Four (4) Steps to a Clean and Organized Kitchen for the Holidays

Divinely Organized – Four (4) Steps to a Clean and Organized Your Kitchen for the Holidays 

By now you guys should be adjusting to my collaboration with my two Blogger Buddies (BBs), Patricia Leitao and Kelly Mahan, both talented writers for homeyou.com, a company that connects homeowners to reliable, affordable and professional contractors for their home improvement projects. Well apparently, they like it here at the Command Center because they are back again this week with an article that piggybacks on one I shared with you guys last week.

Last week I did a weekly tip article on organizing your kitchen for the upcoming holiday season of entertaining and this week my BBs have gone a step further and added to my 5 tips. I think the additional 4 tips will be additional information that you can use during the holiday season and beyond.

As always, they are aware that the Command Center is budget conscious, and these ideas can be put into action on a small budget. Enjoy and happy organizing.

4 Steps to a Clean, Organized Kitchen for the Holidays

Is your kitchen ready for the holidays? Do you know where your favorite holiday casserole dish is? What about your spices? Is anything expired? Before you make up your menu for your holiday dinner, you need to get your kitchen organized to help your holidays go by smoothly. Here are 4 steps you can take to get your kitchen ready for the holidays.

Step 1: Organize the Pantry

Clean Pantry
Clean Pantry

If your pantry is anything like mine, it’s excellent at storing food. That’s because some food never leaves the pantry. It stays in there forever. You know you have a few cans of beans or soup that have been in there since you first moved in. If you’re hosting the holidays this year, it’s time to clean out your pantry. I suggest doing this the day before your trash is picked up. Start by taking everything out of it. Throw out anything that has expired. You’ll probably be surprised at much gets tossed right away. If you have salad dressing bottles or balsamic vinegar bottles, you can pour out the liquid and save the bottles to create snowy, holiday vases for your party.

If you’re DIY savvy, now would be an excellent time to install pull out drawers in your pantry. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do so, continue by grouping like items together. Put spices in one group, flours in another, and so on. Match all of your Tupperware to the corresponding lids If you find you have unopened doubles of an item or haven’t used an item in over six months, you might want to donate them to your local food bank. Otherwise, you can now put your pantry back together.

For a truly organized pantry, clean each shelf and put down contact paper if you haven’t already. Then, take the time to determine the best spots for each group of items. Put frequently used items at eye level and put lesser-used items on the top and bottom shelves. Use clear, short containers to store any packets of gravy or sauce mixes so they don’t scatter all around your nicely organized shelves.

Step 2: Organize and Clean the Fridge

Clean Fridge
Clean Fridge

While your fridge shouldn’t be as bad as your pantry as far as expired items go, you should still take the time to clean it out properly. As with the pantry, take everything out of your fridge. Throw out anything expired. Give your fridge a nice cleaning by washing the drawers and shelves. If you never seem to have enough room in your fridge, consider getting a couple of small lazy susans to give you an extra level of storage space.

Step 3: Organize and De-Clutter the Countertops

Keep Those Countertops Clutter Free
Keep Those Countertops Clutter Free

Now that you have the most time-consuming parts out of the way, it’s time to move on to the countertops. First, take everything off your counters so you can give them a good wipe down. Don’t forget to clean your backsplash and your cabinets while you’re at it. You’ll be amazed at how wonderful your kitchen will look after simply wiping down your counters and cabinets. If you have any mail or important documents on your counters, put them somewhere safe, like in your bedroom. You won’t risk dropping food on them or accidentally throwing them out in a panic. Before putting all of your appliances and utensils back on your counters, think about what you’ll need when you start cooking your holiday dinner. If there are some appliances you can live without for a couple of weeks, store them away in a closet or in the garage. You’ll free up counter space and make your kitchen look even bigger and cleaner. Keep essential utensils near the stove and put the pots, pans, and serving dishes you’ll need in the cabinets around your oven. Organize trays and platters by using tray dividers. You may have to do a little rearranging, but it’ll be worth it when you don’t have to spend fifteen minutes searching for your casserole dish.

Step 4: Think About Your Guests

Keep Your Holiday Guest in Mind
Keep Your Holiday Guest in Mind

If you have a relative who always has allergies, make sure there are tissues readily available throughout your home. Always keep a couple of extra bottles of wine or champagne chilling in the fridge in case you have someone unexpected drop by for an evening. If your family has a lot of children in it, make sure your home is child-proof. Consider creating a guest bag where you can keep essentials that your guests may need. This is helpful for when you’re busy cooking in your now-organized kitchen and don’t have time to go searching for some Tylenol. In your guest bag (or basket, or tray, or whatever you prefer), keep hand lotion, your WIFI password, a pen and some paper, Band-Aids, and any other little items you think your guests might need. You’ll quickly become the favorite host or hostess.

 

Article written by Kelly Mahan, also a writer for homeyou.com , a company that connects homeowners to reliable, affordable and professional contractors for their home improvement projects. Check more on Twitter.

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