The kitchen tends to be the room in our home that needs the most cleaning. The good news is that, with a little planning, you can have a design that makes cleaning a breeze and allows you to spend less time mopping and more time enjoying your space. Check out these expert tips from Eva Byrne of Houseology; Nicolle Whyte, designer at Harvey Jones; and Louise Delaney, design manager at Cameron Interiors.
Buy Easy-Clean Appliances
It’s understandable to be dazzled by the performance or look of a smart new kitchen appliance, but Byrne suggests that you also consider potential purchases with a view to keeping them clean. “Choose a [range] that’s fuss-free and easy to wipe down without needing any exotic lotions or solutions,” she says. “Have a good look at details, such as the knobs on your oven, to make sure there are no hard-to-get-at nooks. Knobs that are too close together mean you can’t get a cloth between them, for example.”
Whyte agrees and suggests choosing an induction cooktop, “as it’s flat, easy and safe to clean.” Furthermore, Delaney says, induction cooktops save you from having to clean the grates and other parts found on gas cooktops.
“We recommend choosing appliances with cleaning programs included,” Delaney says. “Let your appliance do the cleaning for you!” She suggests choosing ovens with pyrolytic cleaning functions (which heat the oven to high temperatures to burn off residue), steam ovens with automatic steam cleaning and drying programs, and coffee machines with automatic cleaning.
Pick a Simple Backsplash
Tile is a popular choice for a kitchen backsplash, but if you don’t want to spend time scrubbing grout to keep it sparkling clean, there are other options.
If you’re set on tile, pick a large-format style to minimize the amount of grout you have to clean. If you choose a glass backsplash, you won’t have to deal with grout at all, Whyte points out.
Favor Flat-Front Cabinets
“Selecting smooth furniture fronts prevents cooking residue forming on decorative grooves and ridges,” Delaney says. Watch out for cutout pulls, though, since they can harbor crumbs.
Choose Your Countertop Material Wisely
“Select materials such as Corian, quartz, steel or sintered stone [mineral and stone particles bound together with heat and pressure], which are nonporous, prevent stains and are easy to wipe clean,” Delaney says.
“Solid-surface [countertops], such as Corian, are probably the most hygienic,” Whyte says. “They have a seamless finish and therefore don’t have grooves to trap dirt. This is why you see them used in hospitals and fast-food chains.”
Position Bins Strategically
Where’s the best place in your kitchen for the trash and recycling bins? To ensure that cleaning up is as efficient as possible, they should be beneath the sink, Byrne says. The goal, she says, is to create “minimum distance between sink and bins, which means minimum opportunities for spills and mess.”
Use Durable Paint
If you have painted walls in your kitchen, you’ll need to wipe them down more often than the walls in other rooms. Choosing a hardwearing paint finish will make this job easier.
“Use an oil-based eggshell [finish], as you can easily wipe this clean without damaging the paint,” Whyte says.
Avoid Open Shelves
Open shelves may look attractive when beautifully styled, but they can be a high-maintenance cleaning option if you have to move dishes, books and decorative objects just to run a duster over the surface.
For a fuss-free kitchen design, Byrne recommends avoiding open shelves “that gather dust and grime” and springing for wall cabinets instead. For this kitchen, she chose a run of sleek uppers, with just one small shelving unit at the right for displaying a few easy-to-dust items.
Use Drawer and Shelf Liners
Drawers can be a bit of a minefield to keep tidy, with crumbs and dust sifting down to settle at the bottom. To keep on top of this, Byrne suggests lining drawers and shelves “with wipeable liner material, cut to size, to prolong the life of your units.”
Whyte agrees and suggests choosing “a melamine finish on the inside of cabinets, as it doesn’t absorb spillages as oak or walnut would.”