It was always my dream to have an all-white kitchen. White built-in cabinets, white countertop, white floor. Yes, all white! A white kitchen is timeless, and always bright and happy.
Plus, people tend to store so many things in the kitchen so if you have colorful cabinets and fixtures, some of them are bound to clash. White, on the other hand, is the perfect background for any color. (Ok, fine, so is black, but I’m not a fan of dark kitchens.)
When we bought our own flat a couple of years ago, the one thing we spent most of our budget on was the kitchen renovation. The rest of the flat was already lovely, as the previous owner was an interior designer. But I didn’t like the dark kitchen cabinets, or the sad pink and green kitchen floor tiles. I was getting my dream kitchen, and there would be no compromise. ha!
A lof of my friends have asked me how I keep my white kitchen spotless. The answer is very simple: it’s not at all difficult, because we clean every day. Yes, daily maintenance helps keep everything looking clean and sparkling. These are part of our daily routine:
1. Never let grime or grease accumulate. Wipe spills as they happen.
2. Dust every day. We live in a very dusty area, because our building faces the highway.
3. Turn on the exhaust hood when you’re cooking. This prevents airborne particles from landing on your white cabinets and causing a stain. It’s not just to absorb odors.
4. Scotch Brite Easy Eraser pads are great for removing stains on a white countertop. This is my secret weapon for chocolate, curry sauce, or food colouring stains.
5. Don’t leave food on the counter for longer than a few minutes.
6. To keep white kitchen floors clean, put area rugs (the woven kind) in places that often have spills and splashes — near the sink, in front of the stove, etc. That’s how Scandinavians keep their white floors clean, apparently!
In worst cases, when you do start seeing stains on your white cabinets, wash your cupboards with a mixture of 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 2 cups warm water and 1 tablespoon baking soda. I give my cabinets a monthly bath of this solution, just in case.
Two years on, and this is how my kitchen looks:
So pretty, just like you. 🙂 I really admire your taste. So elegant. 🙂
How do you manage to keep everything sooo pretty and clean…sigh…
I clean every day! hahaha. 🙂