Kitchen Spring Cleaning 101 with the Neat Method
We’ve been working with the team at the Neat Method on our new home in Kelowna and I am so excited to have Sarah from the Neat Method on the blog today. There is nothing better than a clean and organized kitchen, so I know I’ll be taking the tips below and trying to implement them in our home while we are here!
If there is anything we’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s how much use the kitchen gets within a home. It’s a space every member of the household interacts with several times a day, whether it be to prepare a meal, eat a meal, sit down and have a conversation, or do some work at the table. It’s also a space where splatters and spills happen, and backstock builds. All of this combined can lead to a disorganized space and the need to clean it up. So, we’re sharing our top tips for spring cleaning the kitchen that will also be organizational game-changers.
EXPIRATION EXODUS
We suggest starting with something that’s a quick win, and editing out your expired items is just that. Take a look at the best before dates on everything in your pantry, cupboards, and spice drawer - do it all! You’ll be surprised how long some items have been kicking around. Compost the expired contents if you can and recycle the container as applicable. Make sure to have your grocery list handy to add any items you want to replace and note the size of the item you want to re-purchase. Maybe you don’t need 10L of apple cider vinegar after all of it went bad before you finished it! If you’re on the fence about keeping things that have just expired, make a plan or find a recipe to use them up right away.
BONUS TIPS
Using containers like NEAT Method’s Glass Acacia Canister can help you see your inventory and use it up before it goes bad.
Matching Spice Jars are also great for not buying too much or duplicates of spices you already have.
CONTAINER CONUNDRUM
As the end of the school year approaches, this also means that the countdown is on to the end of packing school lunches. That makes it the perfect time to evaluate your collection of food storage containers. What did you kids actually use this year? Which water bottles do they refuse to drink from? What items seemed cool, but have proven to be impractical? Anything that’s broken or missing lids can be recycled or tossed. If you think an item is not going to make the cut for next year or they have outgrown something, make the call now to remove it from your kitchen.
BONUS TIP
Using NEAT Method’s Perforated Baskets are a great way to organize water bottles or other lunch box containers you will reach for every day.
SWAP IT LIKE IT’S HOT
From our experience organizing homes, we know that if you see something in your kitchen, you’re more likely to use it. Sometimes, it’s worth doing a seasonal swap. So, move the crockpot to the back of the cupboard, pull out the ice cream maker and popsicle sticks and get ready for summer. Don’t forget about the fun serving dishes or pizza stones that you promise to use each year. Get them to the front where you’ll remember to pull them out and make some new meal memories!
BONUS TIP
Use NEAT Method’s Grid Baskets and Label Holder Sets to keep your seasonal pieces organized and easy to move around in your cupboards.
DOES IT BELONG?
It’s amazing how items can creep into cupboards and drawers they don’t belong in. Yes, some days it may have been helpful to have had your kiddo’s socks in that kitchen drawer, and I’m sure there’s more than one confiscated toy up above the fridge, but do they really belong there? Take a hard look through each area and make sure that only the real kitchen items are housed in this space. Anything that’s not a kitchen item can be returned to where it belongs. This is how you can truly reset.
BONUS TIP
Using Adjustable Drawer Dividers is a great way to create organization in a drawer and can be easily moved as your needs change.
IN THE ZONE
As we move into a new season, think about how your habits and zones may need to change. WIll your kids be making themselves breakfast over the summer? Will you be entertaining more? Are smoothies more likely to be made as a way to beat the heat? If your kids will be cooking with you more, then be ready for that and have a station that’s easy to include them in. Set yourself up for success by creating zones and areas for the activities that are most important.
Sarah and the NEAT Method team have made our Kelowna home look amazing and feel really functional. I know we’ll be implementing these tips into all of our homes and I hope you’ve picked something up you can use, too!
Much Love,
Sarah Gerber is the owner of NEAT Method Vancouver. Moves are her specialty, having moved more times than she would like to admit. Born and raised in Kelowna, BC. Trained as a Web and Graphic Designer. Moved to the lower mainland and fell in love with the city. Married to her high school sweetheart and is now mom to two energetic kids. She is a natural-born leader as the oldest of five. Her guilty pleasures are mint-chocolate chip ice cream and reality TV. On weekends, you can find her wandering through IKEA planning her next DIY. You can find her on Instagram or LinkedIn.