The start of a new year is always conducive to fresh starts, reflection, and planning. When it comes to home tasks and organisation, especially in the kitchen, it’s also a good time to de-clutter, reorganize, and deep clean to welcome the year ahead.
It’s Winter. It’s cold outside. Why not take advantage of the fact that we spend more time indoors for a winter cleaning in the kitchen? It’s a space with so many details to clean that can easily get forgotten daily.
But where to start? It depends on how your kitchen is organised.
Here are six simple cleaning tips that you can (and should) adapt to your needs and make your kitchen sparkle this winter!
1. De-clutter kitchen cupboards and drawers
Empty all the cupboards and drawers.
Make a selection. What you no longer remember to use, do not put back in your kitchen. Give it to whoever might need it, or if you prefer, if it is something of significant value, try to sell it. Nowadays, there are many free online platforms for buying and selling used items.
Deep clean the cupboards and drawers and check if any repairs are needed. If so, do it as soon as possible before putting the items back in their proper places.
2. Wash the walls
Wash and sanitise your walls from top to bottom. It’s quite a task but well worth it. Not only do you get sparkling walls, depending on the cleaner you use, but you also get a clean scent for a while.
3. Deep clean your kitchen sink
Cleaning the kitchen sink should be a daily routine – use a mild soap dissolved in water and a sponge. The kitchen will be spotless in no time. Don’t forget to wipe with a clean, dry cloth to prevent limescale deposits. This task has probably become a habit.
This winter cleaning, take the opportunity to make your sink shinier by wiping it with alcohol, followed by wiping it with a damp cloth. If it is a RODI stainless steel kitchen sink, it is guaranteed success. Their quality ensures a flawless look and makes regular cleaning quick and easy. Here you will find more details on how to keep your sink in top condition.
4. Clean your electrical appliances
Regular maintenance of kitchen appliances is mandatory to ensure that they last longer.
But when it comes to winter cleaning, get down to all the details. Take the opportunity to sanitise and remove any existing limescale deposits inside the dishwasher.
Also, do self-cleaning in the washing machine – vinegar is sufficient.
And the coffee machine? Dismantle and clean in detail those tricky little recesses.
It’s also time to take everything out of the fridge, discard whatever is no longer fit for consumption, clean with vinegar and a damp cloth, and reorganise.
Finally, deep clean the oven and the stove, especially if it has gas burners.
5. Clean and reorganise the pantry
Remove everything from the pantry.
Wipe down all racks and cupboards, the walls, and the floor.
Then, check the items you have taken out of the pantry one by one, and discard anything that has expired. Make sure that when you put the items back in the pantry, you leave the ones with a shorter expiry date visible.
Before putting everything back in the pantry, rethink how you will organise them, ensuring the best organization for your day-to-day life. For example, organising the items by category (cleaning products, food, between sweet, savoury, dried, canned, etc.) is usually an obvious decision, but also think about the categories you use the most so that they are as accessible as possible and easy to put back after use.
Also, keep a notebook handy in the pantry so you can immediately write down items that are running out or need replacing soon. By the time you go shopping, this task will be easier.
Check out more tips in the article “5 tips to organize your pantry”.
6. Clean the windows and wash the curtains
In winter, there is less natural light entering our homes. To ensure we receive as much light as possible, it’s a good idea to keep windows as clean as possible, free from dust.
Machine wash curtains at a low temperature, if the fabric allows it, to rid them of dust mites and other germs that may live there.
Finally, vacuum and wash the floor, preferably with a cloth, rubbing it very well. Open the window a little to renew the air.
But, because cleaning maintenance is the most important thing, check out our “11 tips to keep your kitchen always clean”. If you follow them, winter cleaning will be much easier.
Happy New Year!