We are continuing our Spring-Cleaning Series and today I would like to talk about the kitchen. This room is considered the “heart” of the home. It is where the magic happens, where food is created and friends and family gather.
Have you ever noticed that when you have friends over, they all seem to gravitate to the kitchen? Let’s talk about how we can make that “hub” of your home really work that magic we so want.
I have developed a cleaning printable that you can use to keep your home clean by only taking a couple of minutes each day. This is the guide that I use, but you can tweak it to work for your home. At first glance it looks…well…like a lot to do, but trust me, once you get going, it only takes around 20 minutes a day to keep up.
But first, you need to deep clean, so you can keep it that way. If this seems like a lot, maybe start by cleaning a little each day. Start with your oven and go from there.
I take everything out of my upper cabinets and put it on the dining table.
- Pieces that are broken get thrown in the trash immediately. I then take a look at what is left. I love coffee, but I do not need nor do I use 35 coffee cups.
- Donating these extra cups will give someone else a chance to own this coffee collection. Or give crafters a cup to repurpose into something else.
- What is left is my new coffee cup collection. I will not buy any more…maybe.
Do the same with your dishes. Broken items should always be thrown away. Glass dishes are not safe to use when broken.
I will do the same routine with the bottom cabinets. We are only talking pots, pans and dishes. Food will be addressed shortly.
If you have anything else in these cabinets that are not kitchen related, put them in a box to be moved to the correct room. Extra shoes go in the bedroom closet, not the kitchen cabinet. 
Now that the cabinets are empty, wipe out the shelves with a disinfectant and put down shelf lining. I have not been able to get the shelf lining I want, so mine are bare right now, but I’m hoping to get out next week. There are so many fun patterns to choose from and it just makes me happy when I open my cupboard and see a clean and pretty space.
Take a look at the items you plan on keeping. Wash each item and place it on the shelves in a well-organized way (keeping things you use more often up front).
Once your cabinets are completed, take a look at your drawers and do the same as the cabinets. Make sure to donate the duplicates and the items you never use.
Now for the food items, it goes without saying that you need to throw away any edible that is outdated, but did you also look at the dates on your spices? Trust me when I say this, I had spices dating back 5 years! I mean really?! Did I actually think they still had any redeeming quality?
Now take a look at what’s left. If you have unopened food items you don’t intend to use and are not expired, please donate them to a food pantry. There are many churches who donate food to the underprivileged.
When spring cleaning your home remember, you need to own your possessions and not have your possessions own you. Hoarding is very real and can be a scary, unhealthy place to live.
A clean, organized home is healthy for both mind and body. I love to come home to a clean house at the end of the day. Keeping it clean has been much easier when I take a few minutes each day to declutter and clean. I hope this helps you with your kitchen decluttering endeavor.
I would love to hear from you! I am excited to read your ideas on furnishing a beautiful home for the life you desire. I look forward to this journey with you! It has been a long time coming!
— Danielle
