Great Kitchen Clean-Up! (Week 4)

The Great Kitchen Clean-Up! (Week 4)
Excerpted from Just Clean Enough ON Jan 3, 2011 at 12:34PM

The Kitchen Calls

Week 4: Monday

Pare Down Plastics
20 minutes

A familiar slapstick scene played out in kitchens far and wide is opening a cabinet door and being awash in a shower of tubs and lids. Don’t let this happen to you! First, buy plastic containers in a single shape. Go for square or round, but don’t have both. Mismatched shapes will take up extra cabinet space and prevent you from stacking to the max. Mount a separate rack for lids inside the cabinet door and your shelves will look department-store neat. Also, are you still squirreling away the plastic tubs and containers from cottage cheese, margarine, and Chinese takeout? Do you really need to save every last one of them? Instead, recycle them or donate them to a school art class.

Week 4: Tuesday

Hang It Up!
20 minutes

Are you running low on cabinet space but have some good looking pots and pans or mugs that you wouldn’t mind putting on display? Overhead pot racks suspended from the ceiling are a creative use of air space. Make sure the rack is securely bolted in place and up to the task of handling a heavy weight load. Hanging pot racks run the gamut of styles, from ornate ironwork to thin minimalist wooden strips, to match just about any décor. Some have built-in shelves for lids or additional display storage. You can also install a few hooks underneath a cabinet to hang attractive mugs or teacups. This will free up some cabinet space while adding a homey touch to the look of the room. 

Week 4: Wednesday

Attention, Magnet Maniacs!
15 minutes

In many homes, the refrigerator winds up becoming a giant, messy canvas for magnet collages. While it’s nice to have the phone number of your favorite pizza delivery service handy, and it’s easy to tack up all the photos of your nieces and nephews you get in holiday cards, you can put the refrigerator’s magnetic properties to better use. Instead, make your magnets into a work of art. Buy a magnetic board and install it on a wall in your kitchen. Display magnets from trips you’ve taken or choose a few of your favorite photos and put them in magnetic frames. Just don’t go overboard.

Week 4: Thursday

Find a Place for Pesky Plastic Bags
15 minutes

From grocery bags to the bags the newspaper comes in, plastic bags are everywhere. While they are useful to hang on to, things can quickly get out of hand. Instead of just shoving them in the cabinet under the kitchen sink or stuffing them into a drawer, come up with a system that saves space by making the bags as compact as possible. For instance, pick up a plastic bag holder that can be mounted on the inside of a cabinet door, or a hanging sleeve that can go in a pantry or closet. Load bags into the top of the device, pressing down in order to remove all the air, and then, when you need a bag, just pull one from the bottom.

Week 4: Friday

Filter Water at the Source
20 minutes

If you’re someone who doesn’t like to drink water straight from the tap, you may be the proud owner of one of those large, plastic filtering jugs. While it’s nice to have cold, filtered water at the ready, this device takes up a lot of space in your fridge or on your countertop. An alternative is a filtering fixture that can be installed right on your kitchen faucet. Most of these fixtures have on and off settings or can simply be moved aside when you’re just washing dishes and don’t need filtered water. This device does have a filter that will need to be changed every so often, but overall it will save some precious space and make your kitchen a little less cluttered.

Week 4: Saturday

Do Some Drawer and Cabinet Maintenance
40 minutes

Take a tour of your kitchen. Are there any drawers with missing pulls or wheels that have come off the track? Are there any cabinets with creaky hinges or doors that don’t close all the way? If you have missing or damaged drawer pulls, take this opportunity to choose a new design and replace them all. For creaky hinges, apply some household lubricant and open and close the cabinet door two or three times to help it circulate. If you find a cabinet door that always hangs open just slightly, pick up a cabinet magnet kit. Simply affix one magnet to the surface of the open cabinet and the other to the inside of the cabinet door. When you close the door, they should meet and attract, keeping the door closed.

