How to Save Time by Cleaning as You Cook

Are you tired of that feeling of exhaustion you get whenever you cook food for your family, when you finish the meal only to realize that you still have another half hour of cleaning to do?  Making food for your loved ones can be enjoyable, but by the time the meal is done, you’re tired and ready to relax.  By cleaning as you go, you can keep up with the cleaning so you can enjoy your food without the thought of a big clean-up weighing on your shoulders.

It’s important to start with a clean kitchen.  Keep your food and food prep items put away whenever they aren’t in use.  Keep waste containers nearby as well so that you can easily toss out trash when opening food items, peeling vegetables, or cleaning out the fridge.  While you are cooking, wash everything as you go, cleaning any prep dishes, tossing any trash, and cleaning up any spills or leaks as they happen.

It also helps hugely if you keep your kitchen in order, so that everything has a place and you’re not digging through piles of mismatched pans each time you open a cupboard.  If you haven’t bought new saucepans or tupperwear in a while, take a long, hard look at the items you use the most every day, and decide whether they are worn out enough to justify replacing them.  Then make a trip to a good kitchenwear store.  Mismatched kitchenwear takes up twice the space of a complete set, as the items stack properly and don’t create clutter in your drawers and cupboards.

Also, do a kitchen spring clean every few months. Open each and every cupboard, and take out items that you don’t use often or indeed at all. Put these items in the garage in a clearly-marked box, or donate them to charity via a thrift store.  A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used it in a year, you never will.  (Seriously – when was the last time you made fondu with that huge pot you’ve been keeping in the dish cupboard?)

Once you master keeping your kitchen organized, and cleaning while you cook, your kitchen will look great and feel even better when every meal is complete.