The kitchen serves as the social hub of every house. It’s a place where you prepare, cook, and eat meals and spend quality time with your family. On the other hand, it’s also a place that requires the most cleaning and maintenance. But, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Designing a low-maintenance kitchen that’s functional and aesthetically appealing at the same time can be pretty easy, and we’re here to prove that. To help you, we’ve consulted experts and gathered seven valuable tips for your brand new, easy-to-clean, accessible living . Now let’s get to work! 

Designing a Low-Maintenance Kitchen with Our Seven Simple Tips

The kitchen is often considered to be the most challenging room in the house to maintain clean because of its central location. It’s almost like a never-ending battle with crumbs, smoke, grease, filth, dust, stains, spills, and splatters. But what if we told you there are ways to make your kitchen easier to keep clean and tidy?

If you are about to remodel or design your new kitchen, you’ve come to the right place. Further in this article, you’ll find seven simple tips that will help you design a kitchen that will be easy to maintain and spotlessly clean. So before you start browsing inspiring kitchen designs, let’s focus on the functional aspect of your new kitchen.

1. Install Cabinets All the Way to the Ceiling

One of the most straightforward tips for designing a low-maintenance kitchen is to customize your cabinetry and take it up to the ceiling. This way, you won’t have to clean the areas above your upper cabinets. You probably know by now how easy it is for filth and dust to gather in these areas. Well, this will save you a lot of time and effort.

You might even design your kitchen, so there are no higher cabinets. Of course, this will be possible if you have sufficient storage space in your lower cabinets and pantry. You will indeed have less storage space, but your kitchen will feel more open and breezy, and cleaning a flat wall is typically much simpler than cleaning cabinetry. 

2. Add Extra Trash Bins 

The last time we checked, there was no specific rule about having only one garbage can in your kitchen. Therefore, don’t hesitate to put second trash can somewhere you could have a need to dispose of waste or food scraps. For example, under the sink, close to the refrigerator, the dining room table, the pantry, or anywhere else you feel you might need it. You can even literally draw your ideas and have professionals make them for you. 

3. Keep the Lighting Fixtures Away from Your Stove

Given that cooking results in the production of grease and dirt, anything that is hung close to the stove will quickly accumulate all of it on its surface. Regarding the lighting around the stove, recessed can lights or lights built into your exhaust hood are your best options. You can even hang pendants, sconces, and small chandeliers a few feet away from your range, in locations such as above the kitchen island or in the breakfast nook.

4. Invest in Easy-to-Clean Appliances

If you want a low-maintenance kitchen, then easy-to-clean appliances are a must. For instance, look for stainless steel appliances with a finish that resists fingerprints. Or opt for other materials with smooth surfaces that are easy to wipe. The good idea is to choose appliances with sufficient room between the knobs to allow a rag, wipe, or sponge to fit in between them for cleaning.

Even a better option is to choose self-cleaning appliances whenever possible. Nowadays, plenty of appliances have these options. Most coffee machines and even ovens can nowadays clean themselves. However, even with your best efforts, breaks and faults can happen, so the best way is to choose a suitable home warranty company and get all your appliances covered. That way, you will have absolutely nothing to worry about. 

5. Choose an Induction Option Instead of a Gas Cooktop

The surface of a cooktop that uses induction heating is entirely flat and smooth. This makes it much easier to clean than a gas cooktop, which features recessed areas and grates that are very hard to reach. Cleaning an induction cooktop is as simple as wiping it down with a smooth tabletop. However, if you are a cook who enjoys using gas, the convenience of the induction surface’s easy cleanup might not be enough to convince you to give up your cherished gas burner. If that’s the case, you’ll need to decide what is more important to you. 

6. Opt for Low-Maintenance Countertops

Nowadays, choosing a nonporous and stain-resistant countertop is very easy due to the many available materials. The best part about them is that they can be cleaned quickly with a wipe, and there is no need to seal them. Quartz is likely the material that is selected the most frequently, but you may also go with a porcelain slab or a stainless steel countertop. 

7. Avoid Open Shelves

No matter how great open shelves might look in your kitchen, because they are open spaces, dust, oil, and grime can accumulate on them making them everything but low-maintenance. Plus, dust and filth will accumulate not only on the shelves but also on whatever you place there. Therefore, to dust the shelves, you will not only need to shift articles around, but you will also need to dust the items themselves.

If you have a thing for open shelves but would rather spend less time cleaning them, consider replacing most of your kitchen’s shelving with cabinets and reducing the number of open shelves you have. Nowadays, you can choose perfect storage solutions and have them custom-made for your kitchen. 

Good Luck Designing Your Low-Maintenance Kitchen!

We hope our tips helped you with designing a low-maintenance kitchen. However, as you want to ensure your kitchen has a long and healthy life, make sure to choose high-quality cabinetry. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy spending time at the heart of your home. 

Article written by Beatrice White of Moving Offices San Diego.