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Organizing the Home: Kitchen Countertops

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So here is what happened. I got pregnant and almost instantly was no longer able to do anything in the kitchen. I could not, as much as I tried, be around most food. Raw meat would make me throw up. Dirty dishes would have me gagging at the thought of it. It left my husband holding the reins for everything kitchen related for six months. It has really only been in the past month and a half that I’ve been able to make it back to the kitchen to cook and help with dishes. While my husband is great at a lot of things, in his own words, “You’re just better at this than I am.”

With the baby coming, this was the first area that I knew that I had to tackle. Keeping our counter tops organized and functional is so important to our entire house running smoothly and we know it. With the preparation for another baby, the kitchen has been drastically impacted. It has become a dumping ground for pretty much everything that comes through the door.

Now, it is about to get real. Here is what our kitchen looked like before (I’m sparing you the sink!).

Before Collage

Gross, right! We were just overwhelmed. Now, I think I have mentioned this before–the husband and I are actually used to living in tiny spaces. Boats, one room apartments and a studio in Hawaii that was less than 400 square feet (and that included a kitchen, bathroom and wash/dryer unit!). I knew that we had just outgrew our space, we needed to get rid of things we didn’t use/need to make this space useable.

Here were the steps that I went about in organizing this space:

  • If I didn’t use it at least once a week, it could be put away in a drawer or cabinet.
  • If it wasn’t used for making food, eating food or was in fact food. It didn’t belong in our kitchen.
  • If it was garbage or broken it was tossed.
  • If it was dirty. It got cleaned.
  • If it was clean, it got put away.
  • If it was going to stay. It was made a home.

With that being said. Almost everything except for some photos were removed from the fridge. The overflowing junk baskets on top of the fridge were cleaned out and all that remains in there are some candles and batteries (which may get moved eventually to the laundry room).

We got new glassware for Christmas from my brother and his wife so any glass that wasn’t a part of that set, was sent to the local thrift store. Our travel mugs were put in a new place and lids were matched with our Gladware. All of the kids cups/plates/bottles were organized and shelved. Plates and bowls were stacked properly. All foodstuffs was put in the pantry.

If it could be hung on the wall or peg board it was. Removed from the kitchen was a handmade ladle that couldn’t be used, a board game, a few books and a plethora of gift certificates that had been hiding on top of the microwave. Oil/vinegar containers were filled and put next to the stove for food prep and I finally decided to remove my salt pig. As much as I enjoyed it.

Tada! A totally clean and organized kitchen.

After Collage

It is just so much better. It probably took me an hour or two of work to get everything organized and clean (though it took me most of the day with toddler!). We’ve also come up with a few rules to keep things tidy.

  • Counters are cleaned up and washed each evening.
  • Dishes are not allowed to sit in the sink for more than 24 hours.
  • If it is food, it belongs in the fridge or in the pantry.
  • If we don’t use it for making food or eating food. It doesn’t belong in the kitchen.

Still to be organized in the kitchen are our few drawers, the lower cabinets, our one set of upper cupboards and the pantry. This was a good start though and we already notice the difference in the kitchen.

After Cookbooks



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