Clean Kitchen Countertops
Clean Kitchen Countertops
A simple joy for me is walking into a kitchen with cleared off clean kitchen countertops. Have you noticed that when mail piles up on the counter with loose papers and cups everywhere, life feels a little more stressful. Like you don’t have it all together at the moment?
That feeling can be overwhelming for me to handle, but when my counter tops are cleared off, my life feels more manageable at the moment, and less stressed.
Having clean kitchen countertops that are totally cleared off is something that I model after my mother and how I was raised. My mother keeps a very clean house, and if shoes are left out or anything of the sort, she will quickly have it put away. I was not like that as a child, but now that I have my own home, I see the benefit of having a clean and well managed home.
Early on in our marriage, we lived in a very small seminary apartment. The kitchen only fit one person. I thought the countertop space was going to be an issue. I definitely like having a few decorations out, but I was always able to keep the countertops cleaned off.
Home Reset
As we’ve upgraded our living space, and gotten a bigger kitchen, I model the same principles. It all starts with my home reset.
Every morning I make sure to:
- make my bed
- start a small load of laundry
- clean the kitchen after breakfast
Actually, making sure I clean the kitchen after every meal is crucial! I notice that when I let time go by, I struggle to have the determination and desire to clean the kitchen.
If you are struggling to keep your counter tops cleared off, let me give you 4 tips that will hopefully help you manage your kitchen space better.
1. Create A Cup Station
If you have many kids, you will love this! We used to have cups all over the kitchen, and it was just so annoying (for lack of a better word). I went to Dollar Tree and bought colored cups, so each child had a color and knew which one was their cup. BUT, the cups were still left either on the table or counter top, and weren’t as organized as I would have liked.
So I asked my husband to build me a little wooden box and it was the perfect solution! The kids know which slot is theirs and we never have a cup issue! It’s marvelous! If you want to create a cup station of your own, simply attach coasters to a piece of wood and gorilla glue them down. Each child has an assigned coaster.
2. Pick 1 Small Appliance To Leave on Countertops
For me the one appliance I use the most is definitely my tea kettle. For you it might be your coffee maker. I used to keep my toaster out, but realized I could easily fit it in a cabinet right close to where I used to have it. Too many appliances clutter the kitchen countertops and are not necessary.
3. Have A Drawer For Bills and Planner
If you don’t put your bills in an office or have a command station, then clean out a drawer for bills. This helps with mail that gets cluttered on the countertops. I like to take the bills, and place them in my planner, so I don’t forget about them.
Having my planner close by reminds me of my daily tasks. Many times I lay my planner on the counter during the day, but I night I set it back in the drawer. Having my “command center” drawer in the kitchen helps keep me focused.
4. Don’t Go To Bed Without Addressing Your Kitchen
This is part of the home reset mentality. Store food in the pantry or refrigerator. Throw away unnecessary papers and mail. Put stuff away, and keep your kitchen cabinets cleaned out.
A great strategy that helps me, is to clean out at least 1 kitchen cabinet per week, or re-organize my pantry. This keeps my system running smoothly. Of course when the kids help me put dishes away, things get put out of place. This resetting system helps me so much!
I LOVE my turn table that sits next to my stove top. It’s the simple things that bring me joy!
Having Decorations Is Ok!
If you like having pictures or plants on the counter tops, that’s ok, just keep it limited. Clear off as much as you can, and enjoy the refreshing feeling cleared off countertops will bring you.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
- How To Be A Positive Person
- Why I Now Eat Plant-Based
- How To Organize Your Kitchen From Dollar Tree
- How To Freeze Lemon Slices
- Simple Boiled Apples