7 Ways I’m Keeping my Kitchen Cleaner

Many people think I have a glamorous career in food writing but frankly, I clean up my own messes. Going into the kitchen renovation, I carefully considered purchases that would make it easier to keep the kitchen cleaner. It’s important to have a good looking kitchen, but it’s crucial to have form plus function. Yes, open shelving is charmingly artful, but the thought of things getting gummy with kitchen filth and having to routinely clean that gummy stuff drove me to select close cabinets in the kitchen. 

Seldom do people talk about cleaning a kitchen. We tend to overlook that dirty downside of cooking, but let’s face it, cooking can be gross. There are many days when my kitchen looks like something blew up. But I tidy things up daily because I want to instill a sense of calm in my workspace. 

After spending seventeen years making notes on how I would improve things, I got to address some of my pet peeves. I wasn’t sure how things would turn out, but now that the kitchen is fully functional, I’m happy to report my obsessive nature worked out in my favor.

The kitchen tips below don't all require you to redo your kitchen or spend a lot of money either!

Countertop and backsplash 

For our first remodel when we bought the house, I went with tile because it was affordable. This time I chose quartz because it’s nonporous and easy to clean. No more grout lines on the countertop to scrub and scrutinize! Having the two backsplashes in the quartz means a simple wipe down! 

Because I used practically every square inch of the slabs I purchased, the cost of doing the countertops and backsplashes in quartz was affordable. This is how the quartz looked right after installation:

And if you wonder, I chose Caesarstone Statuario Nuvo honed (not shiny). It’s smooth and silky, like as if you were touching a Michelangelo sculpture. 

Kitchen Sink: Drop-in or Undermount?

For 17 years, I had a drop-in enameled cast iron kitchen sink with a tile countertop. I’d lived with one all my adult life in apartments that we’d rented. The Kohler sink was beautiful. It had gentle romantic curves, but because I’m hard on my kitchen, I soon found out that it easily got scratched and stained. I had to clean it all the time. 

For the new kitchen, I chose an undermount sink to better show off the Caesarstone countertop. Additionally, an undermount sink also makes it really easy to wipe things on the counter right into the sink. Things simply drop into the sink. No more gathering it in my hand or a bowl to dump into the sink.

The downside to an undermount is replacing it isn’t easy. The countertop installer told me it could be done in the future, but getting an excellent quality sink was most important so you don’t have to replace it.  As for the mounting clips sold with undermount sinks, he said that they're really not that strong in the event the sink is filled with water. It's better to have the sink firmly glued onto the countertop and wood subtop.

Kitchen Sink Dividers, Radius and Reveal

Instead of buying a single bowl kitchen sink, I chose the Ruvati Gravena 60/40 double bowl undermount sink with a low divider. Having a divider was important because undermount sinks are generally deeper than drop-in sinks. One of my chef friends with a single bowl sink complained about back pain from bending over the kitchen sink to wash dishes.  The low divider means I can rest a pot or pan on it and easily scrub away without having to bend over and hurt my back. The low divider also lets me put in bigger things like a sheet pan and wash it easily. (You can buy the Gravena from Amazon via the Ruvati store, but I purchased from Home Depot because if anything went wrong, I can easily return it!)

The Gravena has a “tight radius” -- which means the corners are slightly rounded and easier to clean. I didn’t want bowl shape corners because those models were relatively shallow and not modern looking. A “zero radius” sink had 90-degree corners and I get obsessed with strange bits lingering in those corners. 

When we had the countertop installed we chose to have it mounted so that there was a ⅛-inch reveal. The fabricator and installation company suggested that placement after I worried about not seeing and getting at the crud that will naturally build up between the sink and the counter top. The narrow reveal allows me to easily clean that part of the sink with a routine spray and quick wipe. 

Kitchen Faucet Spray Action

The kitchen’s u-shape design meant that the faucet would be a focal point when you enter the space. I wanted something sculptural that also helped me clean things well. I decided to go with a pull-down Kohler because they’d been good to me in the past. Pull-down faucets allow greater control on where you direct the water. 

