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The following post is from Becky of Clean Mama: 10 Tips to Maintaining a Tidy Kitchen

The kitchen is the most-used room in our homes, which explains why it can go from tidy to trashed in no time.   Cleaning and tidying up while you prepare meals and share life with your family is easier than saving it all for when you have the energy to do it.  Chances are, you won’t have the energy, and it’ll be a pile of dishes, mail, homework, or art supplies.  Try adding one or all of these tips to your kitchen routine and watch your kitchen go from trashed to tidy in no time.  You will find that maintaining a tidy kitchen is easy.

• clear and wipe down counters at least once a day – a quick wipe down after meals help keep counters and kitchen table in check

• rinse dishes after each meal – put your dishes directly in the dishwasher or hand wash them if necessary. That way, if you can’t get to the dishes right away, at least they’re rinsed and ready to be washed

• contain dirty silverware –  use a colander, bowl, or glass for keeping silverware while you’re rinsing and loading dishes – no silverware trapped in the bottom of the sink or garbage disposal

• do a quick sweep under the kitchen table and corners daily to keep the crumb monster away – keep a mini dustpan and broom in your pantry for a quick cleanup (even kids can do this)

• wipe up drips and spills – doing this right away before they have a chance to stick will help. This is especially helpful on the stove and microwave

• wash sponges and dish scrubbers – place them in the dishwasher nightly to disinfect (sponges can go in the microwave too)

• change your dishcloths and towels daily – put out a fresh dishcloth and hand towel at night, so they’re ready to be used the next morning

• clear your kitchen table and counters at night – this is so hard to get in the habit of doing, but it’s freeing to come into a kitchen in the morning without the stuff from the day before

• scrub the sink – I use a dish brush (designated for the sink) and dish soap and give the sink a quick, soapy scrub after all the dishes have been rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher

• empty the garbage – obviously, do this as needed, but check at night, so you don’t wake up to a smelly kitchen.

I’m a believer in doing a little bit every day when it comes to housekeeping, and the kitchen is a great place to try this philosophy in your home.  Taking a couple of minutes every day to tidy up your kitchen will save you time during your week. If your kitchen is still causing major frustration, it may be a good idea to seek a kitchen remodel company so you can make better and more practical use of the space.

What do you do to tidy up your kitchen on a daily basis?  Do you have any tips to add to the list?