Your kitchen is the section in your house where your family spends most of their waking time. That means more laughter, memories, and delicious food. But it also means spilled coffee, overfilling dustbins, and sometimes a cockroach family. Which home kitchen upkeep tactics can you use to ensure the kitchen remains a favorite spot? In this post, you’ll learn ten surefire home kitchen upkeep tips any mom or dad can use.
1. Reduce Countertop Clutter
One of the first places you should start home kitchen upkeep is reducing clutter on your countertop. Countertop clutter starts innocently. A buttercup here, a pan, some spoons—before you know it, your countertop looks messy. A cluttered countertop means less working space. With less room to do meal preparation, your efficiency reduces. You can also find it hard to find items, thus increasing stress.
Clearing your countertop clutter has the opposite effect. With a less cluttered space, you can manage kitchen tasks efficiently. Cleaning becomes easier because you can now reach even hard-to-reach places. A decluttered workspace gives you a sense of calm and tranquility.
So, how do you declutter your countertops? Your first step should be assessing the different types of clutter. By grouping them, you can know where to place them next. A good tip is getting good storage solutions, so you don’t have to wonder where to put your kitchen wipes or knives. Also, set a designated space on your countertop where you put all items you use frequently. Lastly, ensure you remove all non-kitchen items from your kitchen top. They include keys, mail, or newspapers.
2. Clean Floors Nightly
You may have heard about parents who clean their kitchen floors nightly. Then you wonder if that’s even practical. While you’re a parent, you have other responsibilities as well. Besides, you’re likely tired by night and need rest, not another task on your to-do list. Yet nightly floor cleaning makes sense. It prevents dirt, grime, and spills from accumulating. Besides, if you clean your kitchen floor at night, you’ll have a fresh start in the morning.
Since you are tired already, you need helpful home kitchen upkeep tips to keep you focused. It would help if you started by creating a routine. Most things that are beneficial but difficult are doable with a routine. According to a report on Piedmont, routines are calming and help reduce anxiety. You can do routine work for yourself by cleaning simultaneously every night. During the weekend, ensure you have everything you need for cleaning.
If you have a massive kitchen, divide it into sections for cleaning. You can start with the most cluttered area and move towards the cleaner sections. Invest in some time-saving tools, such as a microfiber mop. These tools help you clean efficiently without expending all your energy.
3. Tackle Pests Problems ASAP
Another home kitchen upkeep tip for moms and dads is immediate pest control. The kitchen is more vulnerable to pest infestation because food is readily available. Pests like ants, cockroaches, and rodents are attracted to the smell of food. These pests pose a significant danger to you and your family. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, pests can pose a significant health problem. They can spread asthma and allergies, microbial diseases, and vector-borne diseases.
The best way to deal with pests is to tackle them immediately. Call exterminators ASAP. Your first step should be cleaning up your kitchen. By removing all food sources, you’d be discouraging pests from visiting your kitchen. Use a gentle cleanser and wipe all surfaces. Next, check for pest entry points. If there are cracks or open holes, seal them. Remove the nest and cleanse with a detergent if the pests have built their nests in your house.
Some pests are more stubborn than others. That’s why you should identify the types of pests infesting your home. A pest control company can help you identify and eliminate pests. You can request environmentally-friendly pesticides that discourage pests from infesting.
4. Get Ducts Cleaned Regularly
Home kitchen upkeep included cleaning ducts for proper ventilation. Kitchens need regular duct cleaning because cooking is a messy process. It produces grime, smoke, and particles. Over time, this debris can accumulate in the kitchen, thus reducing its efficiency. Yet by regular duct cleaning, you can increase not only efficiency but also safety. Debris-laden ducts can spread fire faster than clean ones.
If you’re worried you’ll have to climb ladders with a cloth and stick every two weeks, don’t. As a good rule of thumb, you should clean the ducts only once a year. Besides, some professionals spend most of their work-time cleaning ducts. So, you can hire one. Yet, if you can also clean the ducts yourself.
Start by turning off all appliances, such as exhaust fans, to ensure your safety. Next, remove the vent covers. You’ll do this by unscrewing them. They’re easy to detach, but be careful while at it. Next, use a vacuum cleaner with a long attachment to remove all the debris. Vacuum as much of the debris as possible. Clean the vent covers, too, using a mild cleanser. Once you’re done, re-attach the vent covers. Throughout the process, wear protective clothing and use a steady ladder.
5. Get Home Repairs Promptly
You may have noticed some aspects of your kitchen that need to be repaired but postponed. Finances could be a major constraint, or you’re too busy. Yet ignoring the severity of the problem could lead to even more expensive repairs. Besides, if the damage is extensive, it could place your family at a safety risk. So, if your kitchen needs a roof repair, call a roofer immediately.
Even though finances could stop you from getting a repair, doing repairs can save costs. Small issues add up and, in the end, cause considerable damage. Besides, timely repair ensures your family is safe from accidents and slips. When you do prompt repairs, you can increase resource efficiency. For example, if you fix a leaky faucet, you save gallons of water annually. Similarly, if you fix a faulty HVAC, you pay less for electricity costs.
