Clean kitchen helps | Sky32

Have you been feeling a little claustrophobic in your own kitchen lately? It certainly was.

When the pandemic started, I struggled to figure out how to juggle a food situation entirely at home. Getting used to making and eating three meals at home instead of the usual, if any on certain days, especially when there is a lot of commuting and little time to get home, certainly required some adjustment. , just like leaving an apartment in June which had a fully functional environment. Dishwasher for a house with a miniature that has been broken for months. Keeping the fridge stocked with healthy and nutritious foods is all on its own, especially for two busy adults whose schedules rarely allow for sharing lunch. But add to that a bunch of dishes that just keep growing throughout the day, a disaster refrigerator that seems to wipe out everything you really want to eat, and a r andom drawer and cabinet organization system, and all. the world would be forgiven. feeling overwhelmed walking through my kitchen. I did it and I live here.

About a month ago, I decided the kitchen was in need of a radical overhaul, and I can’t stress the imp act that even small changes have made to my small cooking space. Of course, there was the whole stack of dishes forever; we’ll get to that in a moment, but even taking the time to assess whether everything was stored in the most optimal spaces possible was helpful, as was cleanliness. Those little nooks and organization trays that can get really messy over time with heavy use. I’m still working on defining a perfect system to keep my house tidy. while emergency stop, but this is what I have so far.

Step 1: do a deep clean

Before I did anything, I started with a thorough cleaning of all the nooks and crannies, drawer organizers, storage compartments, and utensil holders in my kitchen. My worst offender here was the silverware organizer, which made me panic every time I looked for a fork. It was a rat’s nest with bread bag clips, zippers, rubber bands, forgotten packages of soy sauce or mustard, and a bunch of those little plastic lids that come with a fork, spoon. and a rather unnecessary towel. Everything came out, the drawer was rearranged, the tying devices were brought together in a compact container, and the plastic utensils found a place elsewhere in the drawer, rather than mixing with the cutlery we usually use.

The same goes for the refrigerator and cupboards where things had been placed on the shelves, whether or not that house was the most convenient place for that food, bowl, kitchen utensil, etc. Before moving on to phase two of this messy war, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Keeping a small space tidy throughout the day is much easier than having to clean thoroughly intermittently.

Step 2: take everything out and start over

Steps one and two can certainly be done together or in separate sessions. I had to work in stages to rearrange the whole kitchen as I don’t have a lot of counter space to take everything out at once. So now, for example, I’m revisiting this routine for my fridge right after or right before I go to the supermarket, when I’m running out of stuff and everything going out to rearrange isn’t that complicated.

In other places, after the objects used to put things above other things They had cleaned up, I did a serious check on where everything was stored and started moving things around to make them more functional. Tupperware that was used frequently was moved from an inaccessible top shelf to a drawer where it could be ready. Dog treats and dry food have been moved from the liquor rack to their own designated stall, previously unused. Bowls and plates were mixed up to be easier to reach, and kitchen utensils were rearranged in a way that didn’t take up as much space in my cupboards.

Step 3: invest in inexpensive shelving or organizers

Can I recommend a spice rack? I have something like this in my own house now to handle the spices, and it has helped me a lot to find what I need while cooking. Try a spice rack! I’ve also found that trays and organizers can help keep everything stuck in a designated area so that a drawer or closet doesn’t start looking like where you hide your shame. Entire parts of my kitchen had turned into a mess where I knew things were hiding but had no idea what they really were. Did you have olives on hand? Who knows! They may or may not be two feet behind a wall of precariously stacked cans, bags and boxes. Reader, it is not so!

Especially for the drawers, I can’t say enough about how the bamboo trays really helped control clutter in my spaces. The Container store has a few, just like big retailers, but I really like Ikea Vary the series many. I even could Catch that at Goodwill for a super low price, so if you don’t want to spend a lot on organizational solutions, keep an eye out the next time you’re at a thrift store.

Step 4: establish a routine

It will depend on how many people you have in your house, but establishing a good routine has been a big help in keeping my kitchen cleaner over time. At my house, we try to wash dishes on the go to keep things tidy, but it can be tricky if you get something done quickly between calls. And at the end of the day, there are always a few dishes in the sink. So one of us washes the dishes while the other takes care of dinner, that way the kitchen is clean for the morning and Dish Tower doesn’t become an eyesore that you have to walk through for several days before someone does not finally break down.

These are flawed solutions, of course, but they have helped. If we are to be inside our homes all day, every day, for the foreseeable future, we can also make it a place where wish you know