Our Guest Poster Today: Matthew Schwimmer
There are numerous options to consider when constructing a
new kitchen or remodeling an old one. While aesthetics and practicality are
vital, it is also beneficial to make design decisions that will help reduce the
time it takes to clean. In this article, you will find tips for designing an
easy-to-clean kitchen that is also enjoyable to use.
Designing A New Easy-to-Clean Kitchen
Are you thinking of buying a new house or getting a
custom-built home? It's a great time to start thinking about what you want your
kitchen to look like. If you don't spend much time in your kitchen, you can
choose a house with a small kitchen that doesn't require much maintenance by
itself. On the other hand, if you prefer to cook your own meals, you need to
consider much more, unless you want to spend a lot of your time scrubbing after
having dinner.
If you're thinking of designing an easy-to-clean kitchen,
follow these tips:
Choose The Right Countertop Material
The first step to designing an easy-to-clean kitchen is to
choose the countertop material wisely. Opt for nonporous, stain-resistant, and
easy-to-clean materials such as Corian, quartz, steel, and sintered stone. When
choosing these materials, you don't have to worry about your kitchen looking outdated. Instead, your kitchen will seem very modern and bright. Moreover,
countertops made of these solid-surface materials, such as Corian, are the most
sanitary. They don't have grooves to trap dirt like some other materials. This
is also the reason why they're also frequently used at hospitals and fast-food
restaurants.
Buy Easy-to-Clean Appliances
It's normal to be wowed by the performance or appearance of
smart new kitchen equipment. However, when purchasing appliances for your new
kitchen, you should also think about how you'll keep it clean. That's why you
should take extra time to choose an appliance that is simple to clean and
doesn't require any special lotions or solutions. Moreover, examine small
elements, such as the knobs of your oven, to ensure there are no
difficult-to-reach places. Knobs that are too close together, for example, make
it impossible to get a cloth between them.
Furthermore, choose appliances with built-in cleaning
systems. That way, you won't have to do the messy work yourself! Instead, allow
your appliances to clean themselves! Choose ovens with pyrolytic cleaning
functions, steam ovens with automatic steam cleaning and drying routines, and
automatic coffee machines.
When designing an easy-to-clean kitchen, choose an induction
cooktop. It's flat, easy, and safe to clean. Induction cooktops also eliminate
the need to clean the grates and other components present in gas cooktops.
Avoid Open Shelves
When attractively arranged, open shelves can be appealing.
However, they can be difficult to clean if you have to move dishes, books, and
decorative objects only to dust the top. So, instead of open shelves that
gather dust and grime, opt for wall cabinets. By choosing cabinets that can
close and hide your stuff, you'd be getting a lot more storage space in your
kitchen. Moreover, by favoring flat-front cabinets - you can take your cleaning
time way down. This is because smooth furniture fronts don't have ridges and
grooves where cooking residues can form. Simple flat-door cabinets with a
baked-on finish are the simplest to clean. On the other hand, high-gloss
painted cabinets show dirt easily, yet they're still easy to clean.
Design A Tight Triangle
A good kitchen triangle - made up of a cooktop,
refrigerator, and sink - will help you minimize the distance you have to carry
things. Spills are frequently caused by carrying food or liquid through the
kitchen. However, an excellent way to compensate for a triangle is by opting
for a practical kitchen island.
Furthermore, to limit the spills, place bins in strategic
locations. The garbage and recycling bins in your kitchen should be placed
beneath the sink to ensure that cleaning is as efficient as possible. The idea
is to have as little distance between the sink and the bins as possible, which
means fewer spills and messes.
Flowing Floors
Like we said before, the kitchen sees a lot of foot activity
as well as spills from cooking and dishwashing. That's why it's a good idea to
search for stain- and water-resistant flooring with no grout lines, such as
engineered wood or vinyl. If you can't avoid using tiles in the kitchen, choose
patterns with large formats. Moreover, the fewer seams and gaps in your floor -
the less dirt can collect there. That's why you should pick tiles with narrow
grout lines to make them easier to clean.
Moving Your Kitchen Appliances
Like we said before, it's very important not to damage your
kitchen appliances when relocating to a new home. When moving to your new San
Antonio home, you can minimize these risks by hiring reputable and experienced
movers. Instead of worrying about transferring your furniture yourself or
asking friends and family for help, you can relax and enjoy yourself.
Professionals can help you make San Antonio your home, so that you can start
adapting to your new surroundings as soon as possible.
Common Mistake To Avoid When Designing An Easy-to-Clean Kitchen
The most common mistake people make when designing an easy-to-clean kitchen is storing cleaning supplies too far away from the kitchen. If your supplies aren't nearby, you might be reluctant to go get them so you can use them. For example, you're hardly going to be excited to sweep up after dinner if your broom is in the basement. So, if you're remodeling your kitchen, make sure there's enough storage for cleaning products. The optimum solution is a storage closet or pantry with enough room for a broom and cleaning supplies. In a tiny kitchen, though, a drawer will suffice. Keep a few things on hand if your space is limited. For example, a multi-surface spray, a sponge, and a hand broom with a dustpan are excellent starting points. Soon you'll see that maintenance cleaning becomes much more tempting when supplies are within easy reach.
Matthew Schwimmer, Blogger and Writer
Photo used: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-kitchen-3637739
