With (slightly) warmer temperatures and longer days, I view spring as a season for new opportunities and renewal. Trees are beginning to bud, birds are building their nests, and flowers are starting to bloom. All the newness that comes with spring brightens my mood and brings a new level of motivation- motivation I desperately need when it comes to deep cleaning my home!
Below is a checklist that I use to get my kitchen back in order after a long winter. If tackling your kitchen seems overwhelming, start with one task and work your way up to completing your entire space over the course of a few days or a week.
- Work from top to bottom: I enjoy entertaining family and friends around the holidays but that often leads to serving dishes and random kitchen items getting placed in spots they don’t belong. When I need them again, I often have a hard time remembering where I placed them! To clean my kitchen, I like to start by emptying all the upper cabinets first and then moving to the lower cabinets, countertops, and finishing with appliances.
- Empty cabinets and drawers: You’d be surprised what you might find after you empty out an entire cabinet or drawer. Aside from random crumbs, I often find items that have been misplaced. This is a good opportunity to donate or sell items I no longer use, as well as wipe out any dust or crumbs that may have snuck their way into the cabinets and drawers.
- Clean appliances: I love to cook so I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Because I use our appliances daily, they need a deeper clean several times a year. I start by wiping the exterior of the appliances (microwave, dishwasher, stove) before tackling the interior. I use a mixture of baking soda, water, and dish soap to remove any grease or stains.
- Tackle the fridge: One of the final items on my list is to clean out our fridge. Cleaning the fridge always feels like a daunting task but once you get started, it can be really rewarding! I remove all the food items from the fridge so I can wipe out the shelves and wash the drawers with warm, soapy water. Once the inside is clean, I go through the food items- this includes tossing old condiments, wiping down the outside of food containers with a damp cloth, and reorganizing the items as I place them back in. Once the fridge is complete, I move to the freezer.
Check out Spend Smart. Eat Smart. for some additional tips on organizing your kitchen. Spring cleaning is a great way to reset your house so you can enjoy summer to its fullest. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and start small. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish once you get started!