Instead of two (2) spray functions, Kohler’s new faucets have three (3) options for water flow: a straight hose-like flow, a soft round shower for gently cleaning delicate fruits and vegetables, plus a strong fan-like spray. The fan patterned spray is super strong. I can spray down a dinner plate or a pan and get stuff out of the pan so that I don’t have to scrub as much. The fan spray also gets into the tight radius corners of the sink well too! The three-function sprayhead is fabulous.

I selected the Kohler Graze faucet, a gorgeous statement piece. It performs well too, albeit there was a tiny leak. Kohler is sending a replacement part that they assure me I can easily replace. They’ll get on the phone and talk me through it, the kind woman said. I’m not into a touchless or smart faucet because you have to change the batteries and such, which seems like too much of a fuss. 

When shopping for a kitchen faucet, check out how different models spray; make sure you have a good strong spray coming out (small modern nozzles are not my jam). And, pull on the handles and pretend to turn the faucet on and off. Does it feel comfortable in your hand? A lot of time is spent at the kitchen sink so make sure the faucet is a good assistant to you. 

You can buy kitchen faucets from big box stores, local plumbing shops or even via Kohler’s shop at Amazon. I generally buy plumbing fixtures from Ferguson and order through my local outpost. Ferguson carries a wide range of products and answer my questions without making me feel stupid because I’m not a plumbing professional or want to save money.

Sink Caddy

Someone zoomed in on my Simple Human kitchen sink caddy when I posted a photo of the kitchen on Instagram. The caddy is fantastically low-key and functional. There are holes in the bottom that allow airflow and moisture to drain so that the sponge isn’t gross or sitting in a puddle of water. The  suction cups actually work — they stick to the stainless steel sink.

Given the design, you have to have an undermount sink situation to use the Caddy. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve added to my kitchen. The SimpleHuman slim caddy cost less than $15! You can spend a little more for one that holds a brush too!

Exhaust Hood

I love cooking smells but I don’t want to live with them forever. Having a good exhaust hood is important. My mom used to run three fans through the house to drive food smells out the window. After much consideration about design and power, I opted for a 36-inch 600 CFM Zline exhaust hood, purchasing it from Home Depot though it’s sold at other places, including Amazon (you’d buy directly from Zline). 

My stove is 30 inches wide (more on choosing my dream stove here). What I learned in this kitchen renovation is to go bigger on the hood. If you have space in your kitchen, try something like that to more efficiently exhaust. Here is a casual video I made for extra tips on exhaust hoods: 

Effective Kitchen Cleansers

The kitchen is new so right now I’m really into cleaning it a lot, but I know that won’t last forever. That said, I have a little program for cleaning using my favorite cleaning products. 

My go-to cleaning solution is Simple Green, which I buy as a concentrate and dilute (that's just a recycled SG bottle from many years ago!). I reach for Simple Green to regularly wipe down the counters, the sink, plus all kinds of other things. It’s easy on surfaces but it gets the job done. You can dilute the concentrate to whatever level you want, depending on the use. 

When there's a tough spot on the Caesarstone, I use Soft Scrub gel with bleach. That's what the installer and Caesarstone suggest. Soft Scrub iand Simple Green are great for cleaning bathrooms, too. I also use baking soda.

Bar Keepers Friend is fabulous for stainless steel pots and pans, plus occasionally tough stains on the stainless steel gas range. To polish the stainless steel appliances I am loving Method stainless steel cleaner and polisher. It’s effective without involving a bunch of chemicals. When cleaning stainless steel appliances, buff along the grain of the stainless steel and, if needed, lean in a bit to get the metal gleaming.

Stove Gap Solution

One of my ultimate things to address in the kitchen is the gap between the stove and the countertop. Cafe Appliances sells a kit for roughly $100 but I opted for a less expensive and more handsome option. 

Here's a video to explain my approach:

You don’t have to do a full kitchen renovation to put some of these ideas in place. I should’ve thought of them sooner. But hopefully, I saved you some time and money.

If you have ideas to contribute, use the comment section below!

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