Fall Cleaning Series: Day 1 - Conquering the Kitchen

Organizing the Kitchen

When I begin my Fall Cleaning, I normally start in the room that is impacting my life the most.  I exist in the kitchen during the Fall and Winter.  I cook all of the time and I prepare broths (visit Boholistic Mom for more details on broths).  My husband loves to bake and enjoys preparing food in the kitchen.  This is an important room.

Thus when I considered starting a Fall Cleaning Series on my Blog and cleaning my own home, I'm starting in the kitchen.  If this room is not your greatest need, feel free to start elsewhere and come back to this post.

Tips for Conquering the Kitchen

1 - Have Supplies

You need the tools of the trade.  You want to have what you need to really get the entire kitchen clean.  Keep these handy tools on hand:

Ceiling Brush

Duster

Glass Spray Bottles

Apple Cider Vinegar (some of the white vinegars have petroleum added)

Paper Towels and/or Cloth Towels

Baby Bottle Brush (for long glasses and vases)   

Scouring Pad

Trash Can

Recycling Can

Broom

Dust Pan   

Mop

Mop Bucket

2 - Be Systematic

You can't piddle about kitchen cleaning.  If you do a little here and a little there, you'll never keep on track.  You have to have a plan and stick with it.  My favorite method is going from the top of the kitchen to the bottom of the kitchen cleaning and organizing.  This keeps me on task and helps me complete the entire kitchen rather than just parts.

If you need a plan, check out the Kitchen Cleaning Checklist on my Etsy Shop:

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist | Designing Life

3 - Work Isn't Bad

If you really want to get your Fall Cleaning done, you have got to stop thinking of cleaning/organizing as bad.  It's a part of life that has to be done repeatedly.  When we consider cleaning and organizing as something to be avoided at all costs, we hinder our progress and even more so . . . we never begin.  Keep a positive attitude when you take on a cleaning project.  This is your project and you want to see the fruit of your labors.

4 - Avoid Choking

Personally, I get winded and can't continue when I use conventional cleaning progress.  If I pull out the bleach and the degreaser and the mopping solution or whatever other product that companies have created, I choke and I stop cleaning.  I get dizzy!

Let me propose something to you . . . you don't need ANY of those products for cleaning your kitchen.  The companies created these products to "make cleaning easier" and to "disinfect every germ," but really . . . they just want you to pay them $3 or more a pop to buy something that you don't really need.  Vinegar is a GREAT cleaning product.  It disinfects.  It degreases sufficiently.  In the absence of vinegar, I've even used water to clean my stovetop.  Water and some elbow grease.  Remember, work isn't bad!!!

My other favorite product is Young Living's Thieves Household Cleaner.  I use it to clean my trash cans, the stove top, my dining room table, and my counters.  It smells fantastic and it doesn't choke me!  Keep breathing and cleaning by using non-toxic cleaning products and save some money at the same time.

(Note: I do sell Young Living, so if you buy it I will benefit from your purchase.  Thanks for supporting my blog!  My YL # is 1620234)

5 - Persevere

If you don't have time to complete the entire kitchen in one day, then plan to devote more time the next day to finish your project.  It's easy to devote a day and then say, "that was my day, all done!" whether or not the project is truly done.  Make a day of it . . . then make another.  You won't regret having a spotless and organized kitchen that encourages you to feed your family and smile doing it.

Happy cleaning!!!

Ciao,

Brooke

Designer/Organizer/Essential Oil Lover/Crunchy Mom

Designing Life Blog

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Disclosure:

I am a part of Amazon affiliates, so when you click and purchase from the links I make money.  Cool, right?  Thank you for your support.

Organizing the Pantry

Most visitors will never visit your pantry, so organizing a pantry is solely for the benefit of you and your family.  It doesn't have to look fancy and it doesn't have to be extravagant.  It simply has to suit your needs and assist you in finding your ingredients in a systematic and foolproof way.

