Spring Cleaning for the Kitchen

Maeve shares tips to take stock of your kitchen before spring holidays sets in.

This weekend is the beginning of a season filled with gathering and hosting, starting with Passover and Easter. In these celebratory months, our #kitchens see quite a bit more action. So take time now, before the craziness sets in, to take stock of your kitchen.

Here are a few quick projects you can do to prep your kitchen for the new season and upcoming busy months.

Toss Five: Kitchen Edition

We’ve been asking you to “toss five” all spring, and we’re going to keep on asking you! This is a particularly useful project in the kitchen and will help you to inventory your supplies moving into a new season. Take 10 minutes to toss five expired, almost empty, or out-of-season things from your pantry, freezer, and fridge. #tossfive

If you’re feeling extra inspired, try this: remove five! Kitchens tend to accumulate items that don’t belong in the kitchen: light bulbs, batteries, tools, tape, etc. Take a look around your kitchen to see if any non-kitchen items have accumulated in the winter months. Remove them and place them in their proper homes. #everythinghasahome

Rotate

Just as you #rotate out your winter coats from your closet, swap out your off-season kitchen items! Many of us have stuffed our blenders and iced tea carafes into the depths of our cabinets. Empty out your cabinets and rearrange your items with the spring and summer months in mind. If you find any broken or rarely used items, let them go now to free up space in your kitchen. You might even find yourself inspired to make a smoothie or host a weekend brunch! #releaseandletgo

And, do the same with your #pantry. You probably won’t use that extra can of pumpkin puree until next fall, so move it to the back. If you’re feeling particularly energized, sort your pantry items by category and place like items in #trays or #bins. You’ll thank yourself next fall when all your holiday and winter items are easy to find and bring forward. #likethingslivetogether

Put Spring on Display

During the winter months I display a delicate white teapot on my counter; I use it often, so it’s convenient to have out, and it looks nice. During the summer the teapot is rarely touched, so when I take on my kitchen spring cleaning, I replace the teapot with something more seasonal – this year, a plant! Take a look around your kitchen, is there something you could display to make the room feel more festive? A potted plant, a bright vase for fresh flowers, or a pretty pitcher? #decor #weloveplants

Deep Clean as You Go

While you’re rotating your items or ‘tossing five’, take the time to deep clean. Since you’ll already be removing things from #cabinets and #shelves, kill two birds with one stone: deep clean while things are out, before you replace them. Vacuum and wipe down shelves and cabinet corners, replace contact paper if you use it. Don’t forget to clean the hardware on your cabinets, and tighten those handles, too! What do you do to spring clean in your kitchen? Share in the comments below!