Week 4: Sunday

Get a Knife Makeover
20 minutes

What kind of shape are your knives in? Are the blades dull and the handles loose? Dull blades require you to put in twice the effort, and loose handles can cause you to slip and cut yourself. While you don’t need more stuff on your kitchen countertop, there is one item that is worth the several square inches it takes up: a knife block. Essentially, it’s just a block of wood with slits of different sizes for all your different size knives: the chopping knife, the bread knife, the paring knife, and so on. Some knife blocks also come with a sharpener so you can sharpen your own knives at home. Others include slots for kitchen shears and other handy tools. If counter space is seriously at a premium, another option is a wall-mounted magnetic knife strip. 

MY THOUGHTS

i plead guilty. once again on all counts.  but i've taken action.  yes, i've thrown away all those plastic containers.  for someone whose meals are almost always store-bought, those containers can accumulate.and i promised myself to just keep on throwing them away.  washing them and stacking them up defeats the purpose.

The Great Kitchen Clean-Up! (Week 2)

The Great Kitchen Clean-Up!
Excerpted from Just Clean Enough ON Jan 3, 2011 at 12:34PM

The Kitchen Calls

Week 2: Monday

Pay the Fridge a Visit
30 minutes

Ah, the refrigerator. You’ve probably been avoiding this one. Spoiled food, old, sticky spills . . . who wants to dive into that? Whether you want to or not, this task is a must. The first step in organizing your refrigerator is to empty it out and clean it, but you can do this a little at a time. Remove all the items from one shelf and wipe it down. Once that’s done, start sorting. Throw away anything that’s expired or questionable and let go of items that you know you’ll never eat. Next, take inventory of the items that remain and decide how you’ll organize them. Keep similar items together. Take full advantage of the drawers, shelves, and refrigerator door.

Week 2: Tuesday

Get Rid of Lingering Smells
5 minutes

Even if your fridge is white-glove clean (and let’s be honest here, it probably isn’t), it may still smell a little. It makes sense, though, right? Think of everything you keep in your fridge: fish, yesterday’s takeout, burritos, cat food, curry, cheese, and plenty of items that are just waiting for next week’s trash day, like just-past-its-expiration-date milk, fruit, and so on. You name it . . . it’s stored in your fridge. An easy way to solve this problem is to stick an open container or box of baking soda in the back of your fridge. The baking soda will suck up the majority of smells and keep your fridge smelling like a dream—or a just-clean-enough fridge as the case may be.

Week 2: Wednesday

Control Your Cutlery
15 minutes

If you’re like most people, you probably have a cutlery drawer that is brimming with more than just cutlery. Perhaps you’ve got a few rubber bands, some plastic baggies, a box of toothpicks, a set of corncob holders, and a bundle of twist ties. Sound familiar? Here’s what you do: Remove everything from the drawer that is not a fork, knife, or spoon. If you don’t already have one, buy yourself a cutlery holder to help keep the drawer organized. Also, make sure you have the right number of pieces of cutlery for your situation. If you have a family of seven, you’re going to need more than three forks. If you live alone, you probably don’t need sixteen spoons. Take out any extras and donate them. You’ll be much happier when you can open that drawer and see exactly what you
need.

Week 2: Thursday

Relocate Fruit to the Fridge
5 minutes

A bowl of fresh fruit can look lovely on a counter or tabletop, but if you have a small kitchen, it might also be contributing to a cluttered look. If this is the case in your kitchen, consider moving your fresh fruit to the refrigerator. But before you do so, check the ripeness. Most fruits, like lemons, oranges, apples and grapes, do not continue to ripen after they’ve been picked, so they’ll do best in your refrigerator. In fact, they will stay fresher longer in the fridge, especially in the hot summer months. However, fruits like mangos and nectarines will continue to ripen in your fruit bowl on the counter, so if they’re harder than you’d like when you buy them, leave them out for a few days before transferring them to the fridge. And finally, never put bananas in the refrigerator as they will turn brown in no time.

