Fall Cleaning.. The Kitchen

Fall is here already! Normally I would have this started a few weeks ago to try and be done within the first couple weeks of Fall... but having a baby sure changed my schedule! I think it is just as important to do a Fall cleaning as it is Spring. ALL those fun family holidays will be here before we know it and I know for me, I don't want to stress about getting the kitchen cleaned (all the little things that add up to a huge thing) done in a rush just before the family gets here! So doing them now makes cleaning maintenance MUCH easier and leaves more time to do the fun stuff like making cookies with my kiddo's!

I am a list lover.. This is my Fall Kitchen Cleaning list.. Obviously not all of these will work for every one's kitchen and since I don't have many small appliances they aren't on here... but don't forget your toaster or toaster oven!

~The Fridge.. since it will be full of all kinds of ingredients and leftovers soon, I empty it and the freezer and wipe it out and make sure nothing is taking up valuable freezer space that I'm not going to use. I wipe down our fridge every Monday but don't take everything out and don't
do the freezer every week. For this job I use a vinegar/water mix and a magic eraser. In the meat drawer I use a very very diluted bleach spray! I give the outside ( including the top ) a good cleaning.. and vacuum the coils.. it saves money on energy costs when the coils are clean, and its a fire hazard if they are covered in dust!

~Cupboards..Dishes get chipped and broken and sometimes we end up with not enough plates for everyone.. now is one of the times of year I try to go through all the dishes and weed out the chipped ones (I bought a extra box on clearance so I replace them from that box) and make sure we have all the utensils we need for all those big meals.. even if we aren't doing dinner at our house! I wipe out the cupboards before I put everything back in.

~Oven..I think I bake more in the next few months than the rest of the entire year.. No one wants to bake in a dirty oven right? I think I finally learned my lesson and the messy things that can bubble over I usually remember to put on a big cookie sheet to avoid those spills and avoid the oven cleaning.. But there are of course still spots that need cleaning. For this job I use magic eraser and Easy Off (I really really dislike using chemicals but the oven is 1 thing I have yet to find a alternative for) They also make these mats for the bottom of the oven to catch spills they are called silpat sheets.. I have yet to squeeze 1 into my budget but they are still a neat product and have other uses as well.

~Pantry..Like the fridge our pantries will be getting extra full of holiday ingredients.. to make things easier come cooking time I make sure and get everything about to expire out of the way and try to use it up! Organize my shelves ( I have a section for baking, canned stuff, breakfast items and snacks ( which BOTH my big kids can reach now.. yikes ) Finally I make a list of the items I know for sure I will need, by doing this now it gives me a few extra weeks to watch the ads and coupons for the best deal on them! Don't forget to check your stock on zip style baggies, foil, and cling wrap!

~The little things..if you are planning on using vases, clean them now when you aren't trying to multi task. Same goes for silverware and your holiday linens!

I will try and post some more rooms when baby allows of course! Make it fun..and reward yourselves with a yummy cofee treat.. Chai Latte's are my fave.. but Starbucks Pumpkin Spice is a close 2nd!

*picture is from goodhousekeeping.com and isn't it cute!