It’s no secret that many men back in the day were not the biggest fans of home cooking or kitchen work. The great news is, modern men are finding an interest in cooking, grilling, and baking. And with more men spending time in the kitchen, they are also expected to have a say on the specification and design of their cooking space.
If you love preparing and cooking meals, the kitchen might be your happy place. This area is about easy access to appliances and food storage. It must also be user-friendly with practical storage solutions and enough surface area. But besides that, a good kitchen design is also easy to clean.
Who wants to spend hours cleaning the kitchen anyway? Are you looking for inspiration to design a functional yet easy-to-clean kitchen? Discover some useful tips below.
1. Avoid open shelves
Most modern kitchens now have open shelves, which is a style preferred by many since they look more attractive. Aesthetic aside, this type of shelving is hard to maintain. You’ll need to move every silverware, decoration, dish, or anything on the shelves just so you can clean the surface. There’s no way you can temporarily hide the dirt when you have open shelves.
Also, if you’re not a fan of organizing your dishes or glasses, this option can only make your kitchen look cluttered. If you want something easy to dust or wipe, opt for wall cabinets. Unlike open shelves that can accumulate grease and dust faster, wall cabinets can keep your kitchen items cleaner or dust-free for a longer period. It’s also recommended to have a melamine finish inside your cabinets to prevent absorption of spillage, which is a real headache.
2. Use non-porous countertops
As much as possible, you want your kitchen countertops to be the easiest to clean. After all, it’s where you cut the ingredients and prepare your meals. Non-porous types are your best bet for low-maintenance countertops. Top on the list are countertops made from quartz or engineered stone. Compared to natural stones, quartz is non-porous, so they’re much easier to maintain. They don’t absorb any type of liquid and are also extremely durable and heat resistant.
Another type of non-porous surface is laminated countertops, which can be easily cleaned with soap and a sponge. These countertops don’t require any special polishes or absorb any food spills or bacteria. In addition, you can cut them in whatever shape you prefer since they’re versatile too. Other non-porous options are soapstone, zinc, recycled glass, concrete, and eco top countertops. Choose the one that best fits the style or theme of your kitchen and your budget.
3. Install a good sink
Another crucial element of your kitchen is the sink. It’s the workhorse. Depending on your preference and needs, you can opt for an ultra-deep type to hide unwashed dishes. This allows you to minimize the visual clutter in the kitchen area. In case you want something more luxurious, you can invest in two sinks — one for pans and dishes and one for prepping meals. Get those with a pull-down spray nozzle, which makes cleaning the sink and washing dishes more convenient.
There are also two-bay sinks that are great for keeping dishes and other kitchen items organized. If you have the budget, your best bet is integrated sinks. These sinks don’t have gaps between the counter and the sink itself that can trap grime and dirt. Alternatively, you can opt for under-mount sinks that eliminate obstruction when you’re wiping food residue or dirt.
4. Create manageable floors
Your kitchen floor is probably among the hardest parts to clean, especially if you ignored them very often. Not only do they receive a lot of foot traffic, but also stains or food residue whenever you cook or prepare your meals. If you don’t want to spend most of your time cleaning the kitchen floor, you need to make it manageable.
One thing to focus on is how to minimize the risks of accidents when cooking with spill water or grease on the kitchen floor. You can prevent slips by having non-slip flooring that is also quick to clean. Preferably, choose something without grout lines but still aesthetically pleasing for your kitchen. Vinyl or engineered wood are ideal options.
A kitchen design should have a good balance of design and practicality. Without the proper layout, this heavily-used space can be a nightmare to clean. Use our tips here to create a food preparation area that’s not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but is also easy to clean and maintain.
