Fall Cleaning in My Kitchen

Disclosure: This most contains affiliate links. The opinions are my own.

Since the baby was born last fall, I’ve struggled to catch up and keep up with everything, especially the housekeeping, but the fall season always tends to jumpstart my cleaning habits.  The last couple of months I’ve really been focusing on fall cleaning in my kitchen.  Here are a few areas and items I like to focus on when I’m doing a deep clean in my kitchen.

Decluttering and Organizing Your Cabinets.

My cabinets were getting a little out of hand.  I managed to throw away a few items and rearrange some things.  Now they are looking a lot better and my stuff is way more accessible.  (And I don’t have pots and pans falling out when I open the door!)

Items to consider decluttering – Lids without containers, containers without lids.  Gadgets, appliances, and dishes you never use.

Decluttering Your Pantry and Fridge.

Each week I clean out our fridge, removing any old leftovers, and I’m always checking the fridge for things like expired meats and cheeses, etc., but a few times a year, I like to check out things like condiments.  The fall season is especially a good time to check your freezer inventory.  I usually have things like homemade soups and beans that I’ve made.  This is a good time to take inventory and do a little future meal planning in order to get rid of old stock.  And it is a good time to get rid of anything out of date.

This fall I also cleaned out our pantry and food cabinets.  As with the fridge, I am always getting rid of things like chips and expired snack foods, but once or twice a year I like to take a look at our canned goods, baking ingredients, pastas, and other pantry foods and throw out anything that’s expired or make plans to cook items we’ve had for a while.


Clean Surfaces and Outside of Appliances

I’m constantly cleaning counter tops and other surfaces in our kitchen, and fall cleaning is a great chance to clean these surfaces plus the outside of appliances, which I clean a lot less often.  I like to use my Steam Machine.  It is VERY easy to use, and is a chemical-free way of cleaning, while also killing germs.  The Steam Machine is also great at removing stuck on foods and other items, and it leaves them looking so shiny! It is a LIFE SAVER in my kitchen!  I like to use on the following surfaces:

  • Countertops
  • Cabinets
  • Floors
  • Windows
  • Appliances like our stove, refrigerator, dishwasher.
  • Sinks

In lieu of the SteamMachine, I often like to clean with vinegar and baking soda.  The baking soda is great for getting things that are stuck on surfaces, and I also like to use all purpose cleaners like Mrs. Meyers Clean Day and Pledge Multi-Surface.

Clean Inside of Appliances

When I cleaned and decluttered our fridge, I decided to do it at a time when we were in need of a grocery trip; basically our fridge was almost empty, so this was the perfect time to take out everything and clean the inside of the drawers and shelving.  I used the Steam Machine for this as well.  I am always amazed at how great a job this thing does at removing any stuck of food and things that have spilled and crystallized on the shelves.  It leaves my refrigerator looking brand new!

Steam is also useful in cleaning the inside of other appliances.  For our dishwasher, I place a cup of vinegar in the top shelf with a few drops of essential oils like lemon, orange, or peppermint.  And then I just run a cycle.  You can also do this in your microwave. Just heat the vinegar and oil long enough for it to steam up and then wipe out the now loosened food particles.

Got any good tips for cleaning in the kitchen this fall?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please leave your comments on today’s post!

 

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