6 Spring Cleaning Tips for
Your Kitchen By Joe Wilkes
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It's springtime, which means that for a lot
of us it's time to do a deep clean of our homes—throwing out the old,
organizing the new, storing the winter clothes, and getting ready for warmer
weather and a fresh start. For others, it's the beginning of another season of
denial about how squalid our living conditions have become. Even more than New
Year's, spring is a good time to make some new resolutions and to create an
environment that will make us want to keep them. Here are some ideas for
getting your kitchen into shape.
- Out with the
old. I like to think of my refrigerator as a cabinet
of hope. Most times, it's full of fruits and vegetables, purchased in a fit of
confidence that I was going to steam and stir-fry my way to a slimmer me. Then,
I end up going out with friends to restaurants, and my Sunday produce ends up
looking pretty bad by week's end. Yet, unbelievably, I leave it in my
refrigerator with the hope that it will return to a state of edibility.
Similarly, expired dairy products and condiment bottles litter my shelves,
products of my misguided optimism that they, too, will come back in fashion
like my '80s wardrobe—if I only wait long enough. I am here to tell you,
there has been no grocery miracle in my refrigerator these many years. And now
it's time to give its expired residents a proper burial.
First thing to
do, get rid of everything that even looks old. Be merciless. If it's past the
expiration date, throw it out. If it doesn't have an expiration date, throw it
out. Another scourge in my fridge is the many plastic containers filled with
leftovers. I don't remember exactly what meal they are left over from, but I
can't recall anything that included frizzy mold as an ingredient. Much of the
reason the containers languish in the back of the fridge is because I'm
avoiding the horror of having to wash out the science experiment they've
become. This year, I'm going to throw money at the problem, and throw out the
leftovers in their containers without ever lifting the lid. Then I will treat
myself to shiny, new plastic containers as a reward for my new hygienic
lifestyle. Additionally, if my plastic cutting boards are beyond bleaching,
it's a good annual tradition to replace them.
 Out with the bad.
While I'm gripped in the mania of throwing away all the
food that has literally turned to garbage, I'm also going to throw away the
food that is metaphorically garbage. All the unhealthy snack foods that lure me
off my healthy eating plan are going to have to go. I'm evicting the half-full
bags of tortilla and potato chips from my cupboards. Ben and Jerry are moving
from the freezer to the dumpster. Any empty-calorie snacks that I can steal a
spoonful or handful of and pretend that they don't count have to hit the road.
Once I clear the cupboards and refrigerator, I can go to the store and load up
on healthy staples, whose temptations I won't have to
resist.
 In with the
new. Now that the refrigerator is clean and the
cupboards are bare, it's time to shop. Stock up the larder with delicious,
healthy foods from the first two tiers of
Michi's
Ladder. And make sure to get lots of easy-to-prepare snacks that are within
easy reach when hunger pangs hit. Great snacks include cottage cheese, nonfat
yogurt, hummus, salsa, or raisins. Instant oatmeal, whole-grain cereals, and
egg whites are good to have on hand for breakfast. And foods like brown rice,
dried beans, canned broths, water-packed tuna, and frozen fruits and vegetables
are good staples to always keep in supply for mealtime. Of course, you should
also try eating plenty of fresh produce, seafood, and lean meats. Just don't be
like me and go crazy at the Sunday farmers' market, only to have to throw food
away at the end of the week. Buy enough perishable items to last a couple of
days and then make short trips to the supermarket or farmers' market during the
week. Your food will taste better and fresher, and you won't have a
CSI episode in the crisper drawer at the end of the
week.
 When life gives you lemons
. . . I know I've talked a lot about throwing all your
produce away. But some of it can do a little cleaning work for you before it
hits the compost bin. Lemons are very acidic, and their juice is naturally
antibacterial and antiseptic. You can use lemon juice to bleach countertop
stains and shine up metal. And it makes your kitchen smell lemony fresh to
boot! Instead of throwing those lemons in the trash, throw one or two in the
garbage disposal and grind away. It will help get rid of food dried on to the
blades and will also fill your kitchen with the smell of lemons. (If the lemons
are really old and the rinds have turned hard and leathery, don't try this. The
disposal blades might not be able to chop them, and they'll just rattle around
in your disposal forever. Trust me, I know.) Another great tip a friend gave me
is to cut a bunch of lemons in half and put them in a big microwave-safe bowl
filled with water. Then microwave the bowl of lemons on high for a few minutes,
until the water steams. Keep the microwave closed. The lemon-juice-infused
steam will permeate all the stuff cooked onto the microwave walls from various
exploding culinary attempts. The crud will wipe off easily and your microwave
will smell great. Best of all, no toxic cleaners will accidentally find their
way into your meals!
- Vinegarnot just for
salad. While you're cleaning and staying nontoxic, try
using Michi's Ladder's top-tier favorite, vinegar, to spruce up your kitchen.
Diluted with water, white vinegar can be used to clean windows, wash floors,
and wipe countertops. It cuts grease and removes stains from cookware, and if
you run a pot full of the vinegar and water solution through your coffeemaker,
you'll be amazed at the kind of hard-water deposits it removes. It's also good
for removing hard-water stains on your glassware. It even cuts soap scum and
kills mildew, so you might give good, old-fashioned cheap white vinegar a try
before investing in expensive cleaners that can introduce toxins into your
kitchen.
 Baking
soda - not just for baking. Here's a fun fact. Did you
know that baking soda mixed with grease makes soap? It's true. It's a great,
cheap, nontoxic way to wipe off your stovetop and the surrounding areas that
have been spattered by a season's worth of stir-fries. An open box can absorb
odors in the refrigerator, and a little sprinkled in your garbage can will do
likewise. If you have a grease fire, you can put it out with baking soda. If
you have pots with burned-on food, let them soak in baking soda and water
overnight. Also, if you have plastic storage containers that are a bit stinky
from their previous occupants, try soaking them overnight in baking soda and
water. You can make a baking soda paste with water and polish your silver. It's
a miracle product—nontoxic and cheap!
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