10 Convincing Ways To Maintain A Clean Kitchen
My mom has a knack for cleanliness. While growing up as kids, she never ceased to instill such virtues in us. One of the mantras she has ingeminated so much that I cannot forget is: “Dirt makes me sick. It irks me”. It used to sound extreme, but it’s true. She often boasts about not having roaches in her kitchen – her woman space. She likes it pristine though it may not be so quintessential.
You may have heard it said, not once or twice, that cleanliness is next to godliness. Although the Bible does not explicitly say so, God’s actions and those of His people prove it. First, in the past there were ritual cleanings (Mk. 7:3-4). Some things were considered clean and others unclean (Gen. 7:2). Although God in the New Testament abrogated the rules, the coming of a spotless, perfect lamb – Christ; with a perfect, pure bride, clearly shows us that God delights in cleanliness (Acts 10:15; Heb. 7:28; Rev. 22:14).
Asides that, there’s a way that a clean environment gives vibes of a responsible person. There are people who sell by the roadside whose food no one can dare to eat. It may not be a kitchen per se, but it already screams disease. The kitchen is where we take in what builds us and gives us nutrients to be more productive to God and to humanity. If it is not clean, there are consequences to it. Again, it shows that we are not true ambassadors of our Master Paragon of purity – God.
So whether you are a woman or man, married or not, your kitchen needs to be clean. But how do you go about it – especially if you do not have all the resources in the world? I’ll tell you how. Follow me.
Ways to Maintain a Clean Kitchen
1. Keep It Organized
There’s a way that organization transforms spaces. First, keeping things organized helps you to be organized too. This is because you don’t have to throw things to find other things. Everything has its designated space.
In doing so, it reduces your risk of carelessness, thereby helping you maintain a clean environment. Install hooks, baskets, or shelves on walls or ceilings to maximize storage and keep frequently used items within reach.
2. Clean As You Go
When cooking especially, you don’t have to wait till you’re done before you clean up spills and crumbs along the way. Yes, it can be easier to do everything when you’re done,
but you will agree with me that sometimes, it’s the little this and that, here and there that results in a build up of horrible dirt monsters. If you’re not careful, spills can trip you over causing even more problems. So clean as you go.
3. Use A “one-touch” Rule
I learned this earlier as I worked with my mom. It can be a little tasking to rinse and put away anything you use in the course of preparing a meal or any other kitchen activity, but it saves you a lot of stress.
When you touch it, (that’s when you use it), quickly clean it, especially if it’s something that only needs rinsing and place it back where it belongs. Your eight-year old in charge of doing the dishes will thank you!
4. Have A Daily Cleanup Routine
Some things can be done weekly, maybe even monthly. But others need to be done daily. Set aside time each day to wipe down areas like your countertops, sink, and stove.
Make it a practice for yourself, spouse, kids and others to do the dishes as soon as they finish their meal. The more you ignore these, the more they will pile up, and of course, they’d invite visitors you never sent an IV.
5. Deep Clean Regularly
While daily cleaning is just perfect, you can surely agree that we don’t have forever – especially in the mornings when we’ve got a bunch of other tasks – to linger cleaning the spaces behind the fridge! So we give them a cursory sweep and dive right on to the next thing on our to-do list.
So, this means that you have to dedicate a few hours weekly, fortnightly or monthly (you’re free to choose based on your schedule, but ensure it’s effective and can be tweaked) to do a deep clean especially of areas like your fridge, oven, and cabinets. Okay?
6. Practice “Mise en Place”
Hey, I know. I know. What’s even “Mise en Place”? This is a french expression that literally means to put things in their places. It is a practice where you “set in place” all the ingredients and tools you need to prepare a meal. But isn’t that what only chefs like Hilda Baci do?
Not exactly. One of the major causes of dirt in the kitchen is spills and crumbs during food preparation. And a kitchen can be a mess when everything is not set in place. So why not set it all in place?
7. Use Effective Cleaning Materials
What’s a farmer without a hoe? What good is cleanup without the right materials? There are diverse options to choose from when considering what is effective for cleaning your kitchen. Microfiber cloths are a good option. They’re reusable and lint-free so you won’t have streaks and residues after cleaning.
You could also opt for natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice for cleanup. They are biodegradable, eco-friendly, and reduce the risk of hypersensitivity to allergens. And the good part? They are things you can easily get from the same kitchen. God really thought about everything, eh?
8. Have And Maintain A “Dumping Site”
It will prove helpful to assign a specific spot near the kitchen entrance to place items that need to be disposed, making cleanup easier. You can use trash cans or recycling bins.
Again, ensure that these are always covered tightly. Dispose them off properly and regularly to prevent unpleasant odors, messes and visits from flies and you name them. You can use an air-freshener to repel the unpleasant odors too.
9. Implement A “clean before bed” Rule
While we may be in Dreamland at night, roaches, rodents and you name them just saw the sunrise. So you have to ensure that your kitchen is clean even before you go to bed. Clean up after dinner, do the dishes, take good care of leftovers by labelling and dating them.
Also dispose what is no longer needed in the “dumping site”. There’s the temptation of letting it stay till morning especially when you’re just damn tired. But hey, please resist it. It’s not a great habit.
10. Create A Cleaning Schedule For Household Users
Great! As women, especially mothers, we take on the super-heroine badge a little too soon. Worse is when we think we can handle everything by ourselves. But hey, it’s never too bad to ask for help. Moses was helped (Ex. 18:14-24). Even Jesus too (Lk. 23:26). Besides that’s how your little kiddies can learn.
So divide household tasks among your family members. You can include house helps if you can. Make it fun. You can divide your kitchen space into zones and assign specific cleaning tasks to each zone. You can also create badges for accountability. And hey, supervise it just like the Proverbs 31 woman. Got it?
Finally, I could feel my fingers tingle when I mentioned the Proverbs 31 woman. You know, the quintessential kind of woman with standards we all dream of having. But hey, I doubt she knew everything in one day. You may not be perfect now, but you can always be better.
Diligently cultivate these habits. And rely on the Master Paragon of Purity. He cares – even about the little things (1 Pet. 5:7). I pray that one day, you’d be proud enough to say: “No one messes with my kitchen!” Stay blessed!
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