Fall Cleaning-Kitchen Clean & Coffee Station

I don't know what it is about the crisp Autumn air but it puts me in the mood to clean.  I guess it's that nesting thing, preparing for Winter.  Whatever it is, I am into it full throttle.  I threw open the windows to let in the fresh breeze, which does make the house smell so good, and got out my cleaning supplies.

Today, I am deep cleaning the kitchen.  Every day this week is being dedicated to one room.  I am cleaning top to bottom.  Goodbye cobwebs & cookie crumbs.  Hello sunshine and fresh air. 

My kitchen cleaning means wiping down the cabinets (inside & out), cleaning & organizing the pantry, cleaning & organizing the fridge, wiping all appliances, sweeping, mopping, deep cleaning the stove and sink, cleaning the baseboards, windowsills, windows, & light fixtures.  Whew!  I'm tired just thinking about it! 

Since I am trying very hard to transition from industrial cleaners to natural, healthy, homemade ones, today, I am making a few things.  One is laundry detergent.  You can find the 'recipe' here.  Since I'm in the kitchen today, I'm making dishwasher detergent too.  I'll post that 'recipe' later this week. 

Another thing I make is my own air freshener.  It's not really much of a recipe.  I simply mix a favorite essential oil with some water in a spray bottle and spray away.  Sometimes, I add alcohol too.   For the kitchen, citrus water goes well. Orange, lemon and my favorite, grapefruit, just smell so refreshing.  All three oils are disinfectants so they pull double duty.  You can use them to scent the air and you can spray down the counters, knowing it's safe.

I am also going to make a coffee station in a little used area.  Well, that's not quite true.  It's used a lot for throwing bills, papers , etc. and is always a mess. This way, it'll be organized and pretty and will open up some counter & cabinet space. 

Before:  This is the old space for the coffee pots.  Way too crowded!

This is the new space.  As you can see, it's quite a mess. 

 

Here's the Coffee Station I ended up with.  Much better!  Now that the weather is cooling off, it's nice to have an organized place for a warm cup of coffee, tea, or cider.  Later, I'll include some hot chocolate packets.  I plan on hanging the cups above but I only had 2 cup hooks. 



The counter looks better now too.  I finally put up my paper towel holder.