Quick Kitchen Cleaning & Organizing Tips

I LOVE cooking, but I HATE cleaning. Here are a few tips to make YOUR kitchen cleanup and organizing a breeze so you can get on with enjoying life!

COUNTERTOP DOUGH DISASTER. I love to bake – bread, biscuits, scones, cookies - but when I roll out and cut my dough on the countertop, the dough cleanup is always a hassle; wiping, scraping, wiping again. Then I tried a cleanup method that’s a snap! Clean your countertop before you start your baking project. While the countertop is still damp, place some wax paper or aluminum foil on the countertop and smooth it down. The moist countertop creates a non-slip bond with the wax paper or foil that you can use as a barrier. Now just spread your flour on the wax paper or foil, then roll out and cut your dough. After you’re done, just pull the wax paper or foil off your countertop, fold it up with the flour and scraps and throw it away. Voila! No scrubbing stuck-on dough off your countertop – just a quick wipe with a washcloth or disinfectant wipe to clean up the flour spillover and you’re done!

GREASY, GRIMY REFRIGERATOR TOP. Don’t you hate it when you get on the step ladder to pull something from that cabinet above the refrigerator and you’re greeted with a greasy, grimy refrigerator top? Me too! And that mess is time-consuming to clean! Next time you’re up there amongst the clouds, clean off that refrigerator top . . . then throw a bathroom or kitchen towel up there to cover the top. The dust and grease will land on the towel, then all you need to do is throw it in the laundry and put up a fresh towel. One and done!

CRISPER DRAWER DRAG. You just got home from buying groceries and as you open the crisper drawer to stow some carrots, you’re faced with a slimy bag of goo that has leaked all over the inside of the drawer. Yes, throw that science project away and wash out the drawer . . . but wait! Before putting those carrots in, add a couple of layers of paper towel to the bottom of the drawer. The paper will help absorb any future messes, then you can just throw them away, do a quick wipe of the drawer, put in fresh paper towels, and the drawer’s ready for your fresh produce!

MESSY MICROWAVE. You know those days when you open your microwave to heat up some water for your tea and you cringe at the sight of splattered fool all over the inside? Instead of scrubbing, just stick that cup of water into the microwave and set it for 2-3 minutes. After the timer goes off, let the cup sit in there for another 5 minutes. The steam from the water softens the baked-on mess and allows you to just wipe it away with a soapy cloth or disinfectant wipes. What a time saver!

CROWDED CUPBOARDS. I cook a lot, so I have cupboards full of herbs, spices, sugars, flours, salts, and peppers - you get the idea. The thing is when I wanted to bake, I’d have to dig through all my spices and herbs just to find the items I used mainly for baking. Recently I moved into a new house and decided to separate my baking supplies from my regular cooking supplies, so I moved the sugars, flours, baking powders, cocoas, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cake decorating supplies, etc. to a separate cupboard. Now when I want to bake, I know exactly where to find all my baking supplies and don’t have to waste time hunting for the cinnamon!

DARK KITCHEN WORKSPACE. My kitchen workspace was dark, and I needed under cabinet lighting, but I rent, so I didn’t want to go to all the trouble of a hard-wired installation since I wouldn’t be able to take it when I move. I discovered some ingenious under cabinet fluorescent lights that I put up with velcro tape, daisy-chained together, and plugged into the wall. I'll be able to take these with me when I move, but the best part about these lights is that I don’t have to touch a switch to turn them on! These lights have motion sensors, so all I need to do is wave my dough-covered hands near the sensor and the light comes on. Another wave and the light goes off! One less thing to clean or disinfect!

The next time you’re in the kitchen, think about how you can make your cooking and cleanup easier and faster!