Easy to clean kitchen ideas

[DoneRomeodone]

Beginning to plan a new kitchen. Never been able to start from scratch with a kitchen before. Along with something I like visually, I want to avoid “hard to clean” materials and things that don’t stay new looking for long.

Current kitchen has stainless steel splash backs and hobs, cooker hood that are hard to clean, wooden counters that scratch easily, and a sink that seems to absorb stains. Any tips of what else to avoid and what makes keeping clean/new liking kitchen welcomed!

Sounds like we have similar kitchens - I made the same decision. Good make of double stainless steel sink and taps (both Francks - their taps last forever) with the sink undermounted and grooved granite.

I cannot overstate just how ecstatic I was to get rid of tiles and their grouting - worth every penny!

I tend to keep my counters fairly clear of "stuff" so each evening when I wash the odd items which don't go in the dishwasher I also give worktops and high traffic cupboards a quick wipe over. It takes ten minutes tops including the washing up but this may be why I don't get the dust problems with the cupboards.

Oh one thing I forgot - pan drawers, rather than cupboards (or pull out drawers inside cupboards). Also worth every penny.

We literally have the same kitchen. We are all extra wide pan drawers too except for the full height cupboards which are larder style and have shelf to hide microwave and other electrical.

Plates in drawers is a revelation. I’m absolutely in love.

I have some shelves for open items which are quartz (same as worktop) and on them I have Lazy Susan’s. So any drippy nonsense is easy to clean.

Also lazy Susan’s in the fridge for condiments.

We do have tiles but they are large, mottled and have grey grouting.

We also have grooves in the granite as a drainer

My kitchen sink is in front of the window. We have quartz worktops and the window sill is also quartz. The vertical bit between the sink and the window sill is also quartz so very easy to clean behind the sink which is an area which would likely get quite dirty.

I live alone now, but even when the kids were little it never occured to me to put things on top of the cupboards, it's just not that convenient to have to step up on a chair and then the work surface to reach up.
I do have some large serving plates and decorative bottles and things on top of my cupboards which get dusty and a bit greasy, but I wash them before use or every so often if I think about it. I wouldn't even consider cleaning the actual tops of the units though!

How come you ladies don't get dust or anything on top of cupboards, I have to clean/dust the top of my fridge/freezer now and then. How can any level surface never need cleaning! Yes, kitchens are for cooking,I'm ond skool 74, cook from scratch, make jam, chutney, but I don't want mess. My kitchen is tiny 7x9, open plan the living room end, door to the conservatory the other. I want it streamlined, hence induction hob and small sink, with chopping board inset,no draining board showing. I do have a draining mat and a silicone fold up drainer, which hangs behind the door. It's not ideal, it's all we could find in our price range. It had everything else we wanted. My washing machine and tumble dryer live in the conservatory. A lot of friends have freezers in their garages.

I chose walnut worktops. Not one of my better ideas. You can’t put hot pans on them and they have to be treated every six months.

I also use lazy susans 😀

Two other points:

• I have bought a good quality small two step ladder with hand hold which folds very flat and fits in a cupboard. I'm tall but its been veru useful and my adult DC are happy that I know longer balance on random chairs/worktops.

• I was persuaded by DC to buy a large American style fridge. I was sceptical but wouldn't revert now unless space was at a real premium. Its been much better and more useful than I expected.

The house I moved into has a shaker style kitchen. I love the look but it’s a lot more effort to clean.

But why would you clean the top of the cupboards? I don’t think I have ever done this or seen my parents do this.

Because they get dirty.

They are the top of the cupboards where no-one can see and it doesn’t affect anything else. I am genuinely intrigued and it has never occurred to me clean them. More likely to disturb the dust and dirt over the kitchen if tried!

It wouldn’t have occurred to me not to do it 😂 I’ve not given it a great deal of thought but I would have assumed that it was something the people did.

My DH was horrified I read out some of the posts. He does the high up cleaning,he asked if the people who don't clean the top of kitchen cupboards actually dust the top of doors. I doubt it. Seems some folk have an out of site out of mind attitude..I damp dust,so there's no dust/dirt going elsewhere. I must make sure I don't buy a house off these folk.

Organise your kitchen so that there's nothing out on the counters

Bring stuff out to use it, clean it and put it back

'Big' appliances, like coffee machine, toaster, microwave, air fryer or slow cooker - let them have their space, but make surfaces cleanable

Definitely don’t clean the top of doors either. I shall make sure I put that in the estate agent particulars if we ever sell up.

Oh definitely,you must (tell estate agents you haven't cleaned tops of doors) even a property I had re possessed, I left absolutely immaculate.. waiting for someone to say too much time on my hands. I had 4 DKs,dgs I looked after when youngest DD was small, worked ft nights (nursing) quarter acre garden, animals, chicken. I grew up in a messy chaotic house,so I am completely the opposite.