Spring has officially sprung here in East Tennessee! My flowers are blooming and we don’t have to wear 3 layers when we head out of the house. Now that spring is here (hopefully) to stay, I’ve been in spring cleaning mode. I think I’m also in a bit of nesting mode now that baby girl’s arrival is approaching! Our kitchen is probably the most used room in our home, we spend a large amount of time in our kitchen/dining room and of course, it tends to get dirty quicker than any of the other rooms in our house. I’m excited to share five of my top kitchen spring cleaning tips with you today and I’d love to hear your favorite tips!
Clean As You Go- This is one of my favorite ‘life lessons’ that my mom taught me growing up. Clean your kitchen as you are cooking. If you are waiting on something to bake and have some downtime, wash the dishes you’ve used so far. Wipe the counters as you go. Cleaning as you are cooking/baking is a great way to minimize the overwhelm when the meal is over.
Ask For Help – If you are cooking dinner, ask your husband to wash the dishes afterwards. If you have guests over for an informal meal and they ask ‘what can I bring?’, ask them to bring paper plates or disposable cups. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help! Our usual dinner or meal routine is that I cook and wash the dishes, but Josh takes Levi after dinner and gets him ready for bed. Asking for help is a great way to minimize your overwhelm when dealing with the daily kitchen cleaning.
Clean Your Microwave The Easy Way- I hate the idea of using chemicals in my microwave for cleaning. Instead, one of my favorite spring cleaning ‘hacks’ for the kitchen is to place a measuring cup filled with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of white vinegar in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. As soon as the microwave beeps, I take the cup out and wipe the microwave down with my e-cloth kitchen towel. This is an easy, scrub and mess free way to clean your microwave without using harsh chemicals!
Don’t Forget Your Linens- Is it just me or do oven mitts get gross over time? When spring cleaning your kitchen, throw your oven mitts and your favorite e-cloth kitchen towel in the washing machine for a quick and easy clean!
Take Your Time– It can be overwhelming to spring clean your entire kitchen in one day. Take your time and split the tasks up. Clean your cabinets one day, organize your pantry another, work on cleaning your oven the next day, etc. Splitting the tasks up and taking your time ensures you don’t get burnt out!