No matter how much you enjoy cooking, the dread of cleaning a messy kitchen when the meal is over is enough to give anyone indigestion. Here are a few tips for ensuring a delightful dinner with much less cleanup at the end of the night.
1. Start with an empty dishwasherIf the dishwasher is empty when you begin, you can put dirty dishes inside as you go. This keeps the counters clear for you to cook with some elbow room.
2. Use a flexible cutting mat"I like to use a thin, flexible cutting mat on top of my cutting board," says Faith Durand of
The Kitchn. "When it's time to transfer the vegetables, I pick this up and bend it to funnel everything neatly into the pot."
3. Scraps bowlInstead of making repeated trips to the trash or compost can -- wasting time and risking dropping things on the floor -- just put a large bowl on the counter. Throw all of your scraps into the bowl, then when you're done, you only have to make one trip to the trash or compost. Easy!
4. Measure, spray, pour over the sinkIf it's messy, do it over the sink! Measure honey over the sink; spray cooking oil into a pan while holding it over the sink; pour milk over the sink. Any spills are simply washed down the drain!
5. Make use of down time"If you're waiting for pasta to cook or a sauce to reduce, you've got a few minutes," says Melissa Maker of Clean My Space. "This is your golden opportunity to wipe up counters, place items in the dishwasher, or dry anything that's been hand washed."
6. Soak cooking dishes while you eatWhen you're finished cooking the meal, transfer the food to serving dishes and put the pots and pans into the sink to soak while you eat. They will be much easier to clean later.
Incorporating these simple tips into your cooking routine will make for a much more pleasant post-dinner cleanup.
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