Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

August 29, 2016

My New Kitchen Cleaning Routine...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScotchBriteSponges #CollectiveBias



     Let's just cut right to the chase on this Monday, shall we? I have many strengths and strong suits, however anything falling under the category of being neat, organized, or having a desire to clean has never been one of them. For as long as I can remember, I have always hated most chores, and weirdly I am usually the most content when my living space is disheveled! I was the kid who hated making their (small twin sized) bed, and as soon as I would clean off the desk in my room, it would become cluttered and unusable again with piles upon piles of stuff. Of course there are certain things that I do enjoy organizing and am quite nit-picky about. For example, I color code my closet and have detailed systems for organizing different types of jewelry. But as a generality, I tend to be a messier person.


     Being messy while growing up or living in a small dorm room is one thing, but once I moved into my first apartment this past May, I knew that I wanted to try and change my habits. A driving factor in this was by observing my new roommate, Ciera. Ciera and I have been friends since my freshman year at my former college, but it wasn't until we started living together this Spring that I realized how organized she is! Ciera is dedicated to her cleaning schedule, and to making her living space neat and orderly. She has a demanding full-time job, but that doesn't keep her from cleaning our kitchen, living room, and her side of the apartment regularly. Ciera's neatness has been a huge inspiration to me this summer, so I am determined to start being more clean!


     In the first part of the process from changing my messy ways to being organized, I decided to think and evaluate the chores that I already enjoy doing, am so-so about doing, and ones that I absolutely hate doing. When thinking about chores that I sort of enjoy, doing the dishes comes to mind. Growing up at home, helping with the dishes was one of my least favorite chores. But now that I have my own kitchen and cook and bake in it frequently, I have gotten used to doing them and almost look forward to it at the end of my time in the kitchen each day. I always feel like my apartment is cleaner and ready for company if the sink is clean and dish-free.






     As seen above, if I am home and not working on schoolwork, my blog, or sleeping, I can usually be found whipping up something in my kitchen! I absolutely adore cooking and baking, and I try and find at least one new recipe to make each week. (I am spotted here though in my natural element making a tried and true homemade favorite: chocolate chip cookies!)


     When it comes time to clean the kitchen after a cooking adventure, I stick to this cleaning list, to make sure that tidying up goes by as quickly and effortlessly as possible:


    *First, find a good cleaning playlist! You can never go wrong with some 90s music (especially boybands), but my music choices for cleaning do vary based on the time of day or how I'm feeling.


     *Next, when washing the dishes, I always try and tackle smaller items first. I usually start with silverware, then move to glasses, and then go up to larger items like bakeware. The faster that I get done with the small items, the faster that the dish washing process seems to feel!

   
  *Have quality kitchen and dish cleaning products on hand and ready to go. I've recently found Scotch-Brite™sponges and dish cleaning products, and am just thrilled at how much better they work versus other sponge brands or dish towels that I've tried before!




    The blue sponges are Non-Scratch sponges, and are designed for cleaning non-stick cookware. They worked excellently for cleaning the non-stick cookie sheet that you can see pictured above in this post. The green sponges are Heavy Duty, and are a great choice for removing anything that is fiercely stuck on your dish-ware or cookware.  And lastly, Scotch-Brite™also sells a variety of dishwand options for anyone who would prefer to use that over a traditional sponge.






     The dishes pictured here had been sitting in my sink for a few days longer than I usually like (#whoops), so the Heavy Duty sponges came to the rescue to get off any residue stuck to them! 


     *Once the dishes are done, I check to see if my counters, microwave, and stove top need a quick washing. It's best to catch all of these kitchen surfaces when they have just a few crumbs, rather than waiting until there is a huge mess! I like to use the Scotch-Brite™Non-Scratch sponges for these tasks.


     Lastly- did you know that Scotch-Brite™sponges also work well in the bathroom? I also use the Non-Scratch sponges to clean my bath and shower, as they don't damage the tile! 






    Scotch-Brite™ sponges can be found in the Kitchen Cleaning aisle of your local Target, and you can use this great offer to save 10% off a 9-pack of sponges from Target! 






     You can also check out more great cleaning tips here (this was definitely inspiring to me!). 


     How do y'all keep your kitchens and bathrooms clean? 



     xoxo Miss ALK
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17 comments

  1. I tend to fall on the messier side too, but like you I've been trying to fix that! I totally agree that clean dishes make an apartment feel cleaner!
    -Anna | www.fivefootandfabulous.com

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  2. I'm totally an organized mess. Haha. I have piles of clothes everywhere but everythign has a place. It just looks messy!

    My least favorite things is cleaning up after meals. I just want to enjoy and relax after my meal.

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  3. I love using those sponges to clean my dishes. My mom always tells me that for such a messy person, I have a super organized closet.

    xoxo, Jenny

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  4. I am a huge fan of cleaning, I have always loved it for some odd reason. such great post lovely!

    http://xoxobella.com

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  5. I think it is awesome you are trying to change your messy habits! I am not necessarily messy but I'm not really neat either. I like to be around super neat people because it makes me extra neat.

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  6. I've been trying to keep the house cleaner lately. Love these products!

    Greta | www.gretahollar.com

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  7. I have been trying to keep the house a little cleaner lately! I just hate cleaning sinks and anything typically damp areas!

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  8. I'm terrible at doing the dishes! I'm definitely one of those "need to let it soak" people - ha! A good sponge is definitely key.

    Tori

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  9. These sponges are definitely the best! And yay for an inspirational roomie to motivate. [client]

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  10. Looks super useful! Have to tell my friends about this.

    Alix | www.apintsizedlife.com

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  11. OMG I'm so bad at this, but these are great tips!!

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  12. I love sponges because they are easy to clean with and inexpensive!

    X,
    Cristina / cristinawashere.com

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  13. Love your organizing tips, Annaliese! I am always trying to get better with my cleaning habits. It especially becomes more of a challenge with a one year old haha. I actually have a Scotch-Brite sponge in my cleaning bucket that I use all the time. P.S. Chocolate chip cookies are my weakness :)

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  14. I use sponges in my kitchen too! I love all the tips!

    xoxo, Candice
    http://www.candicenikeia.com

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  15. I make sure I never ever leave anything in the sink overnight. Have that deadline is helpful and makes sure I don't leave dishes piling up in the sink.

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  16. When I lived in my own place (I moved back home after graduation) I always felt like my place was a mess if someone came over and I had dirty dishes - it seriously drove me insane! I always felt so good when all of my dishes were done and put away!

    Kristin
    The Blush Blonde

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