Depending on where you live, a snow day is a quite common or decidedly uncommon occurrence. In certain Southern climates, a few inches is enough to shut everything down, while up north it’s business as usual until a few feet have fallen. Regardless, when a snow day is finally called, it’s kind of great. Staying inside is basically mandatory, all routines get upended, and while you may have to work from home, you’re still likely to end up with a bit of time on your hands.
This is when your kitchen says, “Um, hi. Let’s talk.”
You know those projects you always mean to do, but never quite get around to? Well, when inclement weather strikes and you find yourself homebound, you’re in luck — or rather, your kitchen is in luck. It’s the perfect time to tackle a few small cleaning and organizing tasks. The snow says, “You’re welcome.”
10 Kitchen Projects for a Snow Day
1. Clean out the junk drawer.
No, your junk drawer will not magically organize itself. I know that was your Christmas wish, but I’m sorry to tell you that the drawer did not get the memo. You can do it, though — and if you do it how I did it, you might not even need to buy an organizer.
2. Oil and repair your wood utensils and cutting boards.
Our poor wooden tools — they work so hard, and we unfailingly neglect them until they’re dried and cracked. Give them a little love this month!
3. Deep-clean your wood kitchen cabinets.
You’ve tried to ignore the greasy film that’s built up on your wooden kitchen cabinets, but it’s still there every time you open the cupboard doors or stand over your sink washing the dishes. I agree that deep-cleaning cabinets feels like too much work to fit into your nightly cleaning routine, which is why you have to find a free block of time to just dig in and get it done. This is that block of time.
4. Wash your greasy range hood filter.
Ditto for that greasy range hood filter. I know — blech. But hurray for just getting it done finally!
5. Reorganize your fridge. (And clean it, too.)
Do you know there’s a right way to organize your fridge? It’s probably worth your time to move things around and get it set up properly. (And as long as you’re in there, you might as well clean it, too.)
6. Get your stainless steel pots back in tiptop shape.
Over time our stainless steel pots get discolored and stained. Thankfully, it’s easy (and not very time-consuming) to get them buffed back into shape.
7. Tidy up and organize your pantry.
You will be so much happier after it’s done — I promise.
8. Line your kitchen drawers and shelves with pretty paper.
If cleaning of any sort on a snow day is just not your speed, maybe a little redecorating is in order.
9. Add loops to your dish towels for easy hanging.
This is one of those “Why did I wait so long to do this?” projects.
10. Cook a few meals for the freezer.
Now, to the cooking! Take the opportunity today to cook a few meals or to prep ingredients specifically for the freezer. It’ll make life easier down the road.