I was cleaning up the kitchen and I thought about how I organize to get it done and not waste time. There’s a method to the madness and maybe something I do can help someone who is reading this. I hope so!
I think my organization ability came early in life. I watched my mother organize many things in our home growing up and I watched and payed attention. My mother kept the house neat and clean.
The real learning and practical application came while I was cleaning apartments. I was 16 and at that time, I wanted to earn some money. I offered to clean peoples apartments for money. Several people said yes! It enabled me to have spending money and pay for my gas while being in high school. It was cool because the one client, would always leave me a nice tip each week.
When I would go to the apartment each week, in my mind, I thought about how to get the job done; where to start and how to proceed. Each week it was so different. I would normally start in the kitchen, just in case there was anything that needed to be soaked. While there were some things I would start soaking, I’d move onto the bedrooms and bathrooms. I’d start at the furthest room and work back toward the kitchen. I had the supplies for those areas with me, so I wasn’t running back and forth. Effective time management. I would also vacuum while I was in that area. It was the last thing I’d do. That way, I didn’t have to go back. I wasn't back tracking.
Today, when it comes to cleaning the kitchen, I look at it the same way after all these years. Time is money and money is time.
I assess what needs to be done. If there are dishes that are clean, before I start anything, I put those away.
When I unload the dishwasher, I start with items like plates and bowls because they are closest cupboards.
Making sure the counter is clean, I stack them on the counter. The dishwasher door blocks the area where they are stored so I delay putting those away for last. That way I’m not opening and closing the door several times. I pull the utensil rack out and place it on the counter. I start removing all the clean glasses and put them away. After that, I go over to do the utensils. The last thing, I put away the plates and bowls because the door can be closed and I can reach the cupboard where those are stored.
If there are any glasses left on the table, I round them up and load them into the empty dishwasher. The top rack I section off mentally; bowls, glasses and mugs or coffee cups. That way when unloading, it’s easier because they're all together.
I do the same for the lower rack. Depending on the dishes you’ve used, keeping like items close to each other makes unloading that much easier, thus saving time. You don’t have to look around the dishwasher and continuously walk back and forth to the cupboards. With the dishes in the sink, I start by loading the glasses, cups/mugs, then plates, silverware, utensils. When loading the utensil rack, it’s easier too if you keep the knives, forks and spoons in a specific part of the basket. That can really save time when unloading at the utensil drawer I’ve found.
Lastly, I wash any pots or pans by hand once the sink is empty.
I clean and disinfect the sink daily as well, rinsing with hot water. Once or twice a week, I like to take a bowl of ice and put it down the sink and turn on the disposal, to sharpen the blades.
I like to put pieces of lemon down the sink too. It keeps it fresh smelling. The sponge, I put in a bowl while it’s wet and microwave for one minute. The sponge gets very hot and makes cleaning the microwave easier. It’s a great way to sanitize the sponge.
Finally, I disinfect and clean the stove top, all counter tops, the island and the table top. I also wipe down the front of the refrigerator, dishwasher and stove. It’s always easier to clean as you go.
I hope these ideas are helpful. What I’m hoping is, they can free up some of your time to have a cup of tea or coffee and relax a little. Here’s to organizing and effective time management. Have a great week!
Sending you biggest hugs,
Tracey
Tracey
