Cleaning

Hello again, savvy savers! For today’s Monday Deep Cleaning Post, I wanted to share the single biggest way I have found to keep my home clean, and that is by keep my kitchen counter tops completely cleared off! Why keep the counters empty? The kitchen is the heartbeat of our home, but when our kitchen counters are messy and cluttered, my mood, home, and family dynamic seems to feel stressed and overwhelmed, too! I truly believe, a clean kitchen is a happy and productive place to be! 

So, you may be asking, is it incontinent to not have small appliances, crocks, tools, and towels in arms reach on the counters? No, in fact I truly have not missed having my items out. The reason I decided to clear my counter tops off was that I simply felt I did not use three-quarters of the items on my counters! Let’s say for 8 hours of the day, you utilize those items for about 5 minutes, or less? So, this ultimately means that we all leave appliances plugged into sockets, for 7 hours and 45 minutes, causing not only unnecessary phantom power sources, but these same power drainers are simultaneously taking up valuable space on your counters.

Couple this with the idea that items placed in cabinets are cleaner, after all isn’t this why we place dishes in cupboards, to keep grime, grease splatters, dust, and germs off of our dishes? Why keep items on counter tops, when it take a mere 5 seconds to take those items out of the cupboard, and about 10 seconds to put those items away in the cupboard!

Here are a few more reasons to clear off your counter tops:

1. Clear counters, mean more space, and a kitchen that feels a lot bigger than it really is.
2. It is much easier to cook from scratch and prepare three meals plus snacks each day for your family when your counters are clear.
3. Clear counters creates both the physical and mental space to bake, whip up homemade snacks, and cook nutritious dinners; you create a workshop!
4. When it’s easier to cook and prepare meals and snacks, we rely less on convenience and processed foods and snacks, and eat out less often; a savings for our wallets and health!
5. Counter tops that are completely cleared off practically clean themselves; dirty dishes go straight into the dishwasher, staples into the pantry, and then simply sweep floors and wipe down counters!
6. A clean kitchen is motivation to keep the rest of the house clean and picked up!

And as a bonus, it is a breath of fresh air, to walk into a clean kitchen! I look forward to walking into the kitchen and being able to actually do what I’m supposed to do in there – make a good, home cooked meal food for my family.

Here are a few ways I keep my counter-tops clear:

• I keep my toaster oven, microwave, tool crock trio, and produce baskets on a small bakers rack.
• All paper products, wraps, and lunch items are stored in in-cabinet wicker baskets. 
• Snacks are stored vertically in hanging baskets.
• I keep a rack above my sink for washing accouterments and my favorite e-Pantry candles! 
• I keep my small appliances in a bottom cabinet; grill and baking appliances on one shelf, and all others on the bottom shelf. 
• I place my cutting boards in an upcycled magazine holder, on the side of my pantry.
• All spices, food, and pantry items stay in the pantry!
• Extra tools belong on my pullman cart beside my fridge!

So, I hope you all will completely clear off our counters in your kitchen and see what kind of difference it can make in our lives! If you need more practical and how-to steps to clear off your counters, including pictures from my own kitchen and how I store things, check out How To Completely Clear Off Your Kitchen Counters!

So, are your counters perpetually messy and cluttered? How do you think it would change your life to clear them off completely?

Here’s to a healthy, cleaner home,