The Secret to 'Faking' a Clean Kitchen.

    Many families spend the majority of their time in the kitchen. It is also the one area of the home that you will spend the most time cleaning. However, with the hustle and bustle of today's busy lives, it's hard to find time to keep your kitchen spotless. Here are a few tips that I have used to'fake' a clean kitchen when I don't have the time or energy to actually clean. 

1. Hide the dishes. I hate leaving dirty dishes in the sink. If I don't have time to clean them right away I toss them into a plastic tub then tuck them into the cabinet under the sink. I may even fill the tub partially with water if there are dishes that need to be soaked. If you don't have room under your sink find a decorative basket that will fit on top of your fridge and hide a plastic tub inside. You can also hide dirty dishes in the dishwasher however, this is a great alternative if your dishwasher is already full.
2. Keep an empty basket handy.Counter tops tend to be a dumping ground for many things. If you have company coming over toss everything into the basket. I store mine on the top shelf of my pantry but you can also tuck it into a cabinet or store it in another room. Be sure to empty the basket after your company leaves or as soon as you have time.
3. Clean your garbage disposal.Fill an ice cube tray with vinegar and a slice of lemon peel. Keep these handy in your freezer at all times. Before company comes over toss a few vinagar and lemon ice cubes into the disposal with a full jug of water. The vinegare and lemon will get rid of any smell and the water will help wash any remaining food down the drain.
4. Cover up the stink. Between last nights dinner, the garbage can and garbage disposal, kitchen tend get pretty stinky. Before your company arrives, be sure to take out any trash. Fill a pot with water then toss in some orange peels and cinnamon. Bring the pot to a boil and then let it simmer until your company arrives.
5. Keep cleaning supplies handy. I keep a small basket with a few rags and all pourpose cleaner in my kitchen. I used to keep it under the sink. However, I got tired of reaching into the cabinet 100 times a day. Now I keep the basket on top of the counter throughout the day. This allows the kids to easily clean up their own messes and helps me stay on top of cleaning throughout the day. The basket gets tucked back under the cabinet when we have company and every evening after dinner. Having everything contained in a basket keeps rags and cleaners from cluttering the counters, and also allows for quick clean up when company arrives.
6. Spot treat the floor. Using a damp rag take a quick look at your floor and clean up any spots that are highly visible. I usually start off by only cleaning the large spots. Once the rest of the kitchen looks clean and my company has not arrived yet, I will go back and clean up the smaller spots.
7. Hide the stains. Take a quick look at your kitchen towels. If there are any stains then fold the towels so that the stains are not visible.

Now it's your turn!! What are your 'secrets' for making your kitchen (or home in general) look clean.

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