Today, I tackled a few of the kitchen cleaning how tos and I added shelf liners to my cabinets. 

After reading Martha's section on shelf liners I decided that parchment paper would work for my cabinet shelves. This was the most economical choice and the easiest choice for me to find near me, since parchment paper is sold in most supermarkets.

The first thing that I did was empty my cabinets, I took this time to get rid of anything that was expired or I did not use anymore. Next I washed the cabinets using Martha's recommendations, warm water mixed with mild dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge. 

I washed the hardware using the same solution. This was relatively easy, the solution was strong enough to get rid of the dirt but, weak enough to not damage the cabinets or hardware. I used a glass cleaner for the two glass front cabinets in my kitchen.

After drying the cabinets with a soft cloth I inserted the parchment paper.

The last step was to stock the shelves. The whole process took a little over an hour. The next time that I do this it should take less time because the parchment paper should grab most of the dirt instead of the dirt ending up on the cabinets.

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Kitchen Organizing

Organizing has always been easier for me than cleaning. After reading Martha's recommendations on organizing in the kitchen, I found that I was on the right track. Martha recommends organizing your kitchen for what works for you, there is no wrong way, it is meant to make your life easier.

Here are a couple of Martha's tips that I chose to follow:

Stacking pots and pans so that they take up less space in your drawers/shelves.

Keeping all your like items together in one area of the kitchen. This is a spice rack that my Dad built for us one christmas I have it right next to my range. This allows me easy access to spices while I'm cooking.

Use a drawer organizer for storing your silverware.

I do find that when my home is organized I am less stressed and have more time. Having a place for everything makes it easier to keep everything organized.

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I'm back, sorry I've been absent for the last few days, I had a few things for Grad School I had to take care of and some of my Husband's family was visiting over the weekend. I was able to keep up with the daily Martha tasks but was unable to get a chance to blog.

Today's topics are the Kitchen Layout and the Kitchen Cleaning Kit. 

Kitchen Layout

My Kitchen

As you can see above my kitchen is a combination of a galley and open kitchen plan. This layout effects my kitchen's triangle. In a normal galley kitchen the two of the appliances would be on one wall and the last appliance would be between the other two on the opposite wall. My kitchen triangle is acute, in the future when we redo our kitchen I would love to have a more traditional triangle to work with.

Kitchen Cleaning Kit

Martha's kitchen cleaning kit is similar to the universal cleaning kit that I talked about eariler with a few added tools. Such as: dishwashing liquid, natural cleaners (baking soda, etc), kitchen brushes, and a toothbrush. She also suggests that you store all your cleaning materials in a bucket to make it easier to find and carry everything.

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Today, I looked through the monthly and seasonal cleaning lists that Martha recommends. I decided to spread out the tasks over the four weeks in each month and when the seasons change. To speed this along a little, I'll just let you know about when I'll be completing the monthly and seasonal cleaning instead of going through a whole month, like I did with the weekly cleaning. This will allow me to start getting into the nitty gritty.

Here is the cleaning break down.

Monthly

1st Week of the Month

• Wash Ventilation Hood Filter in Kitchen
• Discard Food that has Expired
• Vacuum Fire Place Screen
• Launder Mattress Pad

2nd Week of the Month

• Wipe Shower Surroundings
• Scrub Grout
• Wipe Inside Medicine Cabinet
• Dust Closet Shelves
• Vacuum Closet Floors

3rd Week of the Month

• Vacuum Utility Floors
• Wipe Inside/Outside of Trash Cans
• Vacuum Window Treatments, Moldings and Windowsills
• Dust Ceiling Fans
• Wipe Doors

4th Week of the Month

• Wipe Switch Plates
• Wipe Telephones
• Flush Drains with Vinegar, Boiling Water and Baking Soda

 Seasonal

•  Replace Baking Soda
• Clean Oven
• Wipe Kitchen Ceiling
• Clean Refrigerator
• Clean Inside of Kitchen Cabinets
• Organize Pantry
• Sweep out Fireplace
• Vacuum Mattress and Box Spring
• Launder Pillows
• Wipe Baseboards and Moldings 

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