More than any other season, spring energizes me to make a fresh start. Where better to begin than with a spring kitchen cleanup!
I’m going to wear two hats today: health coach and professional organizer. Clutter can keep us from living our healthiest, happiest lives, so the first step in this spring kitchen cleanup is decluttering. In nutrition school, we learned to crowd out the not-so-good stuff and add in better choices. We’ll be applying that concept to our spring kitchen cleanup.
Fridge:
Dump items that are past expiration, sketchy-looking, or smelly. Scan the labels of condiments for sugar and salt content; next time, buy less sugary/salty substitutes.
Organize your fridge so that you can easily get to what you need. Clear storage bins help you see what you’ve got; stackable ones create even more space. Speaking of organization, look at this lady’s fridge!
Source: Intentional Minimalist
Clean your fridge using a natural, all-purpose disinfectant: 1 cup filtered water; 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar; 2 teaspoons rubbing alcohol; 8-10 drops essential oil, such as tea tree, lavender, or oregano. Add them to a clean, unused spray bottle and go!
Pantry:
Approach the pantry like the fridge. Take out everything, clean it, and ditch the expired, unused, and unattractive.
Use less canned goods because most cans contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that can leach into food. Eden Organics Canned Beans is BPA-free and a good alternative, as is using dried beans.
Lazy susans, expandable 3-tier steps, plastic tubs, and mason jars corral items that would end up looking messy in the pantry. Place similar items in close proximity for a cohesive look.
Pretty, isn’t it?
Cabinets and drawers:
Again, take everything out and discard or give away what isn’t being used–or duplicates.
Still have nonstick pots and pans, despite their known dangers? Switch to stainless steel and cast iron. Cuisinart and Lodge are my personal preferences.
Ditch plastic containers for BPA-free glass, such as Pyrex. Containers that no longer have lids: out! And if your mug collection is out of hand, give at least one-third of them away.
Use shelf organizers to create more space for plates and cups that are used often.
Countertops:
Our countertops house all. the. things. Be ruthless in deciding what stays there. Questions to ask:
- Do I use it daily? Weekly?
- If I moved it, would I miss it?
- Is it worthy of the space is it consuming?
- Can it easily find another home without disrupting your kitchen workflow?
- Does it add to the aesthetic value of the space?
Once you decide on what stays, remove everything and give the surface a thorough cleaning. Mix together baking soda and liquid soap to make a mild abrasive and apply with a sponge.
A countertop with space to spare, yet it houses the essentials.
Oven:
Best way to clean the oven naturally? Baking soda, time, and patience! Check out The Kitchn for a video and instructions.
Food and water:
Leave behind the heavy stews and soups of winter and welcome spring recipes, some of which you can find on my Pinterest salad recipes board. Consider eating seasonally for optimum health, as promoted by Ayurveda practitioner Dr. John Douillard. The current Clean 15/Dirty 12 lists the foods that should be bought in their organic or conventional state.
2017 Clean 15/Dirty 12
Eliminate bottled water; some of it is tap water in disguise. Invest in a good water filter or a reverse osmosis water system. Check the quality of the water in your area on EWG’s Water Database.
What plans do you have for your spring kitchen cleanup?
That fridge looks great! But much healthier than mine would ever look. Too bad. I think a spring kitchen cleanup is happening this weekend and I can’t wait! We’ll let the light in and clean, clean, clean.
Tamara recently posted…Happy Cat, Happy Life – 7 Steps to a Happier Cat
You should take pictures! Would love to see the finished product after your cleanup, Tamara.
Alison Hector recently posted…Your spring kitchen cleanup: here’s how to get it started
Wow wow wow. I want someone to come over to my kitchen and make it look like THAT! I still have plastic Tupperware despite buying glass years ago- I also have bottled water and too many canned and processed foods! Oh the shame!
This was so helpful and really inspired me to clean my own kitchen and toss and organize everything!
Go for it, Chris! The feeling when you see how much more efficient and pretty your kitchen is: priceless!
Okay, the fridge and pantry tho…I mean she puts me to shame, lol! Definitely my fridge and pantry goals. This post is so informative Alison! And on top of that, you added some great links! Thanks so much for sharing my friend!! Have a blessed rest of your week!
You too, Michell! Have a wonderful Easter. And yes, the fridge and pantry pictures in the post are definitely #goals!
That pantry is gorgeous! We’ve been doing some spring cleaning because we have pantry moths that just won’t go away. The positive side of that is that I’ve culled my pantry and cupboards and given everything a good cleaning.
I have too many mugs, but so many are ones the kids made and I can’t get rid of them! I suppose I can box up extra dishes, etc and save for my kids’ first apartments, though. And now I feel an overwhelming urge to buy glass containers to store my food beautifully…
Dana recently posted…6 great reads for springtime or anytime
LOL re: the glass containers. Can I share that I am almost addicted to them, particularly Ball mason jars. It just makes things look organized, and beautiful. Who can resist? LOL BTW, I had never heard of pantry moths before. Just looked at some pictures of them. Whoa!
I had to come back and tell you that I bought a bunch of glass jars with screw on lids, and I LOVE them. I put my flour and sugar in two and the others are waiting to be filled. They make me happy.:)
Dana recently posted…For my mother, on her birthday
Yay! Aren’t they the coolest? I’m addicted to them, I swear. I find more and more uses for them and am delighted with how they have made my life easier.
Alison Hector recently posted…Five small steps that lead to big health wins
Spring Clean Up is in full effect around my way so I am finally tackling my kitchen clutter. This post is so helpful, Alison! I’ve made note of the natural disinfectant you’ve shared for the fridge and have began getting rid of things like old lunch boxes and those containers with no lids (why there are so many with no lids I will never know smh). Now if only I can get my fridge to look half as good as the one pictured, I’d be a happy woman!
Thanks for sharing this guide, Alison! It was just what I needed.
Hey Drea! So glad that the post was helpful. Believe it or not, I’m still trying to weed out some of my offending items (mostly plastic containers that are way past their expiration date). The post was a wake-up call for me; as I wrote it, I’d think of things that needed to get the heave-ho and so I was writing to myself as much as I was to others. Hugs!
I’ve been doing my annual spring cleaning but I’ve been a little stumped on where to start in my kitchen. I have no junk food in the house but I do have random containers and my cupboards need to be organize. Thank you for these tips, I’m going to use all of them
Great, Mary! One cupboard at a time and you will get there. I still see things that need to be attended to (extra containers, mugs, etc.) Today I’m following Tamara’s advice and cleaning some of the seven items in the kitchen that don’t get enough attention.
Hi Alison! We just had our kitchen redone at the end of last year. My big issue is keeping the counters free of clutter. How I love these images you have here of the minimalistic counter, and those pantry ones are amazing too. I have a long way to go!
You never fail to inspire here Alison. Thank you for kicking me in the rear to clean out my counter!
Ceil
ceil recently posted…Hiding From God
Lol. Ceil, I think we all have a ways to go to keep our counters in tip-top shape. I’m sure you’re enjoying your new kitchen to the max! And congrats on your new grandson!
Alison recently posted…12 Ways to Curb Your Sugar Consumption