Week 2: Friday

Try Nesting
10 minutes

This is not a recommendation that you have a child in order to get your kitchen organized; that would actually be counterproductive. We’re talking about kitchen items that come in various sizes that can be stacked and stored together—taking up less space. Nesting mixing bowls are great for various tasks. Use the smallest bowl to beat an egg, the medium-sized bowl to prepare a fruit salad, and the largest bowl to mix up a big batch of cookie dough. Drinking glasses that fit inside one another will take up less space in your cabinet, and nesting measuring cups will only need a corner of a drawer. So if you have nesting items already, make sure they are being stored together. If you don’t have these, consider replacing older items with these space savers.

Week 2: Saturday

Bring Order to Your Brooms and Mops
10 minutes

Brooms, mops, dusters, and similar items can be tough to place in the home. Many people keep them in the kitchen, but they’re not that pretty to look at so you don’t want them out in the open. What you need is a tall, narrow space where these will be accessible but still out of the way. This might be a corner of your food pantry or the sliver of space between your fridge and the wall. Wherever you choose to stash these items, be sure that you keep them neat and tidy. Don’t hang on to ratty old brooms and mops that are past their prime. A hair-clogged broom or filthy mop head will only transfer hair, dust, and dirt back onto your floors.

Week 2: Sunday

Clear Off Tops of Cabinets
30 minutes

While you may think no one really notices, all that stuff you store on top of your cabinets gives your kitchen a cluttered, messy look. See if you can relocate some of those items to places that are out of sight. Your kitchen will look cleaner and more spacious this way. If you absolutely need to utilize the space on top of your cabinets for storage, pick up some attractive baskets or bins that complement the existing décor. That way, you can store items in a neat and organized fashion that won’t detract from the overall look of the room.

MY THOUGHTS

that' right!  i'm not eager to dive into my ref. i already did anyway.  and i can almost  feel my ref smiling back at me.  it's not squeaky clean.  but i can see what's inside.  as for the broom, i don't have one.  there's no where to store it. and i don't need it.  my sister gave me this heavenly tool. you wrap those special napkins for dusting on the rectangular base,put together the long handle. dust and dirt stick to it like magic.  i don't even need a dustpan.  i use the same on the walls and ceilings.  if you want to mop, there's the wet type of paper.  very easy to use and very easy to store.

Great Kitchen Clean-Up (Week 1)

The Great Kitchen Clean-Up! (Week 1)

Did you cook up a storm all holiday season long? Time to give your overworked kitchen some attention. Try this week-by-week clean kitchen makeover plan, excerpted from the new book Just Clean Enough by I.B Caruso and Jenny Schroedel (37 Photos)

Excerpted from Just Clean Enough ON Jan 3, 2011 at 12:34PM

The Kitchen Calls

Stand mixer. Coffee maker. Athletic equipment? Sound familiar? Yes, the kitchen tends to be a gathering place in the house. Great! You want to be able to socialize. But you don’t want it to turn into a storage locker, home office, or a playroom. What to do with all that crap currently piled up on your counters? Get it out of there! You want a clean, organized, beautiful kitchen, so roll up your sleeves and get down to business.

Love these tips and tricks? Find out how to clean and organize your entire home with cleaning experts I.B Caruso, Jenny Schroedel and their new book, Just Clean Enough.

Plus, get more kitchen design ideas with our Home Inspiration Galleries!

Week 1: Monday

Clear Off Those Counters
20 minutes

Believe it or not, your kitchen is not actually the best place for your laptop, your son’s backpack, last week’s newspaper, the unfolded laundry, or that birthday gift for your niece that you haven’t gotten a chance to mail yet. Assess the items on your counters. Do all of them belong there? Remove those that don’t and evaluate those that remain. Are there small appliances on your counters that you don’t use often? Tuck them away in a cabinet or give them to someone who will use them. To free up counter space, utilize a paper-towel rack that hangs on the wall and consider appliances (such as a microwave) that can be installed under your cabinets.

