Six Tips for Getting Your Kitchen Ready for the Holidays

No matter how much care you’ve put into decorating your home in preparation for the winter holidays, it’s the kitchen where family and friends inevitably gather. Most Long Island kitchens benefit from extra attention during the holidays to ensure that they look their best. After the tree is trimmed and the stocking are hung, it’s time don your cleaning apparel and look for ways to enrich the heart of your home with holiday cheer. These six tips will help make sure that your kitchen adds warmth and merriment to the holiday festivities.

1. Stock Up to Simplify Cleaning Tasks

A tool caddy makes the perfect portable container for carrying cleansers, towels, spray bottles, sponges and scouring pads from task to task. Save time by making sure that you have a variety of cleaners close at hand.

Some stains respond to alkaline-based cleaners like dish soap while other stains disappear with acidic cleaners like vinegar. Use empty spray bottles to mix diluted solutions. A paste made from baking soda and water is great for cleaning sinks and faucets.

Depending on the materials in your kitchen, you may need oil-soap cleaners for wood, stainless steel commercial spray cleaners and pH-neutral products for natural stone.

2. Are Your Kitchen Cabinets Ready for the Holidays?

A pre-holiday cleaning with a soft sponge and soapy water helps refresh the look of your cabinets for the holidays. Be sure to wipe cabinets dry with a clean cloth, however, as moisture can permeate and damage cabinet materials.

For wood cabinets, oil-soap wood cleaners are best. Glass panel cabinets are ideal for showcasing seasonal china and pottery. With a bit of adhesive ribbon, you can embellish them with holiday ornaments too!

Your holiday guests will be catching glimpses of your cabinet interiors throughout the season as well. Give them a thorough wash, using a toothbrush to clean out cracks and crevasses. Leave cabinet doors open until the cavity is completely dry. For a festive look, lay your favorite holiday wrapping paper over your permanent shelf paper.

3. Cleaning and Decorating Ideas for Stone Countertops

Stone countertops are typically treated with a stain-resistant sealer before installation, but acidic cleaners should be avoided for maintenance tasks. Soapy warm water and a soft cloth is usually all that it takes to keep stone counters clean. Because natural stone is porous, the material may need to be resealed periodically to keep them waterproof. If the sheen on your stone countertops looks a bit dull, schedule resealing services from a professional now to beat the holiday rush.

Show off your clean countertops with the season’s bounty. Display nuts, cookies and candies in clear glass jars. Use decorative holiday trays to store cooking essentials and keep clutter at bay.

4. Keep Stainless Steel Surfaces Sparkling during the Holidays

Stainless steel countertops, appliances and sinks are best cleaned with a special spray cleaners designed specifically for the material. Abrasive materials like steel wool and scouring pads should never be used on stainless steel surfaces. Stainless steel is the perfect surface to display magnetized holiday decorations. Explore holiday-themed covers for appliances like dishwashers that you can apply and remove in a snap.

5. The Revel Is in the Details

Long Island kitchens are known for their sophisticated style and modern appliances, but even the most meticulous homeowner can overlook cleaning tasks that discriminating guests might notice. Don’t forget to clean items like appliance knobs, cooktop burners and vent hood filters.

After your cleaning chores are done, look for ways to use your kitchen’s features to add holiday cheer:

• Place a couple of lemon halves in your microwaves and nuke them for one minute. The acidic vapor will not only break down stubborn stains but will give the oven a fresh scent too.
• Clean out ice cubes trays and refill them with hot water, which will make the ice cubes clear instead of frosty. Drop a small piece of fruit like a cherry, cranberry or grape into the cubes to embellish holiday cocktails.
• String holiday lights under upper kitchen cabinets for seasonal ambiance.
• A big red bow on your refrigerator makes a grand holiday decorative statement.
• For an elegant and sophisticated look, hang a grapevine wreath over the kitchen window.

6. Utensils and Silverware Cleaning Tips

Long Island kitchens typically store all of utensils that you use to perfect holiday recipes as well as the cutlery that you’ll place before your guests. You can clean silverware by placing the utensils in a container lined with aluminum foil, dusting the utensils with baking powder, and then pouring very hot water over the silverware. For sharpening knives, whetstones are preferable over electric sharpeners that can strip away too much metal from the surface. Swap out worn wooden utensils for a fresh set and display them in a brightly colored container.