Cleaning Your Kitchen

Posted by Sylvia

It occured to me today that the reason so many women may have difficulties keeping their kitchens in order may be because they don’t know exactly how to clean them on a daily basis.

If you’ve read my articles in the past, you realize that I am not criticizing you or your homemaking abilities when I say you may not be cleaning your kitchen properly. I hope that if you are not satisfied with the state of your kitchen, that you will allow me to suggest some ideas to help you.

Every homemaker wants a clean and orderly kitchen. It is the center of much activity in most households. Poems and odes have been written to the kitchen. Especially if you are a homeschooling family, the kitchen is a vital area in your home. So much more should it be clean and organized.

But that’s not the only reason for having a clean kitchen or the most important one. The kitchen is where our meals are prepared and is the place where we are most subject to bacterial and viral contamination.

For the sake of our family’s health we must be clean and tidy in our kitchens. This habit of having a clean kitchen should include frequent handwashing and keeping our hair out of the way while we prepare meals. We should use only freshly laundered or bleached wash cloths and clean dish towels daily.

So, our plan is simple. We want to get a clean kitchen that is as germ free as possible and that has no obvious places for germs and vermin to live.

Number one on my list is getting the kitchen rid of junk and stuff that you do not need in that room. There’s nothing wrong with having decorations in One’s kitchen, but if those decorations take up valuable counter space or wall space, best to move them to another more appropriate room.

Now, if your kitchen is a disarray and needs a good heavy cleaning, you may need to use my Spring Cleaning instructions.

However, if you need a good daily method for cleaning your kitchen, this is the page you need.

Before we start, a few thoughts and ideas about cleaning your kitchen……..
# In most kitchens it is wise to start at the TOP of the kitchen and work downward. This way, all the dirt, food particles, etc. will drop down to the floor as you clean and it can all be cleaned up just once.

# Every morning, start your day by drawing up a sink of hot soapy dish water. This sink of very hot soapy water will serve you all day long. You may have to change it once during the day depending on how many dishes you usually do.

Use the sink of water and a clean dish rag to clean spills, wipe up after work, and to keep your sink wiped down during the day. Put all dirty dishes in the sink as soon as you have used them. # Clean as You Go - You’ve heard it before and it’s true. You must clean as you go in order not to overwhelm yourself with cleaning at the end of the day. Teach yourself to wipe down and clean all day long while you are in the kitchen. This is something that no one can do for you, you have to discipline yourself.

# When you bake or cook, don’t be haphazard. So many cooks have ingredients every where, tools slung here and there….. You don’t have to cook that way. Get all your ingredients out, measure them into small containers and put away the ingredients as soon as you are finished with them. This will realy help you to not only be an organized cook, but will keep your kitchen cleaner, longer.

Now, let’s start the cleaning process: # Take all items back to their place. Store all food and tools that do not need to be washed in their proper places.

# Pick up all paper trash, dispose of it, and place all food scraps in an appropriate container. I like to use a lidded container so that I can take the scraps to a compost bin. # Dust out dining area chairs and wipe crumbs off table.

# Wash all dishes or run the dish washer. I wash my dishes by hand and I like to give them a final rinse in a disinfectant solution of bleach and water. Dishes disinfected in this way should be allowed to air dry.

# While dishes dry or machine is running, make a pan of cleaning solution and hot water. Use whichever cleaner you prefer. I like to use ammonia because it cuts grease and dirt and is cheap, however, ammonia is strong and may damage some surfaces. I sometimes use a commercial cleaner such as pinesol or 409. Choose a clean rag and begin to wipe down the dirtiest areas first, such as stove tops and countertops. Rinse your rag well in between cleaning sufaces. Change your cleaning water as often as you need to.

# Next, move to the other appliances, such as microwave, toaster, refrigerator and mixers.

# Using your cleaning solution, wipe down all tables and other worksurfaces. Replace table decorations such as centerpieces or placemats. Don’t forget to wipe down the dining table and chairs, pay attention to the handles on the chairs.

# Put away clean dishes. Make sure that they are completely dry before storing them in cabinets. Moisture encourages bacteria growth and insects. Rinse out your dish drainer if you use one. # Make a pan of warm water with some bleach added. I use 2 quarts of water and 1 table spoon of bleach. Using a clean cloth, wipe down the cabinets, countertops and appliances with this disinfecting solution. Pay attention to corners and handles. If your commercial cleaning solution contains a disinfectant you may not want to do this step.

# Sweep the floor. I recommend that you also use a dust mop or vaccum cleaner after sweeping.

# Make a mopping solution. I suggest that you find a good container to use as a mop bucket, store it away and use it only for mopping. I like ammonia and water for mopping, but some floors will be damaged by ammonia, so use whatever cleaner you prefer.

# Wash out your kitchen rags with dish soap and rinse them in a bleach/water solution. Just 2 qts of water and 1 tablespoon of bleach will give you a disinfecting solution. Squeeze the solution though the cloths several times. Wring out your rags and cleaning cloths and hang to dry. Or wash your cloths in the washing machine with detergent and bleach.

# After you have finished, get a cup of tea and rest yourself. You have a beautifully clean kitchen that is ready for another day! Keep it clean by cleaning and putting away as you go.
May God bless you as you serve Him in your home!

© 2006 Sylvia Britton