The kitchen is probably the busiest place in your home.
Because you’re using it all the time and it doesn’t seem like a huge job, you intend to leave the kitchen for last when you pack to move. Besides, packing breakable dishes and glassware feels like a risky undertaking that should be postponed for as long as possible, and perishable items such as food mustn’t sit in boxes indefinitely. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you will need to prepare your kitchen for moving day. There is a diverse array of items in your kitchen that will each require their individual way of packing and items such as cleaning materials shouldn’t be packed in the same containers as food. A good clean-out of the cupboards and fridge before you start packing can significantly reduce the amount of stuff that moves with you to your new kitchen. Here’s a step-by-step plan to prepare your kitchen for relocation. Arm yourself with recycling containers for paper, glass and plastic, a box for items to donate, and a rubbish bag. Go through cupboards and drawers and start getting rid of items that shouldn’t go into the moving boxes.
Step 1: The 4D’s.
- Disposable: The name says it all. Plastic forks and spoons and chopsticks, Styrofoam cups and containers, paper and plastic bags, plastic wine glasses or water bottles, all those disposable items you’ve hoarded, can go into the recycling bin.
- Duplicate: You only need one each of utensils such as whisks, measuring cups, strainers and can openers. Do you have more mugs and dinnerware than you need? An excellent way to know is to look in the cupboard when you’ve just loaded and turned on the dishwasher. The chances are that all the odd dishes and cups that no one ever uses are left in the cupboard.
- Damaged: Throw out scratched non-stick pans, grubby wooden cutting boards, Tupperware that lost their lids, chipped plates, mugs and bowls, scorched pot holders. Plan for a fresh-looking uncluttered kitchen in your new home.
- Doodads: We all have gadgets that were a promising idea at the time, but we never use. If you haven’t used them in the last year, donate the rice cooker, yoghurt maker and juicer, or give them to a friend.
Step 2:
Let’s do some paperwork. Tackle the junk drawer and the bookshelves. You don’t need all those rubber bands, twist ties and bits of string that you’ve been saving up for in case. Throw them out; you can start a new collection after you’ve moved. Throw away the takeaway menus, food coupons, and brochures stuck to the fridge and stuffed into drawers. There will be different takeaway restaurants and attractions to see in your new neighborhood. Go through your cookbooks – if you haven’t used them in the last year, you probably never will.
Step 3:
Time to sort the food and cleaning materials. You can leave this task for the week before you move. Check cleaning materials for containers that have dried up or are beyond their expiry date. Dispose of them safely. Throw away moldy sponges and rags. Next, go through the freezer and check for food with freezer burn. In fact, throw away anything that you don’t know how long it’s been in there. Check the fridge for expired condiments. These are easy to spot, they separate in the containers and might have spots of mold. Tidy the spice rack. Fresh spices have a vibrant color and are powdery when you shake the bottle. Old spices are discolored and clump in the jar. For herbs, you can use the sniff test; fresh dried herbs are fragrant. If it smells like pencil shavings, it’s time to toss it out. Check canned food for expiry dates and go through dry goods such as coffee beans and flour. Although these items have a long shelf life, they do become stale. Now that you’ve had a good clean-out of the cupboards try not to buy too many groceries until moving day. Order take-out (but throw away the used containers and utensils!) or be inventive and prepare meals with what you have on hand. Good luck with the move! If you would like a moving company to help move you to your new home, consider Metropolitan Movers. We are a friendly and reliable family business, and customers regularly commend us for our excellent service. Contact us today for a quote.
