Around the Home in 80 Days: Kitchen

There really is no right or wrong way to clean. Whatever works best for you is great. Be very careful that you do not get stuck in the details of these projects. Do what you can and then move on! Don’t spend this week cleaning and organizing your spice cabinet. We’ll spend some time down the road de-cluttering this room and you can focus on those areas at that time. Your main goal for this room is to spend the next seven days working towards a clean, functional, and easily maintainable kitchen.

I must admit that for me the kitchen is the area that requires the most work. If my kitchen looks clean I feel more relaxed and in control…and vice-versa. My family (myself included) can tend to use the kitchen as a dumping ground. Attempt to come up with clutter-busting solutions to fit your home. If you have an area that seems to accumulate clutter, try to come up with a system to get rid of it (or at least contain it).

Following is an example of how to break these tasks into 7 days.  Each day you should plan to spend between 15-30 minutes. I do best if I set the timer. Please keep in mind to break up your job into tasks however it suits you best

Day 57:
Grab a bag and purge! Set the timer for 15-30 minutes and purge what you can. If this is a project that requires more than the time permits, just write this down for a project to do when you have a chance. Don’t let yourself get stuck!

Day 58:
Clean ceiling fan, walls, doors, ceilings, and baseboards. If you have time left, try to tackle a bit more purging.

Day 59:
Clean your fridge. This means inside, outside, and on the top. Also clean your oven. If your oven is not a self-cleaning type, you may want to do this at a later date.

Day 60:
Take down curtains and wash
Clean the windowsills and trim
Windex windows, mirrors, and all glass surfaces
Hang the window treatments back up

Day 61:
Completely clear off your countertops and wash them down thoroughly. Clean small appliances and decorative accessories and make an effort to be very selective which items get placed back. Appliances which are not used much should be tucked away. If you are like me and seem to accumulate clutter in one area of the countertop, place a basket there! Old habits are really hard to break! If you have a table in the kitchen, wipe that down as well.

Day 62:
Wipe down all the cabinets and try to wipe inside as many cabinets as possible.
Sweep and mop floors
Treat yourself! Decorate for summer; new tablecloth, placemats, fresh flowers, etc.

Day 63:
Free Day (or catch up)

Before you start any of the above projects, make sure you start with a straightened room.

Some of the tasks may need more time than what you have this week. An example of this would be if you really need a thorough de-cluttering of plastic ware, spices, freezer, etc. For larger tasks, skip it for now (or do what you can without making a larger mess for yourself) and make a to-do list. At the end of our 80 days (or during, when you have the time) you can go back to the list to see what needs to still be addressed. I don’t want you to get stuck and lose your momentum.

Enjoy the journey,

Betsy
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