As the hostess for your family holidays, you have a lot of preparation to accomplish before you even think about putting up holiday décor. There’s family coming from out of town, or out of state. Guest rooms to prepare. Autumn leaves to rake. A honey-do-list to build. Kids (and grandkids) to wrangle. Grocery shopping to navigate. Where do you begin? How do you accomplish it all?
We at Glenbrook Remodeling have put together this handy list to help with one of the most important rooms in your holiday hosting: your kitchen. Here are our must-do items to get your kitchen ready for the holiday season.
Deep Clean
Pull out the vinegar and the Bar Keeper’s Friend. Pull up your gloves. And get ready to tackle the yucky stuff first. We recommend a deep clean on your kitchen before you do anything else, otherwise, as you start putting things in your cupboards and hanging up seasonal decor, all you’ll be able to focus on is the dirt and dust underneath it.
Tackle these deep cleaning tasks first:
- Wipe down the outside of all of your cupboard doors and drawers. If your cabinets are stained wood, make sure to use something appropriate for their finish so as not to remove the clear coat protecting them. If your cabinets are painted, avoid any harsh scrubbing tools or cleaners with hydrogen peroxide or ammonia in them, as they will leave bleach-like marks on your painted surfaces.
- Use a stone-specific cleaner to freshen up your countertop and your backsplash. The backsplash is an oft-neglected area of the kitchen when it comes to cleaning. Make sure to give it some TLC, especially around your stove, where red sauces may have splashed onto the backsplash surface.
- Add pumice powder to water and wipe down your stainless steel surfaces and appliances for extra shine. Make sure to follow the grain of the stainless steel.
- Your oven is about to start working overtime, so start the season off on a clean foot by using your oven’s self-cleaning mode to get rid of any baked on yuck inside of it.
Service
Now that you’ve deep cleaned your kitchen, it’s time to make sure you have everything you need to serve those big family meals. Pull out those fancy serving platters you don’t use often enough, make sure you have serving spoons polished and ready to go, and stock up on cork trivets to protect your counters from oven-hot dishes.
If you plan to use paper service items, make sure you add napkins, utensils, and heavy-duty plates to your grocery store list. Otherwise, count your plates and flatware to make sure you have enough service for all of your expected guests. Consider that you’ll probably use different forks for dinner and dessert. And don’t forget to inventory your glasses and coffee mugs. If you find yourself short on any of these needs, order replacements as soon as possible.
Cooking Prep
Whether you are cooking most of the meal yourself, or your guests are bringing dishes for a good old family potluck, you’ll want to make sure you stock up on any and all spices you may need. Inventory your cooking & baking supplies and add to your grocery list as needed.
Purchase a few disposable aluminum pans while you are at the store to make clean up easier.
Have your apron handy (and maybe an extra for any guests who might need it) to protect that fabulous holiday outfit from becoming a kitchen casualty.
Lastly, check your smoke & CO2 detectors, and change batteries if needed to avoid a holiday house fire.
You’re Ready!
Follow this guide and your kitchen will be ready to handle all the heavy lifting this holiday season.
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Want to make next holiday season extra special? Contact us today to get started on a show-stopping kitchen remodel.
