Some Easy Kitchen Ideas

In today’s rush, rush schedules, the microwave oven bears a lot of the brunt of kitchen duty. Cleaning the microwave can be a challenge with baked on food and a mixture of smells lingering in the appliance. Here are a few kitchen ideas that will help you with the chore of cleaning your microwave: A good general cleaning solution for the microwave is a mixture of 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of warm water. This can be used to wash down the inside of the microwave oven. Just as you store baking soda in the refrigerator to control odor, you can store a box of baking soda in the microwave in between uses.

You can also use baking soda to remove baked on food. Just mix a few tablespoons of baking soda with water in a microwave safe cup and boil it in the microwave for a few minutes. The insides of the microwave will be damp and easy to clean with a paper towel or dishcloth. This has the added benefit of removing odors that may be clinging to your microwave oven.

This might sound like a commercial for baking soda, but it really is one of the best kitchen ideas devised for keeping your kitchen clean and smelling good. Adding baking soda to the garbage can help eliminate odor and maintain freshness in between trash days ? just add it to the bottom of the garbage can before you replace the plastic liner. Also, try sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of plastic or paper bags to reduce odors. Crumpled up newspaper sprinkled with baking soda in the bottom of bags also helps absorb odors and drips.

Also, leaving an open box of baking soda under the kitchen sink can help get rid of an area that can be prone to smells. And, sprinkle baking soda in a trash compactor each time you fill it to eliminate odors. ~A day can be completely eaten up by cleaning a kitchen. After breakfast, lunch, and supper, your kitchen can look like a disaster area in need of FEMA. We all know that if we leave our dishes and countertops until the morning, we need an ice pick to scrape off dried on food. After a long day few of us want to spend an hour scrubbing a room that is just going to need it again in 8 hours.

Here are some ideas for kitchen cleanup and steps to get it done in just 15 minutes. So, grab your supplies and in just a quarter of an hour your kitchen will be ready for you to enjoy.

What You Need: Trash container. Basket for stuff that doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Dish soap. Other cleaners you normally use. Dishrag or sponge. Scrubber for stuck on food. Broom, mop, or vacuum.

Tips for Kitchen Cleanup

1. Grab all of your needed supplies together (listed above). Trying to find cleansers, dishcloths, sponges, etc. not only eats up time, but increases the risks of distractions that let you forget what you were working on in the first place. This is truly one of the best ideas for kitchen cleanup to reduce the time you spend.
2. Run a sink of hot, soapy water. If you have a double sink with a garbage disposal on one side, make sure to use the disposal-free side. Keeping the disposal side free will allow you to scrape leftovers down the drain quickly while you work.
3. Scrape off all the dishes into the trash or garbage disposal. If step 2 has blocked your disposal, scrape the dishes off onto a dirty plate.
4. Place dishes that need to soak into the water. Try to choose the dishes that are going to give you or your dishwasher the most trouble to get clean. Put the heavily soiled dishes on the bottom. Large dishes like pans and bowls can be filled with hot soapy water and set on the counter to soak.
5. While the dishes are soaking, go through the kitchen clearing out trash from your floor, countertops, cupboards, etc. Don’t worry about things that are out of place, or don’t belong in the kitchen. Worry only about trash.
6. Move on to gathering all the items that do not belong in the kitchen. Put all these items into a basket (see supplies). If you have a helper (willing or unwilling) send them off to put away these items. Do not stop working on the kitchen to take these misplaced items to their homes. This is just another one of the good ideas for kitchen cleanup.
7. Put away all of the items that belong in the kitchen but are not in their proper places. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by rearranging cabinets, drawers, etc. Simply place the items that are out back where they belong.
8. Load the dishwasher or wash by hand. If you do not have a dishwasher or don’t like to use one, this process of cleaning the dishes may take more time. If possible grab a couple of other people and form a wash, rinse, dry and put away assembly line. A great way to catch up with family members!
9. Wash down your countertops, appliances, and sink. Rinse out sponges and rags. If needed put them in the dirty clothes. We’re not heavy duty cleaning here. Ii literally mean wash down the visible surfaces. Don’t open the microwave and scrub it out. We’re not cleaning the crumbs out of the toaster. Quickly wipe it down.
10. Sweep and mop, or vacuum.
11. Take out the trash Now, one of our very best ideas for kitchen cleanup? Finish and then pour yourself another cup of coffee, sit down and relax!

A day can be completely eaten up by cleaning a kitchen. After breakfast, lunch, and supper, your kitchen can look like a disaster area in need of FEMA. We all know that if we leave our dishes and countertops until the morning, we need an ice pick to scrape off dried on food. After a long day few of us want to spend an hour scrubbing a room that is just going to need it again in 8 hours.