Don’t Have Time to Clean Your Kitchen Windows? Do This One Thing Instead.
You’re not going to like this, but the air in your kitchen is full of gunk. “Anytime you’re cooking and the food creates steam or smoke, that can carry grease that will stick onto your backsplash, countertop, stovetop, and more,” says to Melissa Maker, star of the Clean My Space YouTube Channel and author of Clean My Space. “It’s sticky, it’s gross, and it’s hard to clean — and breathing that air isn’t great, either!”
These days, most new kitchens have a stovetop fan that vents outside, which is your best bet for minimizing the griminess. But if you live in an older home or just don’t remember to use the fan often enough, those particles can also collect on your windows. And then your window panes become a personal pain point every time you look at them.
Of course, you can tackle the windows with a natural degreaser, but for most of us, the only time we remember that we want to clean the windows is when we’re smack in the middle of trying to get dinner on the table. Instead of totally derailing yourself — or starting to fixate on a problem you just can’t address right that second — there’s one quick, easy thing you can do.
Open those windows! It may sound overly simple, but there are a few good things that’ll come from doing this.
1. It’ll give you a breath of fresh air.
Doing this gives you the chance to, literally, stop and take a breath of fresh air. Isn’t that relaxing? We won’t blame you if you take some time to close your eyes and do a few reps of deep breathing,
2. It’ll increase circulation.
That open window will also increase the circulation in the kitchen, so that even if you’re in the midst of cooking steamy, smoky foods, some of those particles have a chance to escape out the window or mix with the clean air coming in. There might even be a noticeable breeze that’ll cool you off while you work over a hot stove.
3. It’ll let in more light.
That buildup of gunk can create a thin film that’s enough to block some sunlight, making the kitchen seem darker and dingier. Open the window and those greasy panes get out of the way, letting in more light, which will instantly make your space seem brighter and cleaner.
Do this simple trick whenever you or your kitchen need a boost, and you’ll feel better right away. And eventually you can get to cleaning those windows for real.
Related: How To Wash a Window at Apartment Therapy
Do you open the windows in your kitchen? What do you like about it?