should have been tossed, but where there is a will, there is a way.
Wipe the stovetop down after every use, and it should never really need a deep clean. I use Thieves Cleaner (shocking, I know).
I discussed how I maintain the floors in my mopping post. Don’t forget to wipe down your cabinets from time to time as well. And, don’t forget to dust! Picture frames, decor, knick knacks, etc.
How clean is your kitchen?
This is day 20 in my series 31 Days To A Clean House
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