How Often Do You Clean Out Your Kitchen Cupboards?

mrsscattercushion

Probably a couple of times a year. With us previously both working full-time, it probably got done on thorough spring and autumn cleans!

Now I'm home full-time, I plan to do it a bit more often, to ensure I keep on top of what we've got in and what needs using up. With only one salary now, don't want to waste anything!

Our kitchen can be quite damp/steamy so now try to keep most things in jars or containers so it last longer....the trick is to label them so you do know which flour is which :-)

Ilona

tesuhoha wrote: »

I think for a lot of women including me (maybe men too?) this question will bring a nasty pang of guilt/dread or at least a moment of unpleasant pondering.

I certainly don't feel guilt or dread when it comes to cleaning out my cupboards, life's too short. I hate housework so keep the minimum in stock. Never buy too much and keep things tidy so I can open the doors and see what's in there in an instant. I never open a new packet/jar until the old one is used up. Things don't get shoved to the back to be forgotten and go out of date. I buy and eat out of date food anyway.

Wipe out cupboards with bleach, never. A damp cloth with a bit of wash up liquid is enough, I hate the smell of bleach.

How often do I clean out my kitchen cupboards? Never, don't need to.
Ilona

nonnatus

Kitchen cupboards only get cleaned when we move house...

(2 years ago was the last time, next move is planned for later this year...:eek:)

My head is hung in shame.

lisa110rry

I have an unusual set up for the present day. I have a walk in pantry with a window and an airbrick high up, with three large, deep shelves running around two walls. I keep all food on two of the shelves, misc on the highest (light bulbs, vases, etc). In the kitchen itself, there are 2x600mm wall cupboards and 2 x 300mm wall cupboards. Below, floor standing, there are 2x 300mm and 1 x 600.

I clean out my pantry, top to bottom once a year. Things get pretty confused in there because I work full time and my retired husband loves bringing home things from Tesco/Booths. After the most recent clear out (last month) I found I had 9 (!) bottles of vinegar of various types, and several types of oil, ranging from sesame through olive to rapeseed.

I save bottles and jars (I make jams and flavoured alcohols lile sloe gin and apple schnapps) and put all "bitty" things in a jar and label the jar, so I can see when I need to replace rice, lentils, powdered milk (I make bread, too.)

Here's a tip: when you clean the top of your cupboards, if you have a cornice, place newspaper on the cupboard. You'll never have to clean them again, just replace the paper.

I have never turned out my upper kitchen cupboards since the kitchen was installed in 2004, but they do not get dirty. The lower cupboards get turned out when they need it, but they only contain stewing pans, cookbooks, tea towels.

pelirocco

I'm always doing it, my kids say i have cupboard OCD , in fact just reading this thread has me breaking out in a sweat thinking i must do them ..........as i am work it might prove difficult !

However i teand to take it all out , throw out a few things then bung it all back in

marleyboy

As only tins and crockery are kept in them, cleaning out is annually, I throw anything I see which is expired, whether or not it is sealed.

LameWolf

I aim for one cupboard or drawer per week, working my way round the kitchen, as long as I'm feeling well enough to do it. We had the kitchen totally refitted last September, so everything was all sorted out, tidied, re-located as per my preference, and from that point I'm trying to keep it all nice so that it's never a large task. And if I get the odd week where I'm not well enough, it's not the end of the world.

I keep a spreadsheet with a list of the food we have in, both for the cupboard and the freezer, and I use things in rotation so that we don't get the problem of something with a best before date of 5 years ago lurking at the back.;)

f0nz

Prob once or twice a year. I did it last week and wonder why I hadn't done it sooner. I have so much space now!! So many half packs of stale crackers and random "sniff to guess the flavour" stock cubes ... Oh the shame of it all!


ETA: I use the kiddos shoeboxes for all of my herbs and spices. Easy to pull them all out to rummage through and put back. Same for pasta and rice, use a bigger shoebox and half packs etc go in there so easy to pull out. Also easy to clean if there are any divers from the main pack, just tip them into the bin and Bob's your uncle

115K

I just had new doors put on my kitchen units before Christmas and I have cleaned them once since then as we might be moving so I want to keep it looking clean.

I like clear counter tops so I keep my toaster in a cupboard so I usually need to wipe down the inside of that one regularly.

lisa110rry wrote: »

Here's a tip: when you clean the top of your cupboards, if you have a cornice, place newspaper on the cupboard. You'll never have to clean them again, just replace the paper.

That is a good idea.:)