I tackled my pantry today!  Actually, my pantry is both a pantry and a laundry room.  This was both an organization project and a cleaning project.  Here's what I did!

clean slate
Pull out everything and start with at least one bare slate.  I decided to pull out every item that was on the floor and moved them into my kitchen.  I also began by sweeping the floors to have a clean surface.  Clearing and cleaning the main area in which you will work really helps the project become attainable and keeps you inspired to keep on.  If you are constantly tripping on objects and cannot see the end goal, the project will never get completed.

spot clean
Tackle the areas that you normally never think to bother with in your pantry.  If you have a trash can you may decide to do what I did.  I decided to wipe down the wall where the trash can sits and scrub it with a Mr. Clean magic eraser.  My wall looked so much better!  Also, you can wipe down racks, go around the base boards, and clean air vents.

steam the sucker!
Nothing is better at sanitizing a floor than a good and hot steamer.  I used my Haan steamer and got my floors sanitized and sparkling!'

organize the goods
I stood on a towel (floors were still wet) and began to organize the canned goods as well as my many, many bottles of oil, vinegar, and dressing.  I have four plastic baskets on my pantry shelves, because when we first moved into our house we realized how impractical the wire shelving was for storing bottles and cans.  The baskets allow us to minimize avalanches and allow us to section our ingredients.  I have a bean, veggie, and fruit can basket.  I have a baking ingredients basket.  I have a soup, packet, and jello basket, and finally, I have a tomato goods and pasta basket.  Sure, I have some items hiding in each that don't fit in each category, but it helps having sections.  On the next shelf up, we have all of our bigger bottles and bigger boxes.  The main thing is have a plan and manage your plan.

extra storage
My husband loves to bake, so all of our flours do not fit on the main pantry shelf.  I bought this three tier shelf from Target three years ago and it houses our sugar, flours, large stockpot, rice cooker, breakfast items, and snacks.  What a great investment!!!

crossing the t's and dotting the i's
Leave no stone unturned.  When I'm working through my pantry, I make sure to wipe down the trash can.  Each area of your home is filled with details, how many do you notice around your home?  Trust me, even if house guests do not notice your pantry, they will absolutely notice a dirty, splotched trash can.  Also, since my trash can is hidden in my pantry, I keep my recycling in a paper bag beside my trash can.  This way, I just pick up the paper bag and set it in the outdoor bin, no need for dumping!


together again
I kept on my project until completion.  After the floors dried, I was able to load the extra pantry room items back into the pantry room.  My pantry/laundry room hasn't looked so good in a long while!!! Sparkle sparkle, shine shine. Yeah, that looks nice!

Bedroom Organization - Tuesday Design Question

Question:  What is one product that I can buy to help me organize my bedroom?

Canvas Under Bed Storage

Most bedrooms are not disorganized because the people who live in the bedroom are unable to organize, but due to a lack of storage.  A person with endless storage is organized, clean, and has no trouble keeping it this way.  Therefore, organizing the bedroom becomes about adding storage.  One quick way to add storage to a bedroom is to utilize under bed storage containers.  Store bulky items such as sweaters and sweat shirts in these containers, this opens up space in your drawers.  Adding storage means increasing organization.





Question:  What is one product for the kitchen that will make my life easier?

Wrap Rack

The kitchen is all about accessibility.  The ease at which you can access your most used items is one of the most important aspects of kitchen design.  My life has been improved by a new addition to my pantry wall.  My husband recently helped me install a plastic wrap and foil holder for the wall.  In the past, I had all of these products under my sink, stretched out, and taking up loads of space.  Now that they are stored vertically, they take up less space and are also really easy to access.  When looking for new kitchen organization products, always consider how accessible they make your most used kitchen products.




Question:  What is one product that will make cleaning my shower much easier?

Soap Squirting Palm Brush

Though you most often think of this product being used in the kitchen, the soap squirting palm brush is excellent for quick cleaning in the shower and bathtub.  Simply fill the soap container with your desired liquid cleaning product (you can even use dish washing liquid), wet down your shower, and scrub.  While a tougher brush and soap can be used for heavy duty cleaning, this method is great for daily or weekly cleaning.







Questions?

I love to dedicate Tuesdays to questions, so feel free to leave extra questions as a comment on today's blog.  I will try to answer them in next Tuesday's blog, or in the comments area.  Thanks so much for visiting!

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