It has been a while since I have blogged (shame on me). The reason for this has been a massive task list and projects like this: 3 Areas in 1 Day. Crazy, right? It is relatively easy to rearrange an already simplified space, but it is a whole other story when you are trying to declutter and then simplify the space.
Last weekend, we celebrated my birthday. I know, I have still not blogged or put up any pictures of that event. After vacillating between having a quiet evening or inviting some friends, I chose the latter. ‘Some friends’ turned out to be about 30 people and of course, clean up is a must after any party. As I was cleaning my kitchen, I realized that it had been a while since our fridge had a major deep cleaning. Now this required a bit of planning: I knew that I had no idea what lived in the back of my fridge. I could see all the items in the front but wouldn’t dare see what existed in the back of the shelves.
So I decided to go about it this way:
1. Take out everything, I mean, everything, in your fridge first. They say that you should unplug the fridge but I couldn’t reach the plug as it is in the back of the fridge, so I didn’t do that. But I did empty the fridge of all its contents. 3 minutes total. (You can get your little kiddos to help too – it will keep them occupied and you can easily keep an eye on them.)
2. Take out the shelves carefully and set them down in a safe place, where the kids or the dog cannot accidentally knock them over (if they are glass shelves). 1 minute total.
3. Using mild soap and water and a dishtowel, wipe down the whole fridge and the door(s). I used a bit of glass cleaner just to get a stubborn ice cream stain. Once the insides are clean, shut the door and get to work on the outside and the shelves. 3-4 minutes total.
4. I took each shelf, sprayed with some glass cleaner and wiped it down thoroughly till the sparkled – 1 minute per shelf.
5. Put the shelves back in and adjust them to the height that is most convenient for you. 2 minutes total.
6. This took me about 4 minutes to do but it was an essential part of my process. I took a notepad and wrote down every item I had in the fridge – every single item, except the stuff I was going to toss. This way I knew the things that I could work with for the next week or so, and could replace something if I run out. This list can be a master list and instead of recreating a list every time you clean, you can just keep updating this list. At some point, you will want to transfer it to a word document, so you can print out a clean copy each time you clean. 4 minutes total.
7. I tossed out some veggies that had seen better days, an empty soy sauce bottle, and some other stuff that occupied precious fridge space. 3 minutes.
8. I put everything back in the fridge and each shelf and corner had something assigned to that space. This way, it would be easier to find things in the fridge. Now we all know that this cannot be maintained perfectly and it is quite okay if you put things where you have room. The idea is to give you a clean slate to work with and you can adjust as you see fit. 5 minutes total.
In under 30 minutes, I ended up with a sparkling fridge that I was really proud of. The other projects included the linen closet and the office reading area. This just needed some sprucing and rearranging but they turned out well and I was glad that I took the time to declutter.
Simplifying a space really changes the spirit and energy of a home. I am striving for a clutter-free, cozy, comfy, clean home where people feel right at home when they come in and we can relax in our environment. More projects to attack. I will keep you posted.
What are your projects for this weekend or the coming week?
