10 Easy Steps To Freshen Up Your Kitchen

I have recently been working my way through rooms clearing & decluttering as well as getting my Spring clean on so I thought I’d blog about my tips to get your kitchen in to tip top shape quickly & easily.

I know it may only be January but with all this miserable weather & having to be cooped up indoors anyway, I’d rather get the little bits done that have crept up on me over the Winter season so once the warmer weather hits us I can spend my time at the beach rather than elbow deep in pots & pans. Wishful thinking right?

The kitchen is typically one room that can end up looking tired & shabby the quickest, especially if you enjoy cooking like I do. Months of cooking with windows firmly shut take their toll. Plus who feels like defrosting freezers when it’s minus 2 outside?

1. Clear all surfaces of any ‘junk’, by that I mean any old bills, paperwork or your ‘beloved’ childrens artwork from nursery (yes the 30th unidentifyable scribble you’ve recieved this week that is lovingly recieved & graciously binned). Sort through everything & either recycle or find new permanant homes (a perfect opportunity to start a ‘home’ folder).

2. Also carefully consider your more permanant surface objects – do you really need to have that bread maker you’ve used once on the side? Pop it on Gumtree & earn some cash.

3. Start by sorting through your kitchen cupboards, throwing out or selling anything you haven’t used (& lets face it probably won’t ever use!). Use this opportunity to wipe out the cupboards as you go.

4. Do your cupboard contents need reorganising? Maybe your mugs should be moved closer to your kettle, your pots & pans nearer to your hob?

5. Deep clean your oven – this is something that everybody hates but it has to be done unfortunately. Use the ovenpride bag kit (available in Home Bargains for around £2.50) for the racks & any trays (or buy new ones if they have seen better days – places like Home Bargains or Asda do ones for 99p!) which is super easy. All you do is pop everything in the bag provided, pour on the liquid being careful not to get any on you as I did & ended up with a rashy/burning arm, leave it overnight then the once stubborn grease wipes off with no effort at all. Make sure to do the inside of the oven with Ovenpride spray. You can pick up a wipeable liner for 99p from Home Bargains which can be cut to the size of your oven to prolong your next clean.

6. Next start on the fridge by removing all food & wiping out with disinfectant. Make sure you do the seals too.

7. If you have a freezer that needs defrosting then it’s a good idea to do this every 3 months to prolong the effeciency.

8. Kitchen cupboard doors will naturally get greasy as well as have food splatters so lightly wipe these down.

9. Also wipe down all surfaces & place everything back in it’s new improved location.

10. Hoover/sweep & mop the floor with disinfectant.

Does your decor need a tidy up?
You’ll be amazed how cheaply you can replace a tired looking toaster or even a washing bowl that’s seen a few too many dishes. Treat yourself to a new tablecloth, a bunch of flowers or some fresh herbs.
Refreshing dull paintwork or even giving your kitchen a new look can also be done on a budget – what about a feature wall or painting kitchen cupboards (see this blog post for how I transformed my kitchen with F&B paint) for a completely new look? You can even paint tiles!

Love, Charlotte x