11 Ways to Clean, Organize & Maintain Your Kitchen

We’re sharing 11 ways to clean, organize and maintain your kitchen today!

I know this time of year can be a big one for all things organization. So, if you’ve gotten out of some of your routines after a relaxing summer, now, is a great time to get back on track.

The start of the fall season and the kids going back to school always feels like the perfect time to recommit to the things that are important to you and your family.

Things like clearing out clutter, getting back into the old routines that worked, establishing new routines to help make life easier, revisiting cleaning checklists and slowly preparing for the upcoming holidays.

These tips will not only help you make the transition from summer to fall but will also help you maintain a tidy kitchen into the busy holiday season as well.

Here’s a look at 11 ways to clean, organize and maintain your kitchen…

Organize Your Kitchen into Zones:

A few years ago, we organized our kitchen into zones and it made a huge difference in the way the kitchen functions.

It took a few days to get used to everything being in a different place.

But having all the pots and pans near the stove, the glasses next to the refrigerator where the drinks and ice are, the eating utensils, and dishes next to the dishwasher, all the baking supplies in the kitchen island by the stand mixer, and the garbage bags in the drawer next to the garbage cans not only saved us time it also made our entire kitchen more efficient.

Before you start pulling everything out of the cabinets take a step back and really think about how your kitchen functions.

Taking just a few minutes to map out a plan on how you can streamline your meal prep, cooking and cleaning process will go a long way in helping to bring order to the heart of your home.

Use Baskets, Clear Containers and Labels to Keep the Pantry & Refrigerator Tidy:

Before we invested in baskets, clear containers and labels our pantry and refrigerator were a total disaster.

Now that we have a system in place that works for us, I’m excited to say both our pantry and our refrigerator have been tidy like this for YEARS.

We know exactly what we have on hand and what we’re running low on which makes grocery shopping and meal planning so much easier.

It’s also a huge time saver because we can put groceries away immediately since each item already has a designated home be it a container or a basket.

Declutter & Use Dividers to Keep Kitchen Drawers Organized:

It can definitely be tough to keep kitchen drawers organized because utensils and gadgets come in so many different shapes and sizes.

Declutter the drawers by purging and donating those items you haven’t used in 6 months.

Then gather and organize the untensils and gadgets you use on a regular basis by placing like items together in each drawer.

This process doesn’t take a long time yet it’s a super simple way to clean, organize and maintain your kitchen

Spice Up Your Spice Drawer:

Spice drawers are one of the easiest places in the kitchen to organize!

You just need a few containers which can easily be found at the dollar store, pretty labels which you can purchase or make at home and designated time to sort through and throw away any spices that have expired.

Clean As You Go:

Use a compost and/or garbage bowl when you’re making dinner to help clean, organize and maintain your kitchen.

Place a big bowl (or two) on the counter while you’re cooking. Then throw all your trash or scraps (obviously you don’t want to mix the trash and scraps together if you compost) in the bowl.

This will save you trips to the garbage and will also help minimize the kitchen mess too.

Don’t wait until you’ve finished cooking to clean everything at once. Clean as you go to save time!

Empty The Dishwasher Every Morning:

One of the very first things I do every morning is to put away the clean dishes from the dishwasher.

This simple step keeps the dishes from piling up in the sink throughout the day.

It also means your sink will be empty when you get home and you’ll be ready to handle the dishes that come with making dinner.

Use this tip on how to clean the dishwasher every other month from Farmhouse 1820 if your dishwasher could use a little freshening up too.

Empty and Scrub the Sink Every Night:

Do yourself a huge favor and wash your dirty dishes every single night either by hand or by placing them in the dishwasher.

I know you’re tired after dinner; you’re probably fighting the kids to take a bath, you still have to pack lunches and your dogs need a long walk before you go to sleep,

I totally get it.

Emptying the sink and running the dishwasher before you go to bed every.single.night will ensure you wake up to a clean and tidy kitchen the next morning.

If you need a good sink cleaner, I’m totally obsessed with this Lemongrass & Lavender Sink Scrub.

It makes the entire kitchen smell so good.

It also makes the sink shiny, which feels like giving your kitchen a high five each night.

Take Care of Spills in the Microwave Immediately:

Spills in the microwave are a very common occurrence.

And let’s face it, what looks clean to one family member might not look that way to another  😉

If you find you have a stuck on mess in the microwave, fill a large Pyrex measuring cup or mircowave safe bowl with water and sliced lemons.

Then turn the microwave on for 4 minutes or until the water is boiling.

Do not touch the container or the boiling water as both will be hot and will burn.

Instead, start cleaning other things in the kitchen. Let the steam sit for about 15 minutes.

Once the bowl has cooled, remove the bowl of sliced lemons, and wipe the microwave clean.

Make Countertop Spray, Dishwashing Liquid, and Hand Soap Easily Accessible:

Keeping a vintage tool caddy, pedestal, or basket next to the sink with your daily supplies will allow them to be at the ready without cluttering up your kitchen counters.

If you have littles or curious pets though, you’ll want to keep these items together but in safely locked cabinet. 

The great part about creating a convenient countertop or cabinet cleaning caddy, is it’s completely customizable based on your needs and the needs of your family.

Tackle Fingerprints on Stainless Steel:

We have all stainless-steel appliances and fingerprints seem to show up after every single use! 

I generally use a mix of plain distilled white vinegar to clean the fingerprints off, followed by a small amount of coconut oil to polish the stainless steel about once a week.

Don’t feel like you have to use a custom mix though. There are a lot of stainless steel cleaning products on the market right now. 

Find the Right Stovetop Cleaner:

The ladies at 2 Bees in a Pod turned me on to this stovetop cleaner and I’ve been using it ever since. I like the recipe uses natural ingredients and the lemon makes it smell fresh.

If the burned bits are really bad, I add one cup of hot water to the mix, a teaspoon of mild dish detergent and allow the mixture to sit about 20 minutes before wiping clean.

I hope these 11 ways to clean, organize and maintain your kitchen have helped!

While some of these tips you’ll be able to do in less than 10 minutes, other suggestions will take thoughtful planning.

It may seem like a lot of work or possibly even a bit overwhelming now, but I promise it can be done.

Once you have a solid system in place, you’ll be able to keep your kitchen cleaned, organized, and maintained without a lot of extra effort each week because it will become a part of your daily routine.

And that’s definitely worth celebrating. Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Other Organization Posts to Enjoy:

• Pantry Organization Tips Made Easy 
• How to Meal Plan by the Month
• Housekeeping Habits We Practice Everyday 
• 7 Things to Prioritize Before School Starts
• 8 Tidy Home Tips for Dog Owners 
• 13 Ways to Feel More Organized Everyday 

Many blessings,

CoCo