These tips lean in to making kitchens more aesthetically pleasing, while a few will help your space hum a little better, or get you excited to be in there … still. And they’re all simple enough to pull off on your own. Let’s take a look.
1. Get a pretty floor mat
A pretty floor mat (or even a simple rug) can cover up unsightly flooring, liven up your space, and make things more comfy for you while you work. Interested? They look like vintage rugs and feel like a mouse pad for your feetsies.
2. Clean your oven while you sleep
Forget auto-clean. This high-temp oven setting is known to set off the fire alarm and can leave your kitchen in a smelly funk. Instead, fill up a spray bottle with a homemade solution of 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup white vinegar, and 1/2 cup baking soda. When the oven is cool, remove the grates and coat the inside with the solution, making sure to avoid the heating elements. Close the door and head to bed, letting the solution work its magic for up to 12 hours. When you wake up, clean the oven with soapy water and dry using a plush cloth.
3. Polish woodwork with lemon oil and vinegar
Prefer natural solutions to commercial cleaners? This DIY wood polish leaves both a lovely scent and shine. To make it, fill a spray bottle with 1 part lemon oil to 1 part white vinegar. Spray the solution directly onto a dry microfiber cloth and use it to wipe down your cabinets, pantry door, and baseboards.
4. Get some new dish towels
Similarly, a pretty dish towel that’s hung up on your oven handle or a hook can help add color and texture to your kitchen.
5. Use your vacuum to clean out cabinets
For another kitchen cabinet cleaning hack, use your vacuum to clean out cabinets. Instead of wasting time trying to pick up crumbs with a cloth, try the vacuum brush attachment to suck them up at the snap of a button. This cleaning technique works wonders on pantry shelves, too.
6. Add some labels
They don’t even have to be pretty ones done up in calligraphy! Just add labels (to containers, shelves, bins, etc.) so that you and everyone else in your household know where things go. It will bring you so much peace of mind. And even basic, ugly labels end up looking nice somehow!
7. Embrace self-adhesive paper
See that “butcher block counter” in this kitchen above? It’s actually just self-adhesive paper! Use some to transform your countertops. We’ve even seen people use the stuff on their fridge.
8. Scrub your sink disposal guard with a toothbrush
Food waste can get stuck on the underside of your sink’s garbage disposal guard without you even realizing it’s there. Soak a toothbrush in an anti-grease solution and turn the flap inside out. Move the toothbrush around the guard to scrub off any food waste.
9. Soak your range hood filter
The filter on your stove’s hood vent can get greasy, dusty, and gross really fast. To clean it, boil water in a large pot and gradually add 1/2 cup baking soda. Next, place the filter in the pot to soak. The entire filter might not fit in your pot, so soak each side separately if necessary. Once one side is clean, turn the filter around and let the other side soak. It’ll be hot, so make sure to use gloves!
10. Remove one cabinet door
This is an old rental trick for people who hate their cabinet doors. Ready? Just take one or two doors off. You can easily do it with just a screwdriver. Take off the hinges, too (save them somewhere in case you need to put everything back). You’ll have an instant display area and you can arrange your favorite dishes in a pretty little vignette. And you can keep all your other stuff hidden behind the remaining doors.
11. Treat yourself to one new kitchen tool you’ve been wanting
Yes, we were talking about decluttering just a second ago. But you deserve a treat! Buy yourself something (anything!) that you’ve been wanting that might get you excited to be in the kitchen again. Whatever you can afford and happen to be excited about.
12. Bring in some plants
Plants can do so much to transform a space! Steal a bunch from other rooms or order some online.
13. Wash your oven rack
Powder detergent isn’t just for laundry. Bring back the original shine of your oven racks without scrubbing (and potentially scratching!) by soaking it in a bathtub filled with powder washing detergent. Let it sit for at least four hours before removing and rinsing with clean water.
