10 Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Clean and Organised While Cooking
Keep your kitchen clean and organised
If you love to cook, then staying organised or clean while you do, can seem like a distant reality. But it is not totally impossible to be on top of your game in the kitchen when it comes to the cleaning department. There are a few tips that you can use to ensure that you don’t create too much of a mess by the time you’re done with your meals. Some of these things will be discussed to keep your kitchen clean and in the best shape.
Make Provisions for Cleaning While You Work
If you want to complete cooking your meals with less mess, then you’ll have to be prepared to do that. This means creating a workspace that makes it easier to get things cleaned.
One way to do that is to prepare a bowl of soapy water on the counter or close to you, where you can easily wash utensils and then store them away. You can make sure your dishwasher is empty before you start cooking.
These tips allow you to keep dirty dishes in one place instead of scattered all over space and getting in your way. As well, you can keep a spray bottle with soapy water available so that you can quickly clean up spots and splatters.
Use a Splatter Screen in the Kitchen
Especially if you’re preparing soups or stews, you’re bound to have a few splatters here and there – or a lot. Save yourself the trouble of dealing with all that with a splatter screen or guard. There are different types for the various utensil shapes and sizes, and you can choose any style depending on your need. Splatter screens can really help to keep the kitchen clean. You can also use a Keen Clean – Cleaning Service to help keep on top of things.
Keep a Garbage Bowl Close
One thing that is likely to happen is the waste from your ingredients getting everywhere while you cook. One way to prevent this is to put something on the counter to gather all those things.
You can keep a bowl or rubber close to you so that anything that’s trash goes right in. Once you’re done with everything, all you’ll have to do is pick it up and throw it away. You’re saved several walks to and from the bin, saving you more time to pay attention to your meals.
Remove the Bin From the Cupboard
An alternative to using a garbage bowl on your counter while you cook is to use the bin. That means setting it up close to you so that for things like boxes and cans, it’ll be easier to get out of the way.
While you’re at it, be sure to line the container, so that emptying it won’t take too much time or effort. It’s an efficient way to work and leaves you with minimal mess.
Pick Things up and Clean Spills Immediately
While you’re cooking, things might slip and fall along the way, and spillage is also possible. Now imagine what you’d have to deal with if you leave all the mess until the time you’re done.
So, avoid creating more work for yourself after cooking when you’re already tired. Do that by picking up after yourself immediately things slip and fall. It will also help you decrease the likelihood of pests getting into your kitchen.
This might already happen, and you have companies like Stewarts pest control to help you take care of the problem. But don’t make it worse by leaving food particles or spills for them to find.
Line Your Utensils
One of the annoying things that can happen is getting your carrots or onions everywhere when it’s time to transfer into another bowl. Another is having some food stuck to the bottom of your pan such that you’d have to scrub very hard to get it off.
One way to avoid this is to line your chopping board or pans. When it’s time to transfer, all you’ll need to do is lift the lining. Now, you can get all your ingredients into a bowl in one piece, and none of it goes to waste.
You can use a flexible cutting mat or parchment paper to do that, and you’ll notice how much cleaner you’ll become.
Prep Before You Cook
You’ve probably heard about meal preps and how it makes cooking easier and helps to keep track of what you’re eating. But do you know how it helps keep you cleaner and more organised? Well, preparing before you cook gives you a clear picture of what you’re doing.
You have everything laid out in front of you, so you know where to find everything. Prepping the ingredients also allows you to deal with the more messy aspects of cooking beforehand. This prevents you from being clumsy and makes you cleaner and more organised.
Put Things Back Immediately
Just like how cleaning messes up immediately helps to keep the kitchen cleaner while you work, so does putting things back. It will help to keep a clean and more organised workspace while you cook. So once you’re done with spice or milk, put them back on the shelves or in the fridge. That way, you can get them out of the way and give you more space to work with.
Take Your Time
You’re more likely to be messy when you’re in a hurry. So, take your time to make sure you keep your kitchen clean . Try your best to focus on one thing at a time, while avoiding burns. Try to use the step by step method of cooking so that you’re not frustrated or disheveled. Be deliberate about measurements to avoid spilling as well.
Start Clean
When you start cooking with a clean slate, seeing it become messy might be more challenging. So make sure that your workspace is clean and ready so that it makes it easier to stay clean while you go along. Starting fresh will serve as motivation to keep the mess as minimal as possible.
Even if you have your dream kitchen, you’ll have to do the work to keep it that way. One way to do that is to keep the area as clean as you can, and these tips can help you do that while cooking.
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Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in Preschool and Kindergarten teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and is passionate about kids crafts and having fun as a family. Angela has also taught cooking skills and loves to share both family recipes and easy crafts here on The Inspiration Edit. Follow her on Pinterest!