Self-taught baker, food photographer and cookbook author Alix Carey aka @mykitchendrawer, chose Wren Kitchens to design her dream kitchen which is perfect for her baking passion. Opting for a traditional Shaker-style kitchen in Alchemy and Shadow matt with a handy warming drawer to prove bakes and easy-to-clean Xena Quartz worktops, Alix has created a beautiful bespoke space to prepare all of her tasty bakes.
With longer days and lighter nights, Alix believes there is no better time to have a thorough clean of your kitchen. She has revealed her top tips to get your kitchen clean and refreshed for the spring season.
Alix’s Spring Cleaning Top Tips:
Deep-clean Your Oven
The oven is often one of the most-used appliances in the kitchen, so it deserves a little bit of TLC.
But the last thing we want to be doing is scrubbing away for hours, so we’d advise investing in a self-cleaning oven like Alix’s.
They’re rising in popularity and are affordable for all budgets, so we can see why they are appearing in households across the country as they make life so much easier!
The pyrolytic technology means with the click of a button, it burns away any grease and dirt, leaving a fine ash to simply wipe away.
Wren Kitchens has a vast array of self-cleaning ovens to suit all pockets – including the Bosch Serie 4 Pyrolytic Single Oven, Neff Slide & Hide Pyrolytic Oven and AEG Multifunction Pyrolytic Oven – so you can finally ditch all those oven cleaning products!
Organisation is Key
The spring-cleaning season is an excuse to have a real blitz, especially when it comes to organising your kitchen cupboards.
If you’re fed up with struggling to find your ingredients or flour has spilt all over your cupboards, now is the time to store all your dry ingredients in glass jars as they create a uniform look.
For a great space-saving solution, choose containers that stack well so you can vertically place your clear jars on top of each other – however, if you choose to do so, it is sensible to use shatterproof or plastic clear jars so you can keep your kitchen safe.
Alix advises airtight containers that seal properly to preserve pantry food and stop pesky bugs such as flour mites.
There are plenty of options available on the market, from large clear jars with natural bamboo lids that are perfect for storing flour and sugar to mini glass bottles with cork stoppers for herbs and spices.
Alix uses an embossed label maker too, as not only does it offer a retro look, but it’s also easier on the eye, so you can find your ingredients super quick.
Your kitchen cupboards will be organised like a pro in no time!
Make Your Worktop Sparkle and Shine
Hardwearing, low-maintenance and hygienic worktops are ideals for busy kitchens, and that’s why Alix has chosen quartz.
The natural properties of quartz offer a cold non-stick surface, so it makes it easier for keen cooks to prepare different bakes such as rolling out pastry or kneading dough. It’s also super hygienic as its non-porous properties inhibit the growth of bacteria and stop the transfer onto foods and objects.
To make her stunning Xena Quartz Treviso worktop sparkle and shine, Alix uses a simple mix of warm soapy water and a microfibre cloth. She also advises to keep on top of cleaning your worktops whilst you’re baking or cooking so you don’t need to have a big clean up session afterwards. Plus, most importantly, it ensures a hygienic and clean work surface at all times!
Take Time to Declutter
There’s no better time to go through your kitchen cupboards and check your (baking) ingredients are all in date.
One by one check the sell-by dates of items that you use in small amounts such as spices and sauces as well as baking ingredients like sprinkles, dried yeast and syrups. This way, you can make a list of what you need to refresh and reduce food waste too by seeing what needs using.
Also, remember the one-year rule on your cooking utensils and gadgets – if you haven’t used it, donate or recycle it.
Enjoy a refreshed, organised kitchen this Spring!
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