The kitchen is often times considered the heart of a home. It’s a point of convergence for everyone, where we begin and end our days with conversation, meals, and family time. The kitchen is the center of day to day life and because of this, it is so important to have good daily habits and cleaning routines for that space. The dirt and mess build up quickly in the kitchen and having multiple avenues of defense can help keep your kitchen crisp and inviting. Here are some everyday tasks that you can focus on to help bolster this defense and cut down on the need for deep cleans.
Dishes, the most insidious kitchen task, lurking and waiting to cause trouble. Whether its emptying or filling the dishwasher, or doing the dishes in general, the most effective way of handling them is top speed and zero procrastination. Having a routine where you clean as you go while cooking is the most common tip among families everywhere. In addition, little things like emptying the dishwasher while the coffee is brewing each morning is another great habit to get into. Keeping the dishes and cookware in the cabinets as much as possible is key to a clean eating space.
Daily counter wipe downs and surface cleaning is really helpful as well. Make sure to run along the edges and small crevices too as these areas often get missed and build up a mess. Developing a quick clean kit that works for you and is on hand is a little trick moms have reported having success with. Many people keep a stack of paper or cloth towels under the sink next to cleaning spray to quickly handle spot cleans as they come up. Make sure to rotate and wash your kitchen linens as well, having enough to keep clean ones on hand all the time is the most preferred method. The enemy here is any exposed food. Keeping the clutter down on the counters and making sure no food is ever left out is pivotal in preventing bugs and smells.
Ultimately, the crumb stops with the floor. Mopping, washing, and scrubbing the floor daily isn’t always a viable option especially considering how often the kitchen is used. To help keep it clean try employing a simpler sweep broom and dustpan. When anyone is about to wrap up kitchen time and shut the light off, doing a quick sweep for crumbs and simple debris can go a long way to a long-term feeling of cleanliness and order. Keep the broom next to the garbage so you begin and end at the same spot before you leave. The best spots to focus on and make sure you give a good swipe to are the baseboards under the cabinets and the around the bottoms of the stove and refrigerator.
Managing these everyday tasks will lead to a fresher and brighter kitchen. It can be tough to get the family to fall in line at times but repetition is key, especially with children. Having everyone in the family help out and reinforcing these tasks daily will lead to fewer issues in the end, even if the short term is a little tricky to get through.
