A Busy Moms Guide To Keeping A Clean Kitchen
We all want to come home to see a sparkling clean kitchen, but when you have kids, work, and a family to manage it seems impossible. Here is our busy mom’s guide to keeping a clean kitchen for you to use on a regular basis in your home. These tips will help you to manage your kitchen cleaning duties easily, and be able to wake up each day to a fresh, clean kitchen!
Busy Moms Guide To Keeping A Clean Kitchen
Put dishes directly into the dishwasher
The sink full of dirty dishes is a busy mom’s worst nightmare. Can I get an amen? :) If you have a dishwasher in your home, make a rule for the family to put their dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher after meals. Most dishwashers do not require a pre-rinse of dirty dishes so you can easily load them into the dishwasher. Simply scrape any food off plates and have your family place them directly into the dishwasher instead of on the counter or sink. This will cut down on clutter as well as keep a clean sink that’s ready to be used at a moments notice.
Run the dishwasher every night (if full)
One thing that helps keep dishes clean is to make a daily habit of turning the dishwasher on after evening meals or at bedtime each night. This means you wake up to clean dishes every morning, and can easily unload those while kids get ready for school, or you are waiting for breakfast to heat up. A routine of washing and unloading dishes makes it much easier to manage instead of waiting until the sink is so full of dishes you want to throw your hands up and give up.
Make a no clutter rule
Instead of having your family command center in the kitchen, keep it further away (in a public space of the home) so you can keep the clutter at bay. One of the biggest issues to keeping a clean kitchen is keeping those counters free of clutter. A family command center keeps everything in one location instead of spread across your kitchen counter. This would include things like mail, permission slips, bills to be paid, the family calendar, and magazines. Create one standard location and stick to it.
Invest in multi-purpose small kitchen appliances
Clutter on a kitchen counter often makes a kitchen look dirty. Think long and hard about the various small appliances you have on hand. Invest in things like a heavy duty blender (my personal favorite) that can also be used as a food processor and smoothie maker for a quick breakfast each morning. A stand mixer (one of the best investments I’ve made) is great for multiple purposes and you can easily hide attachments in a drawer or cabinet. Or if you are like me, you hide them inside the bowl so you know exactly where they are at all times. Multi-purpose cooking utensils can be stored near the stove, or in a drawer nearby to be out of sight.
Besides having the utensils near the stove, you can also hang a magnetic hook or command hood on the inside of your range hood for measuring spoons or cups. Years ago I put this organizing idea into practice and it’s so nice to know exactly where my measuring spoons and cups are when I need them. Before doing this, they would disappear or the dishwasher would eat them because I couldn’t find them when I needed them! :)
Wipe down the stove top when it is still warm
One thing my mom taught me when I was young was that the easiest way to get spills off of your stovetop was to wipe them off when they are still warm. As soon as you are done with cooking, grab the sponge and cleaning solution and wipe off the stovetop while it is still warm so those spills won’t cook on and require more elbow grease to remove.
Use sanitizing wipes for cleaning surfaces as needed
When I begin prepping my family meals, one of the first things I put on the counter is my disinfecting wipes. A canister of sanitizing wipes is great to have on hand near the sink and are great for quick cleanups while cooking or preparing foods. Being able to simply wipe and clean your counter makes it much easier to do than digging out sprays and paper towels.
Assign age-appropriate kitchen chores to children
The best tip for busy moms wanting a clean kitchen is to get the family involved. Assign age-appropriate kitchen chores to your kids so they can help clean up. Taking out the garbage, unloading the dishes, and even cleaning off counters, or preparing meals are all things your kids can help you complete.
These tips for a clean kitchen are great for any mom, no matter how busy her schedule may be!
