The kitchen is the one area in your home that needs regular cleaning. That’s because this is where you prepare, cook, and eat your food.
Fortunately, with little planning, you can design a kitchen that is easy to clean. That way, you can spend more time enjoying the space than cleaning it.
If you want a clean kitchen all the time, here are ten tips to keep in mind when design it:
Choose a Backsplash Without Grout Lines
It’s easier to wipe backsplashes without grout. Materials like granite, marble, porcelain are made from flat, smooth surfaces that you can wipe quickly with a rag or sponge.
Just be extra careful with using marble on a backsplash, though, as it can be porous and easily stained by things like wine or tomato sauce.
Moreover, tiles are also one of the most popular choices for a kitchen backsplash. So, if you want a tile backsplash, you might want to get big format tiles that only have a couple of grout lines.
You should also request that you have those thinner grout lines filled with stain-resistant epoxy grout.
Select Maintenance Free Countertops
Opt for stain-resistant countertops because you can easily wipe them down, and it doesn’t have to be sealed.
Quartz is a great choice, but you can also go for a porcelain slab or a stainless steel countertop.
While Corian is a material that’s probably still being sold in the market, it’s not a highly valued material as it has been in the past. Quartz or stainless steel are more sustainable options.
Avoid Open Shelving
While open shelves look great and have an aesthetic appeal, they can be pretty high maintenance when it comes to cleaning.
This is especially true when you have to move things inside to clean the surfaces, such as china, mugs, and other ornaments.
At Maid Sailors, we suggest that you avoid open shelves as much as possible because they collect dust and dirt over time. Instead, go for wall cupboards that look both clean and sleek at the same time.
Choose an Undermount Sink
Usually, under-mount sinks allow you to wipe crumbs. Then, it spills directly into the sink.
This prevents dirt and mess from being caught at the trim’s edge that you usually would with a drop-in sink.
Purchase Easy to Clean Appliances
Sure, the most tech-savvy appliance looks appealing. But you have to keep in mind that it requires maintenance to function correctly.
As such, look for the most advanced yet easy to clean appliance that you can afford.
Ideally, opt for appliances that are easy to wipe down and fuss-free. Look at the details like the knobs, and ensure that there are no hard-to-get nooks.
You can also go for an induction cooktop because they are flat, safe, and easy to clean. They also help save you a lot of time cleaning grates and other parts that are often found on more traditional cooktops.
It will help if you search for appliances that include cleaning programs. For instance, you can choose an oven with pyrolytic cleaning functions, steam ovens that have automatic steam cleaning and drying, and coffee machines that automatically clean themselves.
Opt for Flowing Floors
Note that the fewer seams or gaps in your floor, the less chance you will get to collect dirt.
The seam between the vertical toe kick and the floor is often the dirtiest place in a kitchen.
You can get rid of this by rolling the edge of the floor up to the toe kick. Then, replace the right-angle joint with a much smoother curve.
This technique is the easiest when used with materials like linoleum, vinyl, and tiles. It is also possible with wood as long as they are custom-milled edge pieces.
Ceramic floor tiles are also beautiful but will need regular cleaning and sweeping. To make the tiles look cleaner, you can use big squares with very narrow grout lines.
Stick with a Neutral Color
Going with dark-coloured countertops might look stunning. But if you’ve ever driven a dark-coloured car on winter streets, you’d know that this isn’t always a good idea. This will only highlight the scratches, imperfections, and dirt. This goes well for white, too.
So, when it comes to picking countertops, go for the middle ground, and stick with neutral shades.
Invest in Good Storage
One of the most common mistakes that many people make is overlooking the importance of suitable storage spaces.
The thing with good storage is that your space is so much easier to clean because you have more room to put your stuff away.
Usually, cabinets that are found overhead need to be closer or against the wall to prevent the gap that can gather dust.
Install Proper Lighting
Just like with other areas in your home, your kitchen needs a decent amount of lighting.
It’s a highly trafficked area, and you don’t want to risk injuring yourself while you cook. Therefore, proper lighting is essential.
Not only will it make the cooking so much easier, but you’ll also have an easier time cleaning afterwards as well.
Also, good lighting makes it easy to spot stains, making it easy to do floor and oven cleaning.
Keep the Garbage Bin Under the Sink
If you are the type of person who constantly drops things on the way to the garbage bin, you know how important that you have one close at hand.
Make sure that you place a holder in your garbage bin and then place it under the sink.
Also, make sure that you keep as many garbage bins if needed. That way, you can always maintain a clean kitchen.
Final Thoughts
When designing a kitchen, it is understandable that we will aim for something visually appealing. However, your kitchen’s upscale look will soon fade away if you cannot maintain its pristine condition.
That said, it would be best to design your kitchen in a way that makes it easy to clean. Combine that with good habits, and you will always have a clutter-free kitchen.