A good home kitchen upkeep tip is to focus on repairs with the highest stake. Do this by selecting repairs that will improve safety and functionality. It’s also a good idea to schedule repairs. If you group them, you can get a discount when you buy services in bulk.
6. Watch for Slow Drains
Your kitchen drain can clog for many reasons, but food debris is often the main culprit. Over time, oil, grease, and food particles can build up and lead to slow drains. Still, the problem may be coming from main line clogs. Besides food particles, corrosion, and large particles may cause slow drains. A clogged drain is an inconvenience, and it could lead to bacteria festering.
The most obvious sign your drain is slow is water taking ages to drain. It pools and lingers in the sink. Sometimes you’ll hear gurgling sounds coming from the drain. Trapped air in the drain causes the drain to produce sounds. If you notice a lingering foul smell coming from your drain, you may have a clog problem. As organic materials build up in the drain, they decay and produce a smell. Other signs to look for are water backing up or standing water.
The best way to deal with a slow drain is to call a plumber. They can track the drain to the source and remove it permanently. But you can try some effective DIY tactics. The single most effective DIY tip for clogged drains is using a plunger. It creates a vacuum, thus dislodging the debris, causing a slow drain.
7. Make Space for an Outdoor Herb Garden
Home kitchen upkeep doesn’t always mean cleaning up and fixing things. It can also mean ensuring a steady flow of fresh supplies. So, you could consider making space for an outdoor herb garden. With it, you can always have a constant supply of herbs. You can even go all organic and use your kitchen refuse as fertilizer. You can customize the garden to your specifications.
Fresh herbs give your food a distinct flavor. Such flavors can create lasting memories of home for your children. They contain rich nutrients such as vitamins and flavonoids that are beneficial. Besides, you can use this as an educational experience, especially if you have children. They can learn more about gardening and everything that goes into it.
Working with a local landscape contractor for your herb garden is best. They can help you organize your space and see where to create extra space. You can start by assessing your outdoor space. Which section has the best sunlight exposure, moisture, and soil conditions? You’ll need to prepare the soil for planting by removing debris and rocks. Unless you plan on giving away your herbs, only choose those that fit your culinary tastes.
8. Have Separate Circuits for Each Major Appliance
One of the home kitchen upkeep tips you should consider is separating circuits. Ensure each major appliance has a separate circuit. The fundamental reason is safety. When you have individual circuits for each appliance, you prevent overloading. Overloading causes electrical fires. When each appliance has its circuit, it can have optimal performance. That’s because it is not competing with other appliances for power.
When you put many major appliances on one circuit, you can have problems such as overloading. Appliances such as refrigerators draw a significant amount of power. When all are drawing from the same source, the circuit can overload. But that’s not all. Using the same circuit limits your flexibility. It becomes challenging to run many appliances together.
If you want to separate circuits, hiring electrical services is best. Unless you have some training in electrical wiring, please leave it to the pros. A wrong installation can disrupt power flow and also pose a safety risk. The National Fire Protection Association responded to 46,700 fires per year. These fires happened between 2014 and 2019. You can avoid being part of such statistics by hiring a certified electrician.
9. Touch Up the Paint Regularly
Another helpful home kitchen upkeep tip is repainting. Painting is one of the oldest DIY home projects, but you can hire painting contractors. Redoing your paint can give your kitchen the ultimate lift-me-up feel. You can start with the interior. Interior repainting can add more vibrancy to your kitchen. Don’t forget your cabinets when repainting. You can even opt for color-block.
Your exteriors matter too when repainting. A freshly painted exterior gives your home a lift by improving its appearance. Besides, repainting helps protect the wall elements from extreme weather conditions. It acts as a protective barrier against infestation of insects. Repainting the interior and exterior can boost resale if you resell your house.
When choosing between DIY and professional, consider project length and complexity. While you can do some passion projects, working with a painter ensures you get a quality job. Professional painters have vast experience with many paint jobs, so they have skills. Hiring a professional also saves you time and money.
10. Remodel if It Just Isn’t Right for Your Family
Ultimately, if your kitchen isn’t right for your family, you can remodel it. Do you enter your kitchen and immediately lose all motivation to cook? Do you spend hours sifting through kitchen remodeling magazines and shows? It may be time to stop admiring and remodeling. Remodeling could be what you need to stop comparing your kitchen to your friends.’
Kitchen remodeling can fuel your inspiration and make you feel at home. It might cost you a fortune. Yet, if it’s done right, it can serve your family for an extended period. So, if it doesn’t feel right, go ahead and remodel.
Bringing it all together, your kitchen is the heart of your home. Yet clutter, grime, and dirt can steal their spot and reduce inspiration. We hope you can keep your kitchen at the center of your family with these ten helpful home kitchen upkeep tips.
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