Keep That Kitchen Clean!

It’s Pesach time again, and for those of us who are staying home that means major cleaning is going on. It’s never easy when you have to deep clean an entire house, however, I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, the kitchen is the most daunting room of all (besides for the playroom, maybe). While you might not be designing a new kitchen right now, you may be dreaming of the kitchen you hope to have one day. You might be looking up inspiration to figure out how to clean your kitchen and keep it that way, or you might actually be thinking of renovating. Whatever the case is, there are things you can do to ensure that your kitchen always looks as good as it does right after you scrubbed it clean but before you started all that cooking for Pesach.

If you are renovating or building a new kitchen, there are a few rules of thumb that are good to keep in mind while choosing floor plans, products, and appliances etc. For one, always make sure that you have a triangle set up between your fridge, sink, and stovetop. When these three appliances have easy access to each other there is less spilling, less items being left out, and less you running around getting all harried. Make sure the sides of the triangle aren’t longer than 6 ft. though, otherwise it defeats the purpose. An island is usually a great solution if you have a big kitchen but are trying to get a manageable size triangle. Another good tip is to choose seamless floors with very thin grout lines as that is where a lot of dirt accumulates and is hard to clean off. Large tiles or laminate flooring, for example, will usually do the trick.

Most of us, however, are not in the middle of an awesome kitchen renovation and are trying to make use of what we have. If you fall into this category, there are still things you can do to ensure that your kitchen will stay clean and all your hard work won’t be for nothing. For starters, you can take that cool under-counter garbage can out from down there. You are much more likely to throw things out right when they become garbage if there are fewer steps involved in getting to the garbage. Another good trick is to buy pretty liners for your spice drawer or condiments shelf. Liners are available in all sorts of designs including cork, marble, or wood style. If you put them underneath the spill-able food items, it will be so much simpler to clean your cabinets. Just switch out the liners when they get messy and voila! – brand new shelf.

There are also some things you can do to your kitchen that require some physical work. Most can be done alone or by professionals, however you prefer to get things done. These little tips include sealing your countertops to repel stains, painting over your cabinets with a high gloss finish that sets in a way that makes wiping dirt off super easy, or replacing hardware with pulls that can be used with one or two fingers to minimize the amount of grease you transfer while cooking. All of the items needed for these upgrades can be found in any hardware store and have simple easy to use instructions so that it’s basically goof-proof.

I know most folks out there are not looking for some major upgrade DIY project. We just want our kitchen to stay clean. While I cannot send elves over to clean for you there are also some really easy tips you can keep in mind that will help with this goal. Try to make a habit of cleaning as you’re cooking, wipe up any spills as they happen, put away ingredients as you use them, and throwing out garbage immediately .It’s also probably a good idea to switch to plastic cutting boards so you can put them in the dishwasher. Speaking of dishwashers, instead of putting dirty dishes in the sink, try to teach your children to rinse them off and place them in the dishwasher immediately. This will save loads of time and save you from that gross dried food leftover from dinner two nights ago that you keep “forgetting” to get around to.

I hope some of these suggestions were helpful. Kitchens are the happiest place in the home and one of my favorite rooms to design. However, because of this, they are also usually the messiest. Pesach is a time to clean and start new so try to make this year better, cleaner, and filled with yummy delicious new foods to fill the bellies of your loved ones. Good luck!

For any questions, suggestions, or comments feel free to contact me, Kayla Haber-Goldstein
[email protected]
www.kaylahomedesign.com

From the archives of Kayla LLC

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By: Kayla Haber-Goldstein, Interior Architect @ Kayla LLC