It said:
65% of Americans spend more time cleaning the kitchen than any other room of the house.
I know that is true for me! I feel the time I spend cleaning in the kitchen would be equal to the time I spend cleaning the rest of the house!
One thing I have been doing recently is tackling small spaces one at a time (I posted about my freezer, and under the kitchen sink--I have also cleaned out several drawers in the kitchen since then). I have discovered that cleaning this way takes only a little time, and it feels great to have an area sparkling clean in just a few minutes!
What are some "tips and tricks" you utilize to keep your cleaning time down in the kitchen?
14 comments:
I try and clean as I go. While cooking, I will load the dishwasher, use & put ingredients back as they are used. Wipe the counters when I am done with one, etc. It really does save time that way!
My best kitchen cleaning tip is put it away right after you finish using it. With many recipes, I used to just let all ingredients sit until after I had assembled my dish. Not anymore! I get out one at a time and I put away one at a time. Makes it less daunting to clean up after you mess up! LOL
Clean dishes as I go, while things are cooking I'm cleaning up all my prep stuff...sweep once everyday (then you don't have to mop much!)teach everyone in the house to PUT IT BACK IN ITS PLACE as soon as they are done...
Then I only have to do the big jobs like mopping, wiping down canisters, etc once a month or so.
Like Lindsey, clean the dishes and utensils as I cook....it makes clean up so much nicer.
Oh and the first thing I do before starting any meal is fill up the sink with hot, soapy dishwater. (o:
I get my kids to do it....Hahaha. I'm kidding!!!!
We use the "clean as you go" rule. For instance....if you're going to make a sandwich, make sure that before exiting the kitchen or taking that first bite, you put away everything used to make the sandwich. When you are through eating, clear your place at the table by placing your plate in the dishwasher and wiping down your spot at the table. It's really important to teach this to children because if you don't, you really do spend all day cleaning the kitchen. Plus, it creates a good habit within them and makes it easier for yourself when clean as you go. Honestly though, if you do have older children that can clean, a daily chore list is WONDERFUL! Let them alternate jobs so they don't get tired of doing the same things. But the kitchen and laundry are the two things that NEVER get finished.
Set fire to it. Lol. You think I jest but I am so forgetful I have set fire to various things fairly often. Oh dear, if my insurance company reads this...
I try to clean up straight away and have a bowl of hot water ready after our evening meal for clearing up. That keeps the 'big clean' time to a minimum. The biggest failing I have is my oven. I leave it too long and then spend up to an hour scrubbing.
Blessings :o)
Hi Tammy,
I guess my best rule is to clean as I go, and if I spill something, it gets spray cleaned right away. I don't wait for the kitchen to become a tornado before doing a major clean up. I also go by the rule, you use it, you put it back. A place for everything, and everything in its place. Works for me!
I like happymama's tip...get the kids to do it. hehee. I clean as I go, make sure the dishwasher is unloaded before I start or at least fill up the sink with hot soapy water. I wasn't always like this though. I used to dirty every dish and every bit of counter space while making dinner, early on in my marriage but hubby taught me the right way to do it! LOL
Kelli
I do use the "let the kids do it" tip LOL each of my kids have had the kitchen as a chore....however while cooking I keep all my trash in a bowl or meat tray(the styrofoam ones the meat comes on)like the ends of a carrot I chopped or the skin of an onion....wrapper for a container etc...
right now my youngest(14) is in charge of kitchen however, our older daughter is in charge of cooking(17) so it is NOT fair if the 17yr old cooks & leaves her mess for the 14yr old to clean LOL!
Yes I do cook & clean the kitchen however, in order for my children to learn how to do these jobs in their own home I have always assigned complete chores to each of them...yes my sons can cook & clean the kitchen just as well as my girls.
Of course, on occasion I have to follow up behind them & clean up or correct a cooking dissaster....but, this lets them learn their mistakes now instead of at the dinner table with their spouse! LOL
I totally agree with this statistic. I spend way too much time in the kitchen cleaning up.
Okay so my tip....
Don't Clean *Ü*
Clean as you go, yep that has to be the best tip. My kids also help out in there.
For me, I thing a good tip, is keep the kids out of the kitchen when it's not meal time. *Ü*
Several others mention this as well, but I try to put things away as I go - then the mess doesn't seem so overwhelming! I also like to tackle smaller bits at a time like you mention because then I am energized by the clean space! :)
I usually wash/clean while something is in the oven or on the stove cooking. I don't have an automatic dish washer, so I try very hard to have everything in the kitchen clean before I go to bed. (I am inspired by FlyLady's site.) My family isn't very excited if they have to use serving spoons, baby spoons, or even measuring teaspoons for their cereal in the morning! Ha! :oD
I enjoyed reading everyone's tips! It certainly makes less work to clean up as you go!
I have neither dishwasher or children, so I get to do all the "dirty work" myself! (My husband helps me by drying dishes though!).
The kitchen is the hub of our home, and I know that I spend hours in it each day. The only thing I can add to what has already been said is to NEVER! go to bed with a messy kitchen! I make sure my sink is shiny and my counters are clutter-free and clean when I turn in at night.
Blessings,
Mrs. C
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