April showers don’t just bring May flowers - they also bring a lot of personal time submerged in the crud and clutter accumulated over the long winter months. Maybe you’ve finished donating old clothes and organizing your closets, but have you given your kitchen a pulse check yet? Here are some tips to get your culinary safe space sustainably spotless!
One of the most unruly components of any kitchen is the overflowing and ever-ready to tumble Tupperware cupboard. If you’re like us, you’ve single use guilt saved your heavy duty takeout containers, half melted by the dishwasher all winter. This Spring, it’s time to start anew - recycle the old food storage containers, consolidate the remainders, and consider adding some space-saving and durable containers made of recyclable glass or metal. These materials won’t absorb your tomato sauces and curries, and can last a lifetime, depending on how butter-fingered you are!
When was the last time you emptied your pantry and fridge and tossed the items that have been sitting since the birth of your first born child? A quick peek into the back corners of either might reveal you’ve been harboring mold, mothballs, and space consuming jars of pickles from decades passed. Pull everything out, wipe down the shelves with some non-toxic cleaner, donate the non-perishables you know you won’t use, and organize the rest in a way that makes the most sense to you!
Remember, it’s not all about what you need to clean, but also what you’re using to clean! Dish towels tend to double as cleaning rags to quickly wipe down counters and little stove splatters, especially in sustainable homes lacking paper towels. Be sure to swap these out every 3 to 5 days and run them through the wash with an eco-friendly detergent when you’re down to your last one. SImilarly, sponges can be soaked in hot water and microwaved for sanitation, however they should be swapped out frequently to prevent a buildup of lingering bacteria. Consider a sponge produced from sustainable materials like loofah, or replace entirely with a natural-fiber scrub brush, less likely to harbor bacteria and requiring less frequent replacement.
We all have our favorite soup bowl and spoon that gets the most attention, leaving stacks and piles of unused dishes and silverware to collect dust and debris. To keep things clean and ready for summer get-togethers, run all of your dishes and silverware through the dishwasher, or hand wash, for good measure and preparation. Dropps Dishwasher Detergents use plant and mineral derived ingredients to give a spotless and thorough clean every time, and are great for both everyday cleaning and those heavy duty, once a year kinds of tasks.
In all, take this Spring to minimize the clutter in your kitchen, clean the things you really need, and take steps to bring less waste into your home. Consider adding mesh produce bags, reusable grocery totes, and jars/canisters for loose bulk items to your kitchen. This will help prevent single use plastics from filling your cupboard and garbage, and keep your conscience as clean as your counters!