Organizing Your Home: The Kitchen (Part Three)

Alright! In part one and part two of organizing your kitchen, you reclaimed your countertops, made the hard decision as to which appliances to keep and which to say goodbye to and you can almost see your reflection in your clean, shiny sink.

As has been offered already, slow and steady wins the race!

The next area to tackle is your cabinets. We will deal with the exterior only (for the time being). If it has been awhile since the surfaces have been cleaned, now is a good time to remove any grime or dust from all surfaces, including the top. If they have built-up grime on them, take a cleaner and rag and wipe them down. You’ll be amazed at how different they look and how dirty that rag will be!

The next step is to reclaim that shine on all large appliances, including the refrigerator and stove. It’s time to remove all those precious one’s fingerprints. Take some window-cleaner and 5 minutes on each appliance and spray ‘em down. Wipe them clean, and don’t forget the small crevices where crumbs hide. Keep in mind, you’re not doing the insides, just the outsides! Hit the refrigerator, the stove, the dishwasher, and anything else that qualifies as “fronts” in the kitchen that I might not have mentioned.

Let’s move to your table and chairs. If it’s been awhile since they last got a good washing down, now would be a good time to do so. Even though it will take a bit longer than you would like, it will be worth it. To begin with, take a rag and a bottle of cleaner. Spray the chair from the bottom rungs to the seat and up to the top. Let it stand for 2 or 3 minutes and spray down the next chair. Go back to the first one and start rubbing with the rag. You’ll be amazed at what comes off and how clean the chair becomes! Repeat each step until all the chairs are done. Then spray down the table legs. Same procedure—spray, let it sit, rub and wipe. Now your chairs are clean enough to sit on and your table is clean enough to eat off of!

Good going! It's now time to look at your floor. Are you finding any dirt or food stains? If so, begin cleaning your floor by first giving it a good sweeping with a broom and dustpan. Move the things that are up against the wall for a more thorough job, but don’t obsess about the crevices—do the best you can with a regular broom. Sweep in to small piles to make pick-up easier and transport the dirt & crumbs to the trash can.

Now take out a mop. I don’t care if it’s a rag mop, a sponge mop, or a Swiffer ® mop. You don’t have to mop like your mother did—just wet the floor with a cleaner and wipe up the dirt. Remember—even chores that aren’t done “right” (according to how you were taught) but are *done* still bless your home and your family! Let your floor dry and take a break.

In the fourth and final segment of Organizing Your Kitchen, we’ll do some major decluttering so get ready!