Today is our last day of kitchen organization. After tonight, we’ll be ready to throw holiday parties, bake yummy fall treats, cook comfort foods, and entertain guests. From here on out, we just have to maintain our kitchens in good condition, consistently put items away where they go, keep ahead of messes and clutters, and keep our sinks and counters wiped down and dishwashers emptied.
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Has it been cold enough to use throw blankets at night? If so, do you need to launder any? I’m washing a cream throw tonight, as it has an accumulation of dog hair and smells a bit doggy and dusty.
- Do you have orange juice in the house? Milk? Bread?
- Clean off and declutter mail table if needed
- Take 5 minutes to sweep or vacuum any floors that need it.
- Need to use a mud mask or moisturizing treatment on your face tonight?
- Do any mid-week laundry so you’re caught up by the weekend.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Kitchen Appliances
Thoroughly clean the appliances in your kitchen inside and out. Start with the big ones (oven, stove, dishwasher). Then move onto smaller appliances (coffeemaker, espresso machine, deep fryer, panini grill, waffle maker, iced tea maker, mixer, crockpot, rice cooker, Cuisinart, bread maker, juicer, ice cream maker, etc). Hopefully this won’t take too very long – we should be putting our appliances away clean after using them each and every time.
Besides cleaning the appliances on your countertops, don’t forget to take appliances out of your cupboards, pantry and closets too. Don’t assume something is clean just because it’s been in a cupboard. It may have gotten dusty, or not been cleaned thoroughly before being put away.
SAFETY CHECK:
Before cleaning and disinfecting your appliances, check for wear and tear on electric cords.
CLEANING:
Run the self-clean cycle on your oven. Run a load of white vinegar through your coffee maker and then another load of plain hot water through it to clean it out. Run a load of white vinegar through your dishwasher, too. Clean your dishwasher filter. Freshen your garbage disposal by grinding half a lemon through it. (Use the other cut half of the lemon to flavor your water or tea today). Clean the vents at the bottom of your refrigerator.
AMOST DONE:
Wipe down your counters again and put the appliances back where they go. See if you can clear off your kitchen counters a bit more – can you find new homes for appliances that sit on the counter but don’t get used every day? (Right now I have a rice cooker taking up room on my counter. I tend to think we use it every day, but it hasn’t been used in about 5).
Put some thought into getting rid of appliances you honestly don’t use. (Tortilla maker? Electric iced tea maker? Ice cream maker? An old Beaba Babycook you no longer use now that your toddler grew up?) You might have a friend or relative who would like to try out the bread machine you’ve only used twice, your ice cream maker you don’t seem to make time to use, or your espresso machine now that you quit drinking coffee.
SCENT YOUR HOME:
Spritz your kitchen with your favorite home spray. Perhaps you left a fragrant candle burning this whole time while you were cleaning. Or you can boil a pot of cinnamon, water and citrus peels to make the kitchen smell nice. (I love how inexpensive cinnamon at Trader Joe’s is, it makes filling your home with cinnamon scents very affordable!)
LOVELY BLOGS: Habitually Chic
An interior designer from New York City blogs about art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, and books. Enjoy her current posts on Spring 2012 fashion inspiration, a chic apartment in Chicago, and a colorful chic triplex. Lots of beautiful visual stimulation here.
http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes (Bakingdom)
Fall Color and Autumn Leaf Viewing Guide (Forestry/About.com)
Fall Pumpkin Soap and Candle Making (Candles and Soap/About.com)
50 Colorful, Cozy Spaces (Coastal Living)
100 Healthy Soups (Cooking Light)
The Plump Pouf, Decor’s Fall Fave (AZ Central)
Quinoa: Tiny Seeds Pack Nutrition (Chicago Tribune)
Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies (Fancy House Road)
Sweet and Savory Recipes Made with Beer (CHOW)