How to style and clean kitchen countertops in any home. Whether your kitchen is big or small, here are 5 stylish and functional countertop displays and tips for cleaning a variety of countertop surfaces! Thank you, Tub O' Towels for sponsoring this post.
Welcome to my kitchen! This is the 5th home that we've lived in, and each home has been unique when it comes to storage and styling. I enjoy trying new things to figure out what works best for our space. We've also had a mixture of different countertop surfaces. In this house we have granite and stainless steel. Keeping them clean and sealed is super easy and I'll show you how I do it.
When it comes to styling countertops I like having a few different work stations; areas that eliminate how many times I need to open the cupboards or pantry while I'm working in my kitchen.
These stations are stylish and totally FUNCTIONAL. By grouping items together into stations (instead of lining them up across the countertops) you save valuable work space!
My pantry isn't very big so I've had to get creative with the places that I store some of my small appliances. I love my baking station and will share more details about it in just a sec so keep on reading!
How you style your kitchen countertops all depends on cupboard space, pantry space, and kitchen layout. Our first home was a duplex on a military base and the layout was kind of crazy! The kitchen was super long with most of the cupboard space being far, far away from the appliances and countertops. The countertops were also too small to keep anything on so I did a lot of walking. I was grateful though for an entire wall of cupboards for storage so it all worked out!
How to Style and Clean Kitchen Countertops: 5 Simple Work Stations
1: Kitchen Countertop Cooking Station
Everything I need while cooking over my stove is right here. I have oil, salt, and a variety of utensils all within an arm's reach. The wooden tray (from Target) is a great way to keep everything tidy and grouped together.
Sources
- Tray: Target
- Utensil Storage: Home Goods
- Salt Container: Target
- Faux Plant and Pot: Ikea
- Oil Dispenser: Home Goods
Tip: Baskets, trays, and cutting boards are a great way to gather similar items. Use what you already have!
2: Kitchen Countertop Beverage Station
Normally we keep our k-cup dispenser on the counter, but my 2 year old recently figured out how to use it so it is now in the pantry. We don't drink coffee, but we love our hot cocoa and apple cider in the mornings. In the summer I store these items away, but it is still cool enough for a warm cup of cocoa. I keep our hot cocoa packets in a glass canister and the k-cups in a basket in the cupboard above the beverage station.
3. Kitchen Countertop Baking Station
I toyed with the idea of floating shelves on this wall, but ultimately needed a place to store my Kitchenaid AND my husband's popcorn popper. It is so tall and won't fit in the pantry or on a countertop. This stainless steel work table doubles as extra countertop space and is a great place to keep my baking canisters. It is next to our island so that becomes my main workspace for baking. Above it I've hung measuring cups, my apron, and a shelf with cookbooks.
Tip: If you need more workspace see what you find around the house. A rolling cart, sofa table, or desk can fit on an empty wall! We used a sofa table in our kitchen for years at our last house.
4. Kitchen Countertop Toaster Station
A toaster station might not be something that every home needs, but my kids have toast, English muffins, or bagels for breakfast almost every day. So this is a great place to slice and butter bread and bagels and keep crumbs in one place.
Tip: store bread in a bread box near the toaster. We keep ours in a drawer just below the toaster.
5. Kitchen Countertop Cleaning Station
After all of the cooking, baking, cocoa sipping, and toasting, there is bound to be a nice collection of dishes that need cleaning. I keep everything that I need to rinse dishes on this ceramic tray. The dish soap doubles as hand soap so I only need one bottle. Sometimes I keep a bottle of all purpose spray on the tray as well, but usually prefer to have a pot of flowers or a plant instead.
Tip: A cake stand also makes a great kitchen sink caddy when not in use and when it's on the counter it isn't taking up cupboard space!
How to Style and Clean Kitchen Countertops: 2 Products that Will Clean Most Surfaces!
I love Tub O'Towel Heavy Duty Cleaning Wipes and keep them in my craft closet for spills and drips. Now they've launched two new varieties for the kitchen: Tub O' Towels Granite & Marble Wipes and Tub O' Towels Stainless Steel Wipes.
1: Cleaning Natural Stone Surfaces and Non-Porous Hard Surface Counters
My kitchen countertops are granite. I love that these wipes not only clean the countertops, but also polishes and seals the stone. Up to this point I've been using two separate products.
