Let’s face it. Having a clean kitchen 100% of the time is just not possible. If you live in your home and use your kitchen it’s going to get messy. That’s just a fact of life. However, there are a few simple steps to make a clean kitchen the norm, not the exception.
I love a clean kitchen as much as the next person. There is something about a clean kitchen that seems to flow throughout the rest of my house helping to keep the other rooms clean. However, when my kitchen gets messy it seems like my entire house starts to fall apart. Do you feel that way too?
Keeping my kitchen clean is crucial to keeping my house clean. However, my kitchen is the hub of my home. It’s the room that we come into when we get home and it’s where everything get’s put down at the end of a long day out the house. It’s where we prepare 3 meals a day, bake regularly, and do arts and craft s projects. It’s not just used daily. It’s used hourly!
Over the years, I’ve battled with really keeping a clean kitchen. I’ll be honest. It’s been a really big struggle for me and my family at times. However, there are a few steps we’ve taken that have helped our kitchen to stay mostly clean on a regular basis.
1. Follow a morning and evening routine
Part of the time you spend on your morning and evening routine should be spent in the kitchen. You should do things like unload the dishwasher, put away any other clean dishes, clean up breakfast, and sweep during your morning routine.
Your evening routine will probably consist of loading and setting the dishwasher to run, washing any pots and pans, and wiping down all surfaces to prepare for the next day. These two steps are crucial in keeping your kitchen from getting overly messy.
Will your kitchen become messy in between? Absolutely. If you are like me and my family, we basically live in our kitchen during the day. It’s inevitable that there will be times when it’s not company ready and that’s okay. Just aim to reset it each morning and night and you will become more consistent with your cleaning.
Related: Creating a Morning Routine for Busy Moms & Creating an Evening Routine for Busy Moms
2. Clean up as you go
All right. I’m terrible at this. But my husband is amazing at it and always help me with it at night! The concept is pretty simple. Clean up your messes as you go so you only have a few small things to clean rather than a huge mess to deal with later.
I think of using this strategy when preparing dinner. I’m a messy cook and usually just toss my dirty dishes into the sink as I go. However, my husband usually tries to load the dishwasher as I’m cooking. This is one of the best things he could ever do for me as it makes the after dinner clean up so much easier. Once we are through with our meal, all we have to worry about are the plates and silverware we used to eat and the one or two dishes that our food was prepared in.
If you can clean up as you go (or find a helper in your family to assist you with this step) it will make keeping a clean kitchen so much easier!
Related: A Simple System That Will Keep Your Home Clean
3. Keep you kitchen countertops clutter-free
As soon as my kitchen counters begin to fill with clutter, the rest of my kitchen starts to become messier. We begin slacking on putting on dishes in the dishwasher or putting our food away in the pantry. Clutter invites clutter and if your not careful it can get out of control.
Try to keep your kitchen counters as free from clutter as possible to encourage a clean kitchen. Keep your appliances stored away, don’t over “decorate” your counters and use functional pieces like baskets to help corral clutter.
Related: 7 Realistic Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Countertops Clutter-Free
4. Consistently Follow a Cleaning Schedule
Being consistent with your cleaning schedule is one of the most important things you can do to help you keep your home clean. I’m not talking about picking up and tidying. I’m talking about mopping the floors, dusting, scrubbing, and vacuuming. Have you ever tried cleaning a cluttered home? It’s practically impossible. You have to keep things picked up in order to follow your cleaning schedule.
I’ve also noticed that I’m much more likely to keep my home tidy after I’ve spent a few hours really cleaning. I don’t want all of my hard work to be for not so I work harder to keep it tidy. Try following a consistent cleaning schedule to keep a clean kitchen!
Related: How to Create a Cleaning Schedule for the Overwhelmed Mom & 5 Days to a Clean Home eCourse
5. Keep Your Kitchen Organized
If your kitchen is disorganized, your kitchen will continue to be messy. This is a simple fact. When you don’t have a place to put your stuff, it’s going to become clutter. You have to clear the clutter from your kitchen and create organizational systems that work for you to keep your kitchen clean!
If there is a place for everything, then everything can easily go back to it’s place when you are finished. This is a concept I think many of us learned as children, but we often forget because we become overwhelmed by clutter. Get rid of the clutter first and then create organizational systems in your kitchen in order to keep it neat and clean.
Related: 5 Reasons You Can’t Stay Organized
Keeping a clean kitchen is essential to keeping a clean house. It takes some time and effort, but I promise the payoff is so worth it! Coming home to a clean kitchen is amazing. Cooking in a clean kitchen is more relaxing. Waking up to a clean kitchen is encouraging. It will lift your spirits and help your days to be less stressful and overwhelming!