Ten No-Fuss Shortcuts for Keeping Your Kitchen Clean

We all know that it is more fun to cook than to clean. Here are a few tips that can easily be incorporated into your clean up routine to allow more time for cooking while spending less time on cleaning.

1. Reuse a plastic produce bag from the grocery store to collect vegetable peels, discarded packaging, trimmed fat, and other kitchen waste. Throw the whole bag away at once so you don’t have to make multiple trips to the trash. You can also use a garbage bowl like Rachael Ray does on her shows, but that is just one more bowl to wash. I prefer reusing the bags that would otherwise be thrown away.

2. When washing your dishes, add a tablespoon or two of distilled vinegar to the dishwater. Vinegar cuts through grease easier than soap alone, eliminates odors, and helps your dishes dry streak-free.

3. Soak food-crusted pans in soapy water while you eat. You can also add a few drops of vinegar to the water. The crusted food will become softer and clean up will be much easier once you finally get around to doing the dishes.

4. Use a sandwich bag when greasing a dish or handling a sticky food such as rice krispy treats. Throw the baggie in you trash bag. You’ll be able to move onto the next task without pausing to wash your hands.

5. Throw discarded citrus peels in the garbage disposal before running it. The peels will naturally clean the disposal and help keep it smelling fresh.

6. Line cookie sheets or broiler pans with aluminum foil before baking. When you are finished cooking, throw the foil away and wipe down the pan. No scrubbing required!

7. Rather than using a variety of cleaners, keep a spray bottle filled with all purpose cleaner or a mixture of distilled vinegar and water in an easily accessible location. Keep anti-bacterial kitchen wipes handy for between meal clean ups.

8. Before cleaning the microwave, bring a cup of water to boil in it. The moisture from the steam will help loosen dried particles on the sides, making them easier to wipe away.

9. While cooking, clean as you go. Just getting a few dishes washed or put into the dishwasher between cooking tasks will significantly cut down on the cleaning time later.

10. Putting ingredients away as you go will cut down on clutter and clean up time at the end of the meal.