How To Spring Clean Your Kitchen

Who knows how it happens, but one day your kitchen is perfectly tidy and the next it can feel like a shambles. It doesn’t help that this area is so highly trafficked—between breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks throughout the day, things can get a little messy. The good news is: just one afternoon or evening’s worth of work can transform your kitchen from blah to tada. If this sounds utterly boring, consider listening to a podcast or audiobook as you work. Or, if you’re daunted by the task, break it down by day. Clean one day, refresh your pans on another. Next, clean out your pantry, then set yourself up for dishwashing success.

HERE'S HOW TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR KITCHEN:

Before you begin, see whether there’s anything you want to get rid of or any areas you want to reorganize. This will help you declutter and clean more easily. Now that’s taken care of, it’s time to get into cleaning.

Give everything a deep scrub

Start from the top of the cabinets, down to the cabinets, handles and knobs, worktops, drawers, and floor. Give extra love to your oven and stove top, making sure not to miss the fan or hood. Clean out the fridge and freezer, tossing anything that’s gone bad. Don’t forget to clean the walls and ceilings, and the outside of appliances, too. You can run cleaning cycles on your washing machine and dishwasher, but it’s worth checking out the filters on both to see if anything has built up. Take a look inside drawers, cabinets, and any storage containers. Are there crumbs and other build up? Pull out the items in the drawer, spot vacuum them, wipe clean, and return the items to their homes.

Refresh your pans

When do you know you should reseason your HexClad pans? If you find that things are sticking to the pan or if the rim has gotten a little tarnished, then it’s time to refresh. First, clean the pans. Start by taking a steel wool to the rim to remove any built on grime. Next, scrub the inside well and dry it. 

Then, season the pan if you think it could benefit from a little extra seasoning. This simple process reinforces the nonstick coating (you might want to do it, for instance, if your eggs are sticking despite using enough oil or butter to cook them). Reseasoning your HexClad pans is very easy to do: you’ll heat the pan with a thin layer of neutral oil (like vegetable, avocado, or olive oil). This will create a naturally nonstick layer that bonds with the metal in the pan. Because all of HexClad’s pots and pans are made with the trademark material, you can use the same process for everything, whether you’re seasoning your Hybrid Double Burner Griddle, 5.5QT Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, or 10-inch Hybrid Fry Pan. 

Clean out and reset your pantry

A thorough clean and reset of your pantry is a gift to your future self. Start by pulling everything out of the shelves and drawers. Anything that’s long surpassed its “best by” date should get tossed. As for things that are still good but you find yourself never cooking: decide whether to make a plan for them or donate them to your local food bank. Next, clean the pantry out. Combine any open packages of the same items in jars or other airtight containers. Then, make a list of staples you want to restock. Before putting everything away, consider whether you want to change locations for any staples.

Set yourself up for dishwashing success

Part of what contributes to kitchens getting dirty and disheveled is not having a strategic plan for making clean up easier. Assess your set up: do you have high-quality dish gloves, a sturdy drying rack, and tough sponges? A hand-pump for dish soap can make your life so much easier, as can a little organization. Invest in a container to keep your soap, sponge, and steel wool handy, and decide on a place to keep stacks of clean dish towels and microfiber cloths. Add a spray bottle of nontoxic spray and your cleaning set up is complete.