How neat/clean/tidy is your kitchen usually?

11 years ago

And, for those of you with finished or ABB kitchens, how has the new kitchen affected this? Does it tend to look pretty neat and clean with clear counters when you're not working? Or is your island covered with kids' homework while your other counters host dirty dishtowels, utility bills, and that canister of sugar you haven't yet put away?

I tend to be very neat and tidy anyway, but I kind of thought that with more than three times our old counter space (our old kitchen was tiny), we'd leave more things sitting out intentionally (like small appliances). In fact, the opposite has turned out to be true for us; we've ended up leaving even fewer things on our counters! I find that cleaning up is much easier in our new kitchen (there's space to put things away!), and we both love our counters so much that we want them to be cleared off when we're not working in there.

I love the feeling of peace and warmth that washes over me when I walk into my tidy kitchen! This feeling of peace has turned out to be an unexpected benefit to having a new kitchen for us!

If you enjoy and maintain a generally tidy kitchen, what routines help you do so? Maybe this will help some of those who are still in the planning stages.

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Comments (7)

Donaleen Kohn
11 years ago
It helps to have convenient storage to accommodate most things. I am not one who keeps a completely bar counter but we do keep our island clear of everything except the items we consider to be decorative which is some pottery and some hand made bowls that hold onions and fresh fruits.

Our counter has a few things that live there, mostly in an out of the way corner (Kitchen Aid mixer, toaster, microwave, Britta water filter, electric tea kettle). Sometimes a few other things accumulate for short times.

I don't like a lot of clutter but neither do I require a completely bare counter. The kitchen is, after all, a work space.

Lots of people accumulate piles of papers and mail in the kitchen. Personally, that drives me crazy.
mamasheshe
11 years ago
I am typically not that neat, but I find I am a fanatic about keeping the kitchen clean now. It is actually a joy to clean for the reasons you mention. I don't really have any routines, per se. Will be interested to see what others have to say.
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User
11 years ago
Three years later I'm more inclined to keep the counters clear. BUT I'm also spending much more time making messes so on any given day, it's a crap shoot whether you can see the counter or not. I am still giddy with delight every time I walk in there! And having the storage space and counter space is too wonderful for words.
windycitylindy
Original Author
11 years ago
I've been trying really hard to designate spots for the types of clutter that we used to allow to accumulate in a corner of the old kitchen. Our main clutter there was a small pile of miscellaneous things--a piece of mail DH needed to see (but wouldn't take care of for a week), tickets to a show, a catalog, a bill to pay, oil change reminder, and other things like that.

What do people do with those things? I need a better system for those random pieces of paper, especially those that don't need a permanent home.
Donaleen Kohn
11 years ago
Here is what I do with those things:

My DH has a drawer of his own in the island; I would put his mail there along with anything else he left about.

We have a slot in our desk for unpaid bills and a slot for scheduled things such things as tickets and reminders.

Catalogs get put in the bathroom or the room we hang out in so they can be looked at.
AboutToGetDusty
11 years ago
I too am a neaty-weety in the kitchen now! We have a cute bulletin board in our nearby mudroom for tickets & stuff, and a key/mail hanging organizer as well. HOWEVER. Since starting construction, everything congregated in the master bedroom and finished attic...both now look like giant dumpsters :-( My goal is to get both areas organized before the new year. In the meantime, while I am a messy cook, I love looking at my neat & clean kitchen after cleanup time :-)
nini804
11 years ago
I am a clean fanatic. Probably anal and type A...but I cannot stand cr@p in my kitchen! I have trained dh and the children that dirty dishes go in the dishwasher, or at the very least, the big 12" deep sink I purchased for this purpose. I have never liked junk on my counters, but now with the marble I am quite militant about it, lol! Actually, having a very large walk-in pantry and my little "office" adjacent to the kitchen has really helped with a lot of random clutter. My pantry is big enough that I can store not only all the food, but I have shelves for seasonal items, coolers, extra serving pieces, etc. My office has built-ins where I keep file folders (in drawers) for pending mail, etc... I clear it out weekly. Honestly, having a good system makes it a lot easier to keep everything clean.

How neat/clean/tidy is your kitchen usually?

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Donaleen Kohn

mamasheshe

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How neat/clean/tidy is your kitchen usually?

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Donaleen Kohn

mamasheshe

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Donaleen Kohn

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