Spring into Spring: Kitchen Organizing

Cleaning can be a mundane task, and typically held off until the weekends (or not done at all). When you live in a small space, clutter can make it feel even smaller. That’s why it’s important to keep your space clean. Jumpstart your spring cleaning with us!

The best way to jump right into spring cleaning is to start with the kitchen. For Fatima and I, the kitchen is the heart of our home – literally, it’s right in the middle of everything. When the kitchen is a mess, the rest of the apartment looks like a mess.

Cabinets

Start on the inside and work your way out. Tackle the cabinets. There will be stuff in there you may no longer need: empty boxes, empty spices, and old food. I found three bottles of the same spice and merged them into one bottle. Declutter and then focus on the rest of the space. One of our cabinets does not have a shelf; for the life of me, I don’t know why. So all of our stuff just piled up. We went to the container store to take care of this issue in addition to organizing the rest of our cabinets.

Appliances

Wipe down and clean out appliances. Appliances that hang out on the counters all day will collect dust. Wipe those down. Then there are appliances like your coffee maker, dishwasher and fridge that need extra attention.

Keurig (about 3-4 times a year)

1. Remove the filter tube and rinse.
2. With a damp cloth wipe down the inside of the filter area.
3. Remove the trays and clean.
4. Run 3 cups of vinegar through your Keurig.
5. Let sit for 4 hours after the last cup of vinegar.
6. Run 5-10 cups of water to clean out the vinegar.
7. Wipe down the outside of your Keurig.

Dishwasher (3-4 times a year)

Your dishwasher can get pretty dirty. Although you’re cleaning dishes with detergent, sometimes scum and other food may stick to the walls.

1. Remove any free debris from the bottom of your dishwasher.
2. Fill a cup up with vinegar and place on the top rack of your dishwasher.
3. Run (without detergent) on your hottest cycle to clean out your dishwasher.

Fridge

Other than removing old food, sometimes you just need to clean your shelves. Spills, food debris, and other messes may occur.

1. Remove shelves and scrub down (or if you’re lucky throw them through the dishwasher).