As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to start thinking about how to prepare your kitchen for summer. After all, your kitchen is the heart of your home, and you want it to be where family and friends can gather to enjoy good food and company. Here are a few tips to prepare your kitchen for warmer months.
1. Give Your Appliances a Deep Clean
As any homeowner knows, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where you cook and prepare meals for your family, and it’s also a gathering place for friends and loved ones. The last thing you want is for your kitchen to be a source of stress during the summer months. One way to ensure that your kitchen is ready for summer is to clean your appliances.
This means taking the time to clean underneath and behind your fridge, oven, and dishwasher. You may also want to consider scrubbing your cabinets, floors, and walls. You should also repair or replace any worn parts to ensure that your appliance works at its best. For example, if you have a Scotsman ice maker, make sure to replace Scotsman ice maker parts if they are broken, and enjoy the fresh ice!
2. Purge Your Pantry of Expired Items
Take this opportunity to go through your pantry and eliminate any expired cans or boxes of food. While at it, donate any non-perishable items you know you won’t use to your local food bank. This will help free up space in your pantry for summer staples like barbecue sauce, chips, and ice cream.
You may also want to re-organize your pantry so that it is easier for you to find what you need and make meal planning simpler. Here are some tips for organizing your pantry:
- Arrange items based on use (put frequently used items at eye level)
- Store dry goods in airtight containers
- Use baskets or bins to group similar items together
3. Stock Up on Summer Essentials
Summer is the perfect time for outdoor entertaining. Make sure you have everything you need on hand for impromptu cookouts and picnics, including paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins, and cups. If you like to entertain often, consider investing in a portable cooler or an outdoor dining set so you can enjoy the summer breeze while you eat.
You’ll also want to stock up on refreshing beverages like iced tea, lemonade, and water. Don’t forget the essentials for grilling, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbecue sauce. And, of course, don’t forget the s’mores supplies for campfire treats under the stars.
4. Freshen up Your Decor
Warmer weather calls for lighter, brighter colors inside the home too. Swap out heavy throws and blankets for lighter cotton quilts or afghans; switch out dark curtains for airy white sheers, and add colorful pillows or rugs to inject life into tired rooms.
Small changes can significantly affect how welcoming and inviting your home feel during the summer months. You can also bring the outdoors in by adding fresh flowers or potted plants to your kitchen. And don’t forget about scented candles or essential oils to make your kitchen smell as fresh and summery as it looks.
5. Plan Ahead for Common Summer Pests
Unfortunately, mosquitoes, ants, and flies seem to be just as excited about summer as we are! Take steps now to prevent these pests from taking over your kitchen by repairing any cracks or holes in screens and doors, sealing up gaps around pipes, and emptying garbage cans regularly (flies love nothing more than a nice pile of rotting garbage).
A little bit of prevention now will save you a lot of headaches later on down the road. You can also keep citronella candles or a spray bottle of DIY bug repellent on hand to ward off any pesky insects while entertaining outdoors.
6. Get Ready for Summer Produce
Summer brings an abundance of delicious, fresh produce. To make the most out of summer’s bounty, consider investing in a vegetable spiralizer or a salad spinner to easily prepare zucchini noodles or crisp lettuce for salads. You may also want to invest in a high-quality knife set to make chopping and slicing summer fruits and veggies a breeze.
And, if you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen, consider preserving some of that summer produce by pickling or canning for future use (or as a thoughtful homemade gift).
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to preparing your kitchen for summertime fun! Enjoy the warmer weather while keeping cool in the kitchen — without worrying about pests or other unwanted visitors ruining your good time.