Even though the name says "Granite & Marble Wipes" they are safe to use on so many other surfaces, too. This one container of wipes is safe to use on quartz, travertine, limestone, onyx, Corian, Formica, siltstone, laminate, porcelain, tile, ceramic, fiberglass, and non-porous hard surface counters.
The wipes are nice and large and easily removes surface grease, soil, stains, and water marks.
2: Cleaning Stainless Steel Surfaces
My work table is stainless steel as well as most of the appliances in my kitchen. I love the look of stainless steel----WHEN IT'S CLEAN, ha!
(BEFORE)
It's a struggle to keep stainless steel looking nice with 5 kids, but the Tub O' Towels Stainless Steel Wipes are awesome and the oil based formula resists fingerprints.
Because the formula is oil-based, the wipe may feel dry compared to a water-based type of cleaning wipe. That's ok, it's supposed to feel that way!
(AFTER)
These wipes are great for removing fingerprints, watermarks, greasy stains (like popcorn oil!), and soil and leaves a streak-free shine. Feel free to use these on your refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, microwave and more!
A few more posts you may enjoy:
Toddler Walk-In Closet Bedroom
Peel and Stick Subway Tile Backsplash
Kitchen Remodel Vancouver says
Love the suggestions for both decor and upkeep—they make it easy to keep countertops looking great. Thanks for sharing these helpful insights and making countertop care a breeze!
Charlene says
Where did you get the coffee mug holder?
Brandy says
Hi! I found it at Walmart a few years ago.
GAIL H says
Do you have a link to your cup holder? I love it!
Brandy says
Hi Gail! Thanks! I looked, but didn’t see it online. I found it at Walmart a few years ago.
Jessica Ricks says
I’m glad I came across your post. I loved your ideas! I will definitely be trying the wipes! Thank you for your positive uplifting post. I like you anc I don’t even know you :).
Dee says
Love the cooking utensils on that round wooden tray...what’s the measurement across, 12 or 15”?
Brandy says
Hi! It's a 15" tray. 🙂
Alicia says
Hi! Do you happen to have a link where you got those utensil holders? I’m trying to closely replicate your look and I love those!!
Thanks!
Brandy says
Hi Alicia! Thank you! I bought both of them at Home Goods. I'd definitely check there or Marshalls!
Becky says
Do you have a link for the tray from target? Thank you
Brandy says
I sure do! Here you go! https://www.target.com/p/acacia-serving-tray-project-62-8482/-/A-52398873
Margie says
I love all of your idea and solutions for almost anything..you are the woman version of the "Jack of all trades"...lol....I love your get it done happily attitude. It's hard to find that in this day and age! Thank you for all the sunshine you spread.
Brandy says
Thank you Margie! That is so sweet. My friend told me that I was the "whole package" the other day and I said, nope! I just know how to do a lot of things...a little bit. I'm not an expert in anything, but I still like to try and share what I've learned, haha!
Maureen Cory says
Brandy,
What is the appliance next to you Kitchen Aid? Your kitchen looks great and very efficiently functional. Nothing makes me happier than a clean and organized house.
Maureen
Brandy says
Thank you Maureen, and same here! I love cooking and baking in an organized kitchen! The large metal appliance next to my kitchenaid is actually a snow cone machine. It looks like a meat slicer, haha! Another one of my husband's appliances (the popcorn popper is the other) that takes up too much space in my pantry.
Rhonda says
Struggling to keep my refrigerator looking nice. Thanks for the information on the wipes. Anxious to try them!
Stainless steel is the worst!!!
Brandy says
It really is! You wouldn't think that fingerprints would show up so much, but they totally do!
Alison says
Wipes are terrible for the environment. No one should be using them. We desperately need to move away from single use products and find more sustainable solutions. A washable cloth that you can re-use would be a great start.
Holly Romo says
I agree about wipes. I don't use them. But, honestly, why post that comment? It's obnoxious and rude to lecture other adult, especially ones you don't know.
Joanie says
and then you can use water and soap, electricity and time (which is valuable too), to clean those washable cloths, possibly stain removers too. If you want to stop using single use products then go ahead, thats your decision...let others make their own decisions...and I agree with Holly, obnoxious and rude comments from you