September 22, 2023 by Mulberry Maids
As the leading provider of quality cleaning services in northern Colorado, we are always here to help with your cleaning needs. Additionally, we love to help with cleaning tips to make your life that much easier on a day to day basis.
As one of the most heavily used areas in your home, the kitchen consistently can take a beating. While there are many things to focus on when cleaning a kitchen, one key piece of the cleaning puzzle is the kitchen pantry. While this area is not difficult to clean, it can take constant monitoring to make sure that it stays in great shape.
Read on to learn more about keeping your kitchen pantry cleaned and organized easily!
What is the best way to clean my kitchen pantry?
While often overlooked in cleaning, your kitchen pantry has a tendency to fall into the “out of sight, out of mind” part of the kitchen. As you do not see it in plain sight each day, like a toaster oven, it can be harboring a great deal of mess. From disorganized spices to food spills in the pantry, this area should not be neglected!
To get started cleaning the pantry, you will need a few basic cleaning supplies:
- Vacuum (ideally with a detachable hose)
- Microfiber cloths
- All purpose spray (and potentially a degreaser)
- Scouring pads or magic erasers
- Mop
- Trash bags
Once you have your cleaning supplies gathered, you can start to tackle the cleaning of your pantry, which will also include organizing and decluttering it. To adequately deep clean this space, you will first need to remove everything from the pantry. While it is possible to clean around items, you will make much better use of your efforts if the pantry is fully cleared out.
Begin by going through each item to make sure that it is not trash or could be donated. Once you have sorted out what you will be keeping, begin by wiping off all of the shelves with your cloth, knocking any food debris or dust to the floor. This will be cleaned up afterwards. You can also use a vacuum with a hose attachment to vacuum the pantry shelves, especially in the edges and corners.
Once the shelves are cleared off, simply spray your all purpose cleaner onto the surface and begin to wipe them down. For areas with stains or spills, you may need to use a degreaser (letting it soak for a few minutes) or a scouring pad or magic eraser for extra power. While you are cleaning this area, take a look at the walls to see if they need to be cleaned as well. It is surprising where food can splatter around!
Once the shelves are thoroughly cleaned, use your vacuum to get up any bits of dust and debris that was knocked down to the ground. Concentrate on the corners and edges. Depending on your pantry layout, you may also be able to mop the bottom of the pantry.
When the cleaning has been completed, you can return all of your items to the shelves in an organized manner.
What about organizing and decluttering the pantry?
Similar to getting your kitchen cabinets back into shape, decluttering your kitchen pantry is your first step towards a clean and organized space. You can use some of our natural cleaning tips to help safely clean this area of the home that houses so much food for your family.
To start decluttering your pantry, you can do the following:
- Take everything out of the pantry to see exactly what you have
- Go through all the food in your pantry and throw out anything that has expired or gone bad
- Look for unused extra dishes and storage containers that should be discarded
- Organize and systemize everything that you are going to keep
- Use storage containers or baskets to keep the pantry clean and orderly
- Consider storing your spices in your pantry for spice safety and longevity
- Thoroughly clean out the pantry shelves (preferably using a homemade natural all purpose cleaner) before putting anything back in it
Depending on the layout of your pantry, you may be able to utilize vertical storage to help decrease clutter and increase organization. You may be able to hang baskets or other flexible shelving options from the door. Not only will this help with organization, but there will be less things taking up space on your shelves, keeping things cleaner.
Another tip to remember is to try not to stack things in the pantry. Not only will this lead to more clutter, it will make finding and getting things out that much harder. It also leads to the potential for more spillage, making the need to clean the area more often.
How often should I clean my kitchen pantry?
Like with anything cleaning related, consistency is key to maintaining a clean space. That being said, it is unrealistic to take everything out of the pantry every week. Depending on how large your family is, and how much is stored in the pantry, it would be ideal to take inventory of the pantry on a monthly basis to keep from storing food that is no longer edible.
Additionally, the more organized the pantry is, the cleaner it can be kept. If you use baskets for holding things, you can easily move them to clean the shelf underneath. When the pantry is filled with loose items, they are more likely to spill, and it will take more effort to get everything moved out of the way to clean underneath.
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Here at Mulberry Maids, we are very proud to be Fort Collins’ premier company that only works with the best cleaners around. From top notch training to using the best and most efficient tools for the job, we are the professional cleaning company that you have been searching for!
You can use our effortless online booking system to get on our schedule in no time. If that is not your style, then give us a call or text for a quick quote or to book your next cleaning. From one time deep cleanings to weekly service, we are here to serve you!
Thanks for reading, and we look forward to working with you in the future!