I’d like to share a few Simple Tips for Keeping a Tidy Kitchen each day. I have not perfected the keeping of this space, but I hope to give you a few ideas that may enable you in your homemaking routine.
It has taken some time to get into a rhythm of keeping our farmhouse kitchen clean and tidy. I’ve become more efficient with this particular space as my toddler and baby demand more and more of my time. I also want basic products that get the job done while also remaining non toxic for my family. My number one kitchen cleaner is my DIY Natural All Purpose House Cleaner.
Looking for even more natural cleaning products? Check these out: Non-Toxic Glass Cleaner, Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and All Natural Febreeze Spray.
Simple Tips for Keeping a Tidy Kitchen
1. Keep it Minimal
Items in the Cabinets:
This means only having items that we use on a daily basis or are important enough to need on occasion. For example, I don’t keep multiples of tools like pizza cutters or can openers. Choosing which items are important enough to store in your kitchen is completely dependent on your lifestyle and family situation!
Countertop Clutter:
I keep the surfaces in my kitchen clutter-free. The term “clutter” again depends on many variables in your life. For me this looks like as few appliances left out as possible. We keep our Kitchen Aid mixer and coffee pot out at all times, but all others such as the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, and toaster are stored in a cabinet.
Decorations:
I have a few decorative items on the counters, but most of them are still functional. For example, I have three cutting boards propped up on the counter. I use all of them, but they are also aesthetically pleasing enough to double as decorations. The same goes for items like out antique coffee grinder, ironstone platters, bowls, and pitchers, and old baskets.
I have a few exceptions to this standard for decorations: the copper skillets hanging on the wall, a small picture of a landscape, and an embroidery that says, “Bless this House”.
2. Clean While You Wait
In all honesty, this might be the main way I get any cleaning or tidying done in my kitchen! What does this look like for me? Wiping out the cast iron skillet while the bread is in the toaster, washing dishes as the cookies bake (and setting a timer so I in case I get side-tracked!), removing countertop clutter while the water boils, and so on.
What all of this boils down to is…multitasking! Which I know is something we homemakers and mommas do all day everyday in order to manage everything on our plates!
I’ve recently tried to hone in on which tasks are most important to accomplish when multitasking. For example, it isn’t always priority to clean up the toys in the living room when the dishes are stacked high…so I do the dishes while the casserole bakes so I can relax while eating dinner instead of staring at the mountain in my sink. It also may not make sense to deep clean the fridge as the water boils when leaving breakfast dishes on the table will only result in the toddler overturning them all! You see what I mean here.
I have noticed that the multitasking that I do in the kitchen is most effective when I rank my tasks by importance.
3. Wipe the Sink Out After Washing Dishes
I used to have a habit of leaving the sink exactly the way it was after all of the water drained out of it. It was unpleasant to see all of the grime and build up sitting there, but I just hadn’t developed a habit of consistent cleaning yet. I’ve gotten much better with this as I’ve grown as a homemaker (and as the dishes demand increased with the addition of little boys!).
I make it a point to empty the sink drains (if needed) and wipe the sink out after each dish washing time. This quick clean prevents a larger mess from building up by the end of the day. It also pleases me to see a shiny sink alongside the clean dishes…bonus!
4. A Nightly Reset
With two little boys who wake up early, my morning time is very precious and I don’t like wasting it on projects I didn’t finish the night before! I try, to the best of my ability, to put my kitchen to bed tidy and ready for tomorrow’s use. This allows me to wake up to a clean slate without any of yesterdays tasks to complete today.
For our family, this looks like:
- Washing, drying, and putting away dishes.
- Wiping down all surfaces (counters, stove, table, and sink).
- Sweeping or vacuuming (if needed).
- Replacing the wash cloth and towels with fresh ones.
- Emptying the sink drains.
- Putting away anything that is no longer in use (such as the phone charger, essential oil bottles, and paperwork).
Please don’t be overwhelmed by this list. I’ll be the first to admit that all of these tasks don’t get done each night. And that’s okay! The whole concept of the nightly reset is thinking about what you enjoy waking up to the next day. Don’t pressure yourself to do all of the dishes if it doesn’t bother you to do them in the morning. Leave the floor unswept if it just isn’t dirty enough to justify it to you. The nightly reset should be customized to you and your family’s needs and desires!
5. A Weekly Deep Clean
This is exactly what it sounds like…a good clean of the entire kitchen space. In our kitchen, this means wiping down any item on the counters or table top, dusting wall decorations, shelves, and the top of the refrigerator, giving the stovetop and microwave a deep wipe down, and mopping the floors. Once again, the deep clean for your specific kitchen will vary from mine, but this is a time give the whole space a clean that suits you!
More on Homemaking
- For the Homemaker | Quotes to Encourage | Part Two
- For the Homemaker | Quotes to Encourage
- Adding Antiques to the Farmhouse Kitchen
- DIY Natural All Purpose House Cleaner
- Non-Toxic Glass Cleaner
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