My kitchen its probably my favorite room in my house. I cook and prepare all our meals from scratch so I am in the kitchen a lot, and I love it. The idea of cooking every meal, everyday can overwhelm some people. I have found its only overwhelming when my kitchen is messy and cluttered. Cooking from scratch can be easy, in a clean organized kitchen. But keeping the kitchen clean and organized is not always easy. Here I want to share some of the tips, habits and the mindset I have developed to avoid the overwhelm and embrace my kitchen.
Embracing Peace, Not Overwhelm
Keeping my kitchen cabinets organized is not always easy but so very rewarding. In my kitchen I have few cabinets and little counter space. With a space things can pile up really quickly. Cleaning up after every meal or cooking time in the kitchen is necessary which leads to tip number 1.
Tip number 1: The One Touch Rule
The One Touch Rule is once you’ve touch something you put all the way away the first time you touch it. Don’t create little piles to be put away at a later time. Wash that one dish right away to avoid fifty dishes to wash later on. Put the toys all the way away, the rags to the laundry basket not a pile on the floor…etc. These are real life tasks that I struggle with finishing. So I remind myself, “one touch” and finish the little task it keeps things from building up and causing stress and overwhelm.
Imagine you have a list of all the things you need to put away and every time you pick something up you put it in another spot closer to where it should go so that its “easier” to put it away later. You will never be able to actually check anything off the list because every time you pick something up you aren’t actually putting it away you are just reorganizing your mess but never cleaning it up.
Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes we do need to organize and sort through the mess. Like when my kids dump the Lego’s, cars, play food, and blocks all out in the living room floor. In that case sitting down with the kids and sorting through the toys is a great method of cleaning.
The One Touch Rule applies when I’m washing dishes and one of my daughters toy dishes appears in the sink. I wash it, dry it, and put it away in the toy box right away. Now I’m tempted to put the clean toy on the edge of the counter thinking I’ll put away later… but then I forget… I think I wont but I do. Now her toys are sill in my kitchen, I’m running late, I making dinner and I need to stay focused on the meal… So I toss it into the living room, still not putting it away… teaching my kids its okay to just throw toys in another room in order to say that you “cleaned up”. The one touch rule saves me from this cycle.
Tip Number 2: Keep The Sink Empty
This rule is huge for me. Not having a dishwasher I wash all our dishes by hand in the sink. I like washing dishes and I’ve never cared to have a dishwasher. The one thing I hate is when my kitchen sink is so full of dishes that I can’t wash the one pot or bowl or knife that I need. To get what I need I first have to empty the sink so I can wash the one bowl.
There are two things to keep this from happening. 1, wash dirty dishes right away with the one touch rule. 2, Place dirty dishes on counter not inside the sink. Washing dishes right away keeps them from piling up. Setting dirty dishes on the counter for later make it so the sink is always available a quick wash.
If you do have a dishwasher I suggest you never put dirty dishes in the sink or counter. Rinse and place them in the dishwasher right away, even if you are not turning it on till the end of the day. Don’t make a habit of creating piles in your kitchen to do later. This will just cause stress at the end of the day over all the thing you’ve saved for yourself to do. Finishing the little tasks throughout the day for simpler living and avoid the overwhelm and stress.
Tip Number 3: Relationships Over Cleanliness
When the kids are crying, the house is messy, food is burning on the stove, we moms sometimes get stuck. Unable to focus and we don’t know what to do next. Trying to focus in we get frustrated with all the distraction and interruption. Instead of focusing in, broaden your view.
Remember relationships are more important than the cleanliness of the home. Your relationship with your husband and kids is more important than a clean house. Broaden your view, look for ways to build up your relationships instead of focusing on the chores. Focus on relationships over tasks. If the kids are upset, love on them. When your husbands is coming home from work and the house is a mess and your hair is a mess. Brush your hair first. He wants to look at you, not the house.
When focused on building up your relationships within your family you can then decided on what tasks are most important. Cleaning the same thing over and over again can get discouraging. But when we have the right mindset and motivation we can love and serve others selflessly. The chores become acts of love, giving us joy and purpose in doing them.
Tip Number 4: Declutter Often
Every couple months I like to go through a drawer or cabinet and clean it out. Throw away any junk, reevaluate if any of the items in the back of the drawer or that mug in the back of the cabinet is actually worth keeping. I don’t get rid of everything but consider what works and what doesn’t for your house using wisdom. I encourage you go through the whole kitchen at once (unless necessary) but one or two drawers or cabinets a month. Making it a quick job of it, maybe 30 minutes of decluttering and deep cleaning that area of the kitchen. Rather than a days worth of going over every cabinet, nook and cranny of the kitchen in one full swoop.
Keeping the clutter down by going through my kitchen often keeps me from wasting my limit storage space. We have a cabinet that is deep with a narrow door so its hard to see and reach items in the back. For the longest time I stored tea cups and small items in this cabinet. This week, as I cleaning it out I realized I never use my pretty cups and plates. So I switch things up a bit. I moved my pie dishes into the small cabinet and the tea cups and pretty items to a more convenient shelf. The pie dishes take up the whole shelf leaving no room for little things to be hidden. It’s perfect! I only need the pie dishes when I make pie and I now I have the opportunity to use the pretty plates and tea cups when ever I want.
Tip Number 5: Romance The Ordinary
Keeping my cabinets clean and organized doesn’t just improve the function of my kitchen but adds beauty and peace, it adds romance. It brought me joy to move my tea cups to a cabinet they can be seen in and easily accessed. Eating a simple snack of almonds or a rice cake off of a pretty plate energizes and fills me up so much more than eating off a paper plate. It feel romantic to eat and serve your family in a beautiful way. The going above and beyond to make something beautiful for someone is a way of showing love.
Whenever I bring flowers in the the home or make eye catching meals my kids get excited! They enjoy beauty even at a young age. My son is always asking to pick flowers to have on the kitchen table. I have to remind him that we can’t have flowers and decoration around if the table is going to be messy. We first need to clean the sticky oatmeal or dinner dishes or arts and crafts off the table and then add the beautifying elements.
I love adding the romantic beautiful elements to my home but they are only effective with a clean house. So first we clean, we keep up on the clutter and do our do diligence. Have you ever notice all the pretty inspirational photos of kitchens on Pinterest are clean? Clean the kitchen and then add beauty. Creating inspiration for your family to see and enjoy.
In Summery
I hope you are encouraged and ready to embrace the kitchen with all its messes. I hope you are able to embracing cleaning consistently with love and service towards your family. Remember the “One Touch Rule” and simplify your cleaning with habits that benefit your whole home. Declutter often and save things that bring joy not stress. Embracing your family with beauty for them to be around, romance the ordinary. Keep your mind on what’s most important, your family. Build up your family with love as you create a clean and peaceful home for them.
Please share in the comments some encouragement that you have found helpful when it comes to keeping your kitchen/house clean. Sharing can be so powerful and you never know who you might be able to help with a encouraging comment.
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