Week 1: Tuesday

Take Out the Trash
10 minutes

Is your trashcan working for you? This may sound like a ridiculous question, but one of the most common problem areas of the kitchen is the trash. Take a look at your trashcan. If it’s broken, missing its lid, or just not meeting your needs, kick it to the curb and get a new one. Trashcans with lids are ideal for keeping bad smells in and pets out, and a can with a foot pedal keeps your hands free from bacteria when throwing things away. Once you have a trashcan that meets your needs, take care of it. Clean it and spray it with disinfectant on a regular basis.

Week 1: Wednesday

Dish Rack Duty
5 minutes

If you do your dishes by hand, you probably have a dish rack next to your sink. This is fine, but if your dish rack has been taken over by yucky stains and buildup, throw it out and get a new one. Going forward, clean your dish rack regularly and put away your dishes as soon as they’re dry. If you leave them sitting there, other members of your household will just pile theirs on top, and before you know it you’ll have a leaning tower of plates—and an ideal climate for mold and bacteria—on your hands.

Week 1: Thursday

What’s under the Kitchen Sink?
20 minutes

Most likely the cabinet under your kitchen sink is brimming with household cleaners. Open up this cabinet and go through the items one by one. Separate those that you use on a regular basis from those that you never use or can’t identify. Don’t pour these cleaners down the drain or throw them in the trash; they may be toxic. Contact your local environmental agency or government office to find out how to dispose of these items safely. Once you’ve whittled your cleaners down to the necessities, wipe out the cabinet and replace them in an orderly fashion. Consider investing in adjustable-height shelving that slides out along rails and is specially designed to fit around awkward drainpipes.

Week 1: Friday

Keep Spices Looking Nice
15 minutes

The spice rack or cabinet is typically a war zone. But take heart! There are a few different solutions to this problem. If you keep your spices in a cabinet, consider investing in a lazy Susan. The turntable action of this device offers 360-degree access to stored items. You could also buy a wall-mounted spice rack and hang it near your stove or another area where you prepare food. Then your spices will be right at your fingertips. You can also get small canisters that have magnets on the back so you can store items on your refrigerator. If your fridge is
near your cooking area, this might be the perfect spice solution for you.

Week 1: Saturday

Make a Mess
40 minutes

Ever heard the expression, “It has to get worse before it gets better”? This applies perfectly to the task at hand. Before you can organize your kitchen, you have to pull it apart and see what’s there. That means emptying all cabinets and sorting through items one at a time. To begin, pull everything out of a single cabinet and take a look at the contents. What do you need and what can you get rid of? As you reduce the bulk in each cabinet, you’ll find that it will be much easier to keep it clean.

Week 1: Sunday

Just Say No to Junk
20 minutes

Ever heard the term junk drawer? Chances are you have at least one in your kitchen. When going through these, take on the role of a drill sergeant. Inspect each item and be merciless. Any chipped, broken, or outdated items go straight into the trash. If you find yourself hemming and hawing over something, throw it out. Ask yourself when you last used your strawberry huller, apple corer, or hard-boiled-egg slicer. If you can’t remember, you have your answer. And don’t hang onto things because you just might need them one day. Anything that’s outlived its usefulness in your home might just find a purpose in someone else’s.

MY THOUGHTS

i don't think i have a kitchen!  i have a small sink, a ref, a microwave, a coffee maker, a kettle, a waffle maker and a solo blender. imagine all of them cramped in 2 small counter tops. together with all the glass jars and stuff.  and yes, sometimes, the laptop joins them in that clutter.

well, finally, the mess got too much.  i found this article (a series).  and my counter tops look so neat i don't want to use it.  i still need to attack the cabinets.  i enjoy organizing anyway.

'Kick the clutter habit' with 'Unstuff Your Life'

'Kick the clutter habit' with 'Unstuff Your Life'


BY SANDEE SUITT • SUITT@DNJ.COM • August 27, 2010


If anyone is looking for me today, just check in the kitchen. I'll be there with my head in a cupboard, pulling out all the lid-less plastic containers and doing the sniff test on old jars of spices.


