Keeping a Clean Kitchen

I’ve found that keeping a clean kitchen is a huge motivator for me to stick to a healthy diet. I don’t know about you, but I CAN’T cook in a dirty kitchen. I’ve got five, four-legged furry creatures living in my house (four of which can either jump on the counters, or at least skim them); so Clorox wipes have became my best friend. Never a day where you won’t see a Clorox wipe container sitting on my kitchen sink. Anywho, I’ve been non-officially doing an experiment the last week or so trying to keep a cleaner kitchen to boost my inspiration for healthy cooking and frugal living. It really seems to be working!

Because you can’t wash your fruits & veggies if your sink is full of dirty dishes…

& you can’t chop them if your dishes aren’t clean!!!!

*Tips for Keeping a Clean Kitchen*

• Make room for your groceries! Clean our your fridge before going to the grocery store. Throw away all expired, old food. Same holds true for your cabinets.
• Don’t procrastinate! Do your dishes after your meal, before you put on a movie to watch with your significant other. My husband and I have been trial running this the past week (not that he knows, haha, but we have). We always used to watch TV and eat dinner. We’re now eating at the table more; this way there is nothing to distract me from doing the dishes directly after dinner is over. Plus, if you do them right away it actually takes less time because nothing is stuck to the dishes yet!
• Use your dish rag and wipe those flat surfaces down with your dishwater before draining your sink.
• Get out that broom! While you may not need to mop every day, it’s still a good idea to do a quick sweep. Get out your broom and get the obvious dirt.
• Don’t forget the trash can! I always designate this chore to my husband ;)

Usually my kitchen routine takes less than 30 minutes (I have been grilling a lot lately). One day every week or so I desginate more time in my kitchen doing a more thorough job of cleaning surfaces and mopping.