I know it’s not spring yet, but I’ve had a tremendous urge to start my spring cleaning!  Maybe it’s because everyone in blogland is cleaning out their fridge. (These two girls were particularly inspiring: tiny anchors and humble pie.)  Yesterday I did a deep cleaning of our kitchen, and it’s embarrassing to tell you how long I spent cleaning out our fridge.  (Let’s just say that it took all of Vera’s afternoon nap and then some.)

Here’s the gross before:

During (I emptied everything from the fridge, threw away bad stuff, took out the shelves and drawers and washed them, and put the good stuff back in and organized it):

(Tip I learned from my mom: if your shelves/drawers are too large to fit in your sink for washing, take them into the bathtub and clean them there!)

And after! (I promise it looks incredible in real life… you can actually see through the glass shelves! Amazing!)

Kitchen fun-fact: We don’t eat mustard. Yet… somehow… we had three different (opened) types of mustard! And what’s with all the caramel and fudge sauce and whipped cream? Oh yeah… we’re in youth ministry. 🙂

we still have an inordinate amount of condiments, but at least they’re all organized and not expired!

Kitchen fun-fact #2: I discovered we had nine different types of cheese in our fridge.  Great news: there are still eight types in there! (If you don’t believe me: mozzarella, sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack, feta, parmesan, and cream cheese!)

Our produce bins were overflowing, so some of our salad greens have to reside on the bottom shelf.

Aldi uses insanely large UPC symbols to help their checkout process be speedier

Lovely citrus!

I took a cue from Kristin and put some fruit in a glass bowl.  Don’t these grapes look so much more appetizing than left in their bag and stuffed in a drawer?  We’ve been snacking on them!

In addition to tackling the fridge, I also organized a drawer, cleaned out underneath the sink (another post in itself), organized our baker’s rack, degreased the hood and stovetop, cleaned out the microwave, wiped down countertops, swept the floor, wiped up spots on the floor, and organized a cupboard.  I still have a few more things I’d like to do in there, but it sure feels more fresh and clean! It makes me want to spend time in there, which is always nice when you’re trying to feed your family.

I got a few new kitchen “accessories” yesterday… again, those deets will have to wait for another post!  You’re gonna love them, though!

Let me know if this post inspires you to clean out your own fridge!