Any container missing a lid or herb that is old enough to have lost its scent will be out of there.

I recently read Andrew J. Mellen's "Unstuff Your Life!" and am determined to follow his advice, at least for organizing the heart of my home, the kitchen.

But then Mellen warns, "The kitchen is not the hub of the house if you're thinking 'war room' or 'command central' or 'Houston, we have a problem.'

"Rather, the kitchen is a workroom. ... It should also be foremost a room that functions well and serves its purpose without any unnecessary complications."

The kitchen, Mellen contends, is to be used solely for the preparation and consumption of meals.

While it's nice for the kids to do their homework at the table while the parents prepare dinner, "the homework doesn't live in the kitchen," Mellen says. "Neither does the checkbook."

Grab a pencil

"Unstuff Your Life!" is very much a workbook. Mellen intends for the reader to carry it with her into the area to be organized and follow his guidelines, circling priorities and marking off checklists.

In the kitchen, we start with writing down everything on the counter.

OK, I've done this, and was shocked at the amount of stuff residing there: "toaster, coffee maker, dead basil plant in pot 12-year-old son made in kindergarten, keys, checkbook, cell phone, bills, purse, school notes, spelling-word flash cards, salt, pepper, olive oil, real lemons, fake lemons, bananas, empty flower vase, wooden spoons, basket of breads. ..." The list goes on and on.

I could never fulfill my Betty Crocker dreams of rolling out the perfect pie crust on this crowded workspace. In fact, it's not even a workspace, I realized. It's a storage place for things that don't have a home.

Mellen's advice is to cull out what is broken or unused. The reader looks back at the list and then circles the items that are essential to have on the countertops. Seldom-used items, like perhaps the toaster, find a home off-counter. The rest of the stuff finds a home, either in the trash, in a donation or garage-sale box, or elsewhere in the kitchen or house.


In Mellen's plan, each item is assigned a logical home, and it stays there, except when in use. And the home is near where the item is used. He explains how to set up work stations in which like items are stored together and nearby, but not in the junk drawer.


The junk drawer? Mellen allows no room for no junk.

"Let's not have a junk drawer that contains all sorts of random things, some of which are clearly trash," Mellen writes. In other words, don't use the drawer as a trash can. Don't stuff receipts or papers into the drawer when they clearly belong in the garbage or an appropriate file. Just put them in the garbage or in the file.

Mellen writes of organizing the home into a world where missing keys and cell phones are not part of the daily stress, where mail does not pile up into an unsightly stack on the table and closets are not filled with unmatched shoes and out-of-style or ragged clothes.

The key? It's really simple. Organize your home and then keep it that way by making a habit of the act of putting things where they belong. You can either put things away immediately when you're finished with them or save a few seconds initially by just throwing your keys and receipts and school papers on a table. But like buying things on credit with interest accrued on your loans, as your clutter grows, interest grows in the form of your time, Mellen explains. Spend a few seconds putting things away in a timely fashion, or let the pile of clutter go and spend many more minutes looking for lost items.

Mellen's advice is methodical but he offers it with a tongue-in-cheek humor that encourages without criticizing. He's the best friend who can tell you honestly, "This place is a mess," without hurting your feelings because he then says, "Let me help you clean it up." He also asks pointed questions to help determine what needs to go and redirects the reader away from rationalizations.

If "elephant bell-bottom hip-hugger jeans" ever come back in style, "you'll buy them at the Gap like everyone else," he writes. As for that pair in your closet: "Let them go."

Sandee Suitt is Lifestyles editor at The Daily News Journal. Contact her at suitt@dnj.com or 615-278-5160.


MY THOUGHTS


the real culprit is the junk drawer. that space we reserve for things that should be thrown or given away. it's hard to let go. in the beginning. especially when you think of the possibility of needing these things again. before you know it, your desk, your room, your house is so cluttered there's no space for anything else.