The Kitchn Cure Day 14: Clean Cupboards, Shelves, and Drawers

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She now thinks a lot about design, kids, and designy kids' things. She lives with her two daughters and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated May 12, 2022
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The Kitchn Cure Day 14: Thursday, August 28
Assignment: Clean cupboards, shelves, and drawers. (See all the assignments so far here)
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Now that we’ve cleared out a lot of the extraneous stuff hidden in our kitchen cabinets and drawers — duplicate tools, rarely-used gadgets, one too many holiday mugs — we’re ready to give those shelves, drawers, and cabinet fronts a good soapy scrubdown before putting everything away.

(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Today’s Assignment (estimated time: 30 minutes – 1 hour)

  1. Empty cabinets, open shelves, and drawers: Remove all plates, bowls, glasses, utensils, tools, and gadgets from their storage areas.
  2. Clean the interiors: Get a clean wash cloth or sponge and fill a sink or bucket with hot, soapy water. Wipe out the cupboards and drawers, and wipe down any open shelving. Remove or replace peeling or old drawer liners. Leave no crumb behind! Dry everything thoroughly with a paper towel or dish towel.
  3. Wipe down cabinet fronts: Cabinet fronts see their fair share of fingerprints and grease splatters. Take a soapy sponge or other appropriate cleaner (depending on the material of your cabinets) and give them a good wipe-down. Dry thoroughly.
  4. Return everything to its place: Return all dishware, glassware, gadgets, and tools to their respective cupboards and drawers, keeping in mind the organizational tips from Day 6. Regularly-used items like everyday plates, glasses, and hardworking cooking tools and gadgets should be easy to access. Store these items on the countertop, or on a low shelf. Designate a drawer or cupboard for your most oft-used gadgets, like the salad spinner or kitchen scale. Move the less-frequently-used items to higher shelves and deeper cabinets.
  5. Rethink how you organize your utensils: Are you happy keeping utensils and tools in a drawer? Looking to move a few items to the countertop? Check out these posts for some inspiring storage ideas → 7 Pretty Utensil Holders You’ll Want to Display On Your Countertop and Smart Storage Ideas for Kitchen Utensils: 15 Examples from Our Kitchen Tours
7 Pretty Utensil Holders You’ll Want to Display On Your Countertop (Image credit: Cambria Bold)
(Image credit: The Kitchn)

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