You use your kitchen so much throughout the year. As the center of family life, it’s a place to relax and to work. With this in mind, remember to take a half a day on a regular basis to declutter and deep clean. There’s no better time of year to do this than spring. When your gardens are coming back to life your kitchen needs a new lease of life. So, throw open your windows and read on to see how best to spruce up your kitchen design with a spring clean.
Declutter
The first thing to do is empty out your kitchen cabinets and drawers. Go through everything and decide what you’re going to toss or donate. Set aside occasionally used items, like specialty kitchen tools or holiday dishes, for storage elsewhere. Take everything off your countertops too and decide what you really need to keep there. Find a home for items you do not need at arms’ reach Remove the contents of your refrigerator and get rid of expired goods, then empty out your trash and recycling and now you’re ready to clean.
Deep Clean
Wash your trash cans and leave them outside, upside down, to dry. Wash counters, kitchen cabinets (inside and out), drawers and silverware holders with warm soapy water. Use a de-greasing spray on the top and bottom of cabinets and on backsplashes. Carefully wipe handles and knobs. Scrub sinks and faucets and, as with countertops, make sure you use an appropriate cleaner for their material. Follow manufacturers advice or speak to your kitchen design professional to learn about proper care for new products installed as part of a kitchen remodel. Remove glass light fixtures for washing and dust all bulbs and ceiling fans.
Appliances
Wash all drawers and shelves in your refrigerator with a mild soap and water solution. Clean around the outside, including the rubber seals. A spot of oil on a cloth easily wipes away smudges on a stainless-steel door.
Remove shelves from your oven and grates and burners from your stovetop and leave them in a sink of warm, soapy water. Clean inside your oven with oven cleaner, then spray the outside and your cooktop with degreaser.
Check there’s no food stuck in your dishwasher or disposal. Run the dishwasher on a hot wash with white vinegar to give it a thorough cleaning. Throw some ice cubes and lemon wedges in the disposal to sharpen its blades and freshen it up.
Finally, boil a cup of water with a dash of vinegar in your microwave to steam clean it. Then wipe it well, inside and out.
Re-organizing
When putting foodstuffs back categorize everything, with older items sitting at the front. Think about where you keep pots and pans. Is it the best place or would they be better in another cabinet? This is also a good time to consider your kitchen layout and storage, especially if a kitchen remodel is on the horizon for your home.
When everything is stored efficiently, clean smaller items like the coffee pot, toaster and storage jars before returning to countertops. After dusting pictures try moving them around to give your wall a whole new look.
Finishing Touches
Tables, chairs, and stools, plus accessories like cabinet hardware and door handles should be polished to give them extra sparkle. Wipe windowsills and clean all windows with glass cleaner and newspaper. Vacuum your floor, using all your vacuum’s attachments to get into every crevice. Clean down baseboards and doors. Finally, mop the floor, starting at the furthest corner and moving back to the door, to avoid walking on the wet floor.
If you feel that your spring-cleaned kitchen design would look even better with a brand-new layout and custom storage, plus new products like kitchen cabinets, sink, or tiles, then talk to us today. Our kitchen design experts are here to guide you through whatever your kitchen needs to look its best and function flawlessly, and to plan it all within a budget that fits your lifestyle. Contact us on 517-482-0748 and get more kitchen design inspiration in our gallery here.
