Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by Kimberly Crawford
The kitchen is the heart of the home, meaning a problem that starts there can quickly spread to the rest of the household.
From not having enough space to battling pests, the potential dramas are many and varied. Fortunately, every issue does have an answer.
Read on for five straightforward solutions to the most common kitchen problems.
Upgraded Appliances
One of the most common challenges homeowners face is inferior appliances for meal preparation. That’s why so many people consider upgrading their stove and getting cookware for induction cooktops.
This cutting-edge form of cooking technology allows for even, fast cooking, while also being safer for little helpers in the kitchen. What’s more, the variety of cookware for such appliances is growing by the day.
Impossible-to-Clean Cookware
Everyone has that roasting dish they never seem to be able to clean. Or the muffin tin that lost its shine years ago. There are two approaches you can take to solve this problem. Firstly, you can invest in new cookware and bakeware. By doing so, you get to start afresh and maintain your new purchases from the beginning.
Alternatively, you can try and give what you already have a new lease on life. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural ways to freshen up those previously impossible-to-clean dishes. Go through a soak, rinse, and dry process and then coat those tough stains in baking soda. Combine hot water and vinegar in a bowl and pour this mixture onto the stain. Let it soak, then begin scrubbing again. It will look as good as new in no time.
Superior Storage
Even though the house size in the United States has been steadily increasing, not everyone is blessed with cabinets, cupboards, and drawers galore. While you might not have enough built-in storage in your kitchen, that doesn’t mean you have to put up with cramming items into every nook and cranny.
Instead, you can invest in narrow pull-out shelving units that sit between appliances and make use of previously unusable gaps. Some storage product manufacturers also offer in-cupboard shelving units and under-cupboard cup hooks that allow you to make use of top-to-bottom cupboard space.
Dark and Dreary
Is your kitchen a dark, dreary, and unwelcoming place to be? You might think you need to spend thousands on a kitchen remodel, but that’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes, transforming a kitchen can be as simple as adding a fresh coat of light paint, investing in new lighting, and removing dark furniture. Even a vibrant artwork can make a massive difference to how inviting your cooking hub is.
Why not also look at beautiful herbs and plants you can put to use in cooking, but also add a touch of vibrancy? There are options galore for how to turn your kitchen from drab to fab.
Rodents
Mice will take any opportunity to enter your home, especially when they know it’s going to offer them an abundant food supply. If you believe you’ve got mice in your home, particularly your kitchen, then you need to act fast.
You can lay out mice repellents, such as mothballs, mint, and bay leaves. Just make sure you keep mothballs away from pets and children. Sprinkle bay leaves and mint around windows and doors, and in the corners of your pantry and cupboards.
You can also set traps and make use of bait boxes. Once again, make sure these are in an area your pet can’t access. You’ll be giving those pesky rodents their marching orders in no time.
Spaces for Spices
There’s something quite unnerving about jars, bottles, and boxes of spices scattered chaotically around your kitchen. You can never find the one you need, and it’s never all that easy to know when some are past their use-by dates. So, one way to solve this common kitchen problem is with a spice rack.
You can buy generic racks for installation in your kitchen, and these suit jars, bottles, and boxes of spices. However, you can also purchase pre-filled spice racks that have jars ready for your herbs – or already filled for you to use right away.
Clutter
It’s only once you begin hunting for that elusive container lid do you realize just how much kitchen “junk” you own. From dozens of containers with mismatched or missing lids to those strange parts and accessories you kept for appliances you no longer own – it’s amazing what you find.
However, once you reach into the dark depths of your cupboards, there’s no going back. It’s time to get stuck in and take care of your clutter problem. Set up four piles – keep, donate, sell, and throw away.
Take your time going through each cupboard or drawer in your kitchen, putting each item into one of those four piles. You’ll be amazed at how neat, tidy, organized, and clutter-free your kitchen can look once you spend a few hours taking care of the problem.
Child Safety
Did you know that around 3.5 million children turn up to emergency departments around the world with injuries sustained in the average home? Kitchens are a hot spot for danger, given that they house sharp knives, cleaning chemicals, hot stoves, and dangerous appliances.
Fortunately, child safety in the kitchen is a reasonably easy problem to solve. Invest in cabinet locks to keep curious tots out and consider baby gates to kitchen entrances where possible. Several child-safe products on the market can make your kitchen a far safer part of your home.
What’s more, you can invest in smoke alarms to make sure that your children and every member of the family – can be alerted to a potentially dangerous situation and get out safely.
Everyone will face an issue in their kitchen at one time or another. However, it’s a relief to know that there’s a solution to every potential problem. Don’t hesitate to try any of the methods above next time the heart of your home needs some attention.