Washing in the bathtub, toasting bread as a main meal - how
to manage the mess when the kitchen is unusable
Have you decided to completely renew your kitchen?
Congratulations! Nothing is more exciting than the great moment when you can
finally marvel at the result. But until that happens, you still have a lot to
go through, because a kitchen renovation literally goes through body and
stomach. Both experts and homeowners, who have had dealings with kitchen
renovation, agree: the best way to get through this phase is to escape chaos
and settle elsewhere. And if this royal road is not possible? Then find out
what awaits you here and how you can best prepare for it.
The author of this article was inspired by the kitchen chaos
of her parents. This is how the kitchen of Joy and Dan Harris looked in the
summer of 2018.
That depends on you, it is chaotic, and it is loud. For
about a week, you will enter a more or less devastated kitchen - hoping to turn
on the coffee machine, only to realize that you are standing barefoot in the
rubble (that's okay and happens to everyone). You will most likely be annoyed
by delays and there will be unforeseen changes. Because you can not make a
reasonable breakfast, you may become addicted to prepackaged cookies from the
grocery store. You will be in the sink of your guest bathroomor do the dishes
in the bathtub. You will not be able to imagine that you ever want to eat in
the restaurant again. In addition, all this will be financially noticeable.
Be aware of the control. Because if you try to hold on to
old processes, your nerves will eventually go blank. Use the time for yoga or
meditate. Of course you need a quiet place - the perfect excuse to leave the
house. Look out for a suitable course or app, and then off to the park!
Before your home sinks into chaos, you should note the
following points:
1. Allow
plenty of time to clear out the kitchen, or hire relocation helpers if that's
too much trouble for you.
2. Consider
whether there is a possibility to refrigerate food for the time of conversion.
Maybe you still have an old fridge in the garage, where the beer is otherwise
stored, or there is a mini-fridge elsewhere in the house. If not, it is always
worthwhile to rent one or buy second hand. The important thing is that you
place it in a place where there is also a power connection.
3. Plan
takeaway meals and restaurant visits in the overall renovation budget.
4. Think
about it. Tell everyone that you want to eat a healthier diet from now on,
which requires, among other things, daily fresh food for dinner. Although some
time management is needed, but the advantage is that you stay away from the
construction site for longer.
5. Set up a
small transitional kitchen. If possible, build a makeshift mini-kitchen in
another room. What things do you need for your daily meals? Here are a few
suggestions: coffee maker, kettle, toaster or mini-oven, portable electric
grill, mini fridge. If you already have a small kitchen corner or a bar with
sink - luck! This is the perfect place for your transitional kitchen. For
everyone else, it's a bit more complicated. Theoretically, you can set up the
mini-kitchen anywhere in the house, the catch is just cleaning. So think in
advance in which room the chaos after cooking is easiest to eliminate. Our tip:
near the porch - with the help of a hose and bowl for washing dishes.
Make a meal plan
A meal plan during the conversion, especially of things that
you can bake and toast indoors or barbecue outside, as well as soups, cereals
and cold sandwiches. "High on the list are ready meals that you do not
have to cook big," says my father Dan Harris, who has successfully completed
the renovation of his kitchen.
After the meal: clean everything immediately
Put dishwashing liquid, brush and tea towel on the sink you
have chosen for dishwashing. The future trash can for food scraps should have a
lid so it does not start to stink and no vermin finds itself. Scrape the scraps
of food off the dishes into the trash can, wash and dry it, and return it to
the makeshift place.
You Make A List Of Things To Keep Out Of The Box Think carefully
about what you do not want to put in the boxes: once you've
packed the bags, you're guaranteed not to find anything again before the new
kitchen is ready and the boxes are all unpacked again. The following things are
recommended by people who have just finished a kitchen remodeling:
o barbecue utensils
o Meat
knife, bread knife, paring knife
o cutting
board
o two or
three serving plates
o Coffee,
tea, sugar or sweetener, a few coffee mugs and teacups
o Paper
plates and napkins
o enough
cutlery, glasses and dishes for all household members
o Dishwashing
liquid, brush, dishwashing bowl and tea towels
o Salt,
pepper and your favorite spices
o Aluminum
foil, cling film, one to two storage cans
o a few
serving spoons
o Can
opener, bottle opener, corkscrew
o beverage
cooler
o Animal
feed, feeding and drinking bowl
o Placemats
and tablecloth
o a large
tray to bring the food (wherever it was prepared) to the table (wherever it may
be)
Measuring cups and mixing bowls are not without reason in
our list of kitchen utensils that you should have ready. When preparing
pancakes or other meals for which you need these things, the subsequent
cleaning is quite elaborate: rinsing a dough bowl in the small sink of your
lovely en-suite bathroom is not so much fun.
On the subject of cardboard and plastic paper plates and
plastic cutlery are bad for the environment, expensive and will not last long.
For every household member, all you need is a plate, a bowl, a large cup, a
glass, a fork, a knife, a spoon, and a placemat, because you always have to do
the dishes right after eating. You really do not need more, because during your
kitchen renovation you probably will not invite anyone to dinner. (If you're a
fan of the Seinfeld series, you might remember the episode in which Kramer
admits he made the food in the shower ...)
Less is more
When it comes to packing, provide an extra box for mucked
things. Every single part will go through their hands anyway, and it's worth it
if you're wondering if you still need it. When did you last use the part? Did
it (as the clean-up advisor Marie Kondo would ask) inspire you? Where would it
be in the new kitchen? Can you imagine using it in the new kitchen? If you
answer these questions for yourself, you know if you really want to wrap it up
or give it to someone who really needs it.
Designate a space as a clean zone
In her biography "Under the Tuscan Sun," Frances
Mayes recommends for the renovation, "Choose a space that is yours
alone." A piece of advice that you should follow. Search for a room just
for yourself, so you survive this time unscathed. Tell the site manager clearly
that this room must neither be entered nor used for temporary storage of
building materials and other things. Ideally, rooms are suitable where nobody
sleeps and which are not directly next to or above the kitchen. The new kitchen
cabinets or the boxes with the new tiles are always stored in the nearest
rooms. And once there is a box in it, more will be added soon ...
Whether you're fetching food from the outside, tossing the
grill or becoming a steamer professional, you'll soon be tired of eating at the
side table or having a picnic on the living room floor. Some use their
sheltered terrace when the weather is nice, others eat at the gaming table or
at the folding table with a nice tablecloth on it. Wherever you take your
meals: Do not forget to remove the leftovers after eating.
Living without a kitchen has something in common with
camping, for example, cooking outdoors. So, if you've always wanted to be a
grill pro - the opportunity has never been so cheap. Get new grill recipes,
look for grill variations of well-known dishes, be inspired by experienced
grill professionals on the internet, and prepare grilled dishes that you did
not even suspect would work. Provide the necessary utensils and spices in your
transitional kitchen.
