12 Tips to Stay Clean While Cooking

Keeping your kitchen clean while cooking allows you to work more efficiently and transforms your cooking style. A clean workspace will improve safety in the kitchen and improve your ability to enjoy the process.

And when you’re finished eating, you’ll thank yourself for not having to do any cleanup. Here are a few more valuable hints for keeping your kitchen clean while you’re cooking at home!

Start Fresh and Clean

Keeping your kitchen clean will be way more comfortable if your space is already tidy, to begin with, and you’ll have more room to spread out if you need it. It will be great if you start with a clean sink, an empty dishwasher, and a clean countertop because if these things are not done, there is a Mount Dishmore to deal with at the end of your cooking.

Have a Garbage Bowl

You make a mess when you cook, not only with your pots and pans but also with the items you’re using. So, as a suggestion, always keep a bowl next to you on the counter. That way, anything you throw out, trim, or peel is all in one place. You can take one dish and pour everything into the trash, and you’re through! It also frees up room on your cutting board while you’re preparing your meal.

Prepare Ingredients Ahead of Time

You’ll reduce the mess caused by a hurried rush to measure or prep if you cut, measure, and portion out what you want ahead of time. Set out a few small bowls or plates (that can be readily washed) to contain all of your ingredients as you go.

Return and restore order

It’s great to set out all of your ingredients before you begin, but make sure to put them away as you go. That way, if the mess piles up while you prepare, it’s at least balanced by the lesser number of ingredients required.

Avoid Cross-contamination

It would be best if you purposed to set out the right cutting boards and utensils to keep meat and vegetables separate. It would help if you kept clean cloths and paper towels handy not to have to touch the roll. Also, consider using disposable gloves when handling raw meat or doing hands-on work like preparing meatballs, patties, or chicken with marinade.

Clean Up Spills Immediately

Trust us on this: A new spill is approximately a million times easier to clean than one that has baked onto the surface so wipe up spills on the floor, stovetop, counter, or backsplash.

Prepare a Utensil Soak

A soak is ideal for utensils used several times during the cooking process. Fill a sink or a large bowl halfway with hot water and a couple of pumps of dish soap. When you’re finished with a utensil—a whisk, tongs, or a slotted spoon—dump it into the utensil soak, and let it float about. If you need it again, all you have to do is give it a short rinse.

When you have some downtime, such as while onions are sautéing and another prep is nearly finished, you can refill the sink with clean water and soap and give these a final quick rinse and dry.

Make a Spoon Jar

Instead of using a spoon rest, fill a glass or jar halfway with warm water and use it to store your tasting and to stir spoons temporarily. It takes up less counter space and can be hidden under a counter because it’s vertical.

Invest in a Good Splatter Screen

Splatter Screens make a massive difference in oil splatter around the stovetop, backsplash, and even kitchen exhaust filters. They’re cheap and easy to keep, and you only need to use them while anything is cooking on high heat and splattering fat and oil all over the place. Place it on top of your frying pan and lift it when you need to stir or check your meal.

Wash As You Go

When you use a knife, make sure to clean it. When you use a measuring cup, make sure you clean it afterward (or at least stick it in the dishwasher). Have a spray bottle of my all-purpose cleaner on hand to save water and give anything that needs cleaning a quick spritz, a scrape with a sponge or cloth, and a rinse and dry.

It takes less time to clean up after cooking and puts less strain on the dishwasher because you’re just putting clean items away instead of washing them.

Clean While You Wait

You have a few minutes waiting for the pasta to cook, potatoes to bake, or a sauce to reduce. Wipe down the counters, load the dishwasher, and dry anything that has been hand washed.

Soak While You Wait

It would help if you had a decently clean kitchen when it’s time to sit down and enjoy your meal. However, gently nudge everything to make it easier to clean later for the cleanup that remains. While you’re eating, remove the food from the cooking pots and soak them in hot water and dish soap. If there’s anything stubborn to get rid of, use baking soda.

Discipline is key to mastering C.A.Y.G.O., which stands for Clean As You Go. This may be difficult for some to master at first. Still, repetition will become second nature, and cleaning behind oneself as part of the process will become natural and easy.

In truth, cleaning the kitchen while you cook not only frees up space in which to work but also allows your mind to concentrate better on each task. It’s comparable to how working in a clean office space makes you more productive than working in a messy one; a chaotic workplace environment equals a cluttered mind.