Kitchen Clean Up

I get the spring cleaning bug as soon as Christmas is over and packed up. I think it has something to do with making space for the new gifts (i.e. mostly the kid's toys) and so out with the old and in with the new and so it begins. It's not long before I'm yearning to sort through every closet, drawer, and cupboard. What does this have to do with cooking???

Well, let me first back up. I did Fly Lady many years back and it changed how I approached my house work. It worked great and I learned so much from it. But, time has passed, and well, I've become a busier mom and well, my house cleaning has suffered. I know, I'm still not to the "how it relates to cooking" part yet but bare with me......

First-What is Fly Lady? Fly Lady is all about how to clean your house. Instead of me trying to explain it, if you don't know what it is, go to this page and check it out. She teaches you how to clean your house and if you feel inclined to sign up, she'll send you emails all day telling you what to do, how to clean it, in what order, what to wear while you're cleaning it, and how long to take. I have to warn you that it can become obsessive so for me, I just gleaned from it what I could and applied it to my life and then let time go by and forgot about it. Yep, back to square one. No, really, I didn't forget it all. Some of it has stayed with me and really helps me out!

So, yes, the cooking connection....well, first things first with Fly Lady...she has you start (since most of us stand in the middle of our house crying "where do I even start!?) with the kitchen sink. Yep, the kitchen sink is where you start. Scrub it bright and clean all over. It's appropriate also because this week is the kitchen zone if you are following the Flylady zone schedule.

So, the kitchen is a great place to start my spring cleaning and from there I'll move to the cupboards and I'm sure I'll find long lost Tupperware and gadgets that I thought were MIA years ago. I'll sort through my drawers and cabinets and make a pile for Give Away, Throw Away, and Put Away (um, ya, that's the stuff that doesn't even belong in the kitchen to start with!) Then I'll clear off all the Hot Spots (those are the places that naturally collect clutter) and set the table. Wow, what a start that will be.

After that I can clean the stove top, and the oven (yikes-a "how to clean your oven" post coming on Wednesday), and clean out the fridge, wipe down the back splashes, wipe down all the appliances, and then mop the floor. I'll sort through the pantry, fridge, and spice rack and throw out outdated items and reorganize my shelves. Okay, I'm getting tired just thinking about this. But, with a refresher course from Fly Lady(click here to just follow her program through the different "zones" in your house instead of signing up for all the emails), I'll be motivated and ready to give it a go....

After that, I'll apply the same tactics in all the other rooms of the house. So, if you want to join me in spring cleaning Fly Lady style, get dressed this morning, put on your face lotion, tie on your running shoes and let's fly!

Tomorrow's post will include things to clean your kitchen sink with as well as other cleaning tips.

-if you get your kitchen sink done, comment on this post and let us know your success! =0)