Whether you are renovating your current home or are searching for a new home, the kitchen is a crucial space to get right. As one of the most expensive rooms to fix, the kitchen can make or break your overall enjoyment of the home.
Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, encourages homeowners to think carefully about what their dream kitchen would look like long before they purchase a home.
READ: How to find or create your dream kitchen : 4 key questions to consider
“Property is a great long-term investment strategy. To maximise the profit you stand to make on the home, you want to live in the home for at least five to ten years. This is why it is helpful to have a clear idea on what is important to you before you purchase a home or begin a renovation,” he explains.
When it comes to finding or creating the perfect kitchen, Goslett says that the stakes get much higher because it is one of the rooms that many homeowners spend most of their time in. “Getting the kitchen wrong or buying a home where the kitchen does not function well will have a big impact on everyday life – this is why real estate agents will often say that kitchens sell houses,” he notes.
READ: The do's and don'ts of move day
So many homeowners want to revamp their kitchen at the lowest cost possible only to realise the actual expense involved unless you take the route to do it yourself.
But sometimes there are things that you can do that will instantly give your kitchen a facelift - and you won't have to pay anything. This article is not about spending money it is about using what you probably already have at home to go through your kitchen and make a few changes here and there.
What you'll need
- A bucket of clean, warm water and a squirt of cleaning soap as well as a kitchen sponge scourer and dry and damp cloths for wiping everything after cleaning.
- Comfortable clothing and sensible shoes with rubber soles to avoid slip-ups.
- Stepladder or stepstool to get to hard-to-reach areas.
- White spirit vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
- Cleaning products depending on the task.
Start at the top
Whether painting or cleaning, it always makes sense to start at the top. While you are working up there everything is going to drip or drop down, so rather make the mess now before you move lower to clean everything else. Areas you need to clean include:
- Lighting fittings and/or ceiling fans accumulate plenty of dust and cleaning these will let them shine.
- Curtain rails or rods and, if you can, remove any window treatments for a good cleaning.
- Around window frames and the top of door frames as well as the top of a refrigerator and wall-mounted cupboards and cabinets. Use a slightly dampened cloth and dishwashing liquid to wipe down windows before cleaning with window cleaner.
- Tiles around the top of the room are often overlooked but you now have an opportunity to clean both the tiles and grout to remove greasy grime using either Handy Andy, Citrus Gel or Vinegar.
READ: Creative ways to save for your first home
Good to know
Don't overlook fixtures in the kitchen such as a fume hood, extractor or air conditioner as these can quickly have filters blocked with greasy dust.
Clean and organise
Since this is an exercise in giving your kitchen a facelift, cleaning out and organising the cupboards will be a side project while cleaning the cupboard frames and doors will work towards giving your kitchen a fresh, clean look. It might not have cost you anything other than your time but it will give your kitchen and mood a BIG boost.
Cupboard doors accumulate grease and grime if they are not regularly cleaned and even then they still require a good deep cleaning at least once a year. This is where Citrus Gel comes in handy as it works like a de-greasing agent to dissolve layers of grease. You only need a small amount of gel on a damp cloth to remove stubborn grease after which you can rinse with a damp cloth and then dry.
Use a metal cleaner on handles and knobs that have become dull over the years. Brasso and silver polish will take care of this. Another easy solution for cleaning metal hardware is to use white spirit vinegar, water and baking soda. Let the hardware soak for a couple of hours and then use an old toothbrush to scrub and rinse clean. If cleaning doesn't make a difference pop into Builders to find out prices for replacement door hardware.
Don't miss out on any appliances such as ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators and more that need to be cleaned on the front and sides. Also check underneath large appliances, as this is often ignored and can add to the grubby look of a kitchen.
On the low down
After finishing cleaning the upper levels of the kitchen, concentrate on what is remaining - the floor. Consider the flooring type, whether vinyl or laminate, ceramic or stone tiles, and assess what needs to be done. If the floor has accumulated grease and grime over the years, despite a weekly wipe down, using a concentrated solution to clean this will give instant results to how a kitchen looks.
Select the right deep cleaning product based on the type of floor. Natural stone tiles require a different cleaner than ceramic tiles while laminate floors need to be treated with care.
Don't waste your money on fancy products when cheap ones do the job just as well. A bucket of warm water and white spirit vinegar will brighten the grout between tiles while removing grime.
A mop is alright for quick cleaning but a scrubbing brush is better for deep cleaning and to remove layers of accumulated floor polish. Regularly clean the water in your bucket and have plenty of rags on hand to wipe the floor.
Source: HomeDzine
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