The kitchen gets busy fast once holiday cooking starts. Before you know it, every bit of counter space is being used, the sink has dishes in it and you are moving things around just to find somewhere to set down a hot pan.
That is why it helps to get the kitchen in decent shape before cooking day. Get the stuff you are not using off the counters and deal with anything that has been sitting around from earlier in the week. You are not trying to make the kitchen perfect. You just want enough room to cook without everything being in your way. It just needs to be easier to work in.
Start by Clearing Some Space
Counter space disappears pretty fast when you are cooking a big meal.
Before you get started, move the stuff you do not need. Mail, grocery bags, small appliances you are not using and all those random things that somehow end up sitting on the kitchen counter can go somewhere else for now.
Give the counters a wipe once they are clear.
And try to start with an empty sink. Once cooking gets going, there will be plenty of dishes coming. Starting with yesterday’s plates already sitting there just makes everything feel crowded before you have even started.
Make Some Room in the Fridge
Take a look in the fridge before you go shopping for holiday groceries.
There is probably something in the back that nobody is going to eat. Get rid of old leftovers, empty containers and anything else taking up space for no reason.
While you are in there, wipe up the spills you can see. No need to pull every shelf out unless the fridge really needs it.
The main thing is making room. Holiday food takes up more space than you think, and then after dinner you have to find somewhere to put all the leftovers too.
Leaving yourself an empty shelf or even part of one can make a big difference later.
Pull Out the Stuff You Only Use for the Holidays
There is always a pan, platter or kitchen tool that stays hidden in a cabinet most of the year.
Do not wait until you are already cooking to go looking for it.
Pull out the things you know you will need and give them a wash if they have been sitting around for a while.
While you are at it, check that you have:
– Clean dish towels and oven mitts
– Cutting boards and the knives you normally use
– Baking sheets, roasting pans and serving dishes
– Containers for leftovers
– Foil, parchment paper or other cooking supplies you might need
It is much better to find out you are out of foil now than when dinner is already in the oven.
Give the Stove a Clean Before It Gets Messy Again
Yes, the stove is probably going to get dirty again. That is pretty much guaranteed.
Still, starting with last week’s grease and food stuck around the burners is not helping anything.
Give the stovetop a good wipe and get the old mess out of the way. If the oven needs cleaning too, do that a few days before you plan on cooking and follow the cleaning directions for your oven.
Take a look around the stove while you are there. The backsplash and range hood can get greasy without you really noticing it.
You do not need everything spotless. You just want a clean place to start.
Hit the Spots Everybody Touches
Some parts of the kitchen get touched all day long and still somehow get forgotten during cleaning.
Think about the refrigerator handle. Then there are cabinet pulls, faucet handles, microwave buttons and light switches.
Give those a quick wipe while you are already cleaning.
Check the trash can too. If the lid is sticky or there is something spilled around the bottom, now is a good time to deal with it. Once you start peeling vegetables, opening packages and cooking all day, that trash can is going to fill up quickly.
Leave the Floor Until Later
Do not mop the kitchen first.
You are going to be moving things around, dropping crumbs and walking back and forth while you clean everything else. You will probably just end up doing the floor twice.
Finish the counters, stove, fridge and everything else first. Then sweep or vacuum whatever landed on the floor and mop when you are done.
Once cooking starts, just get spills when they happen. It is easier to wipe up one spill right away than find it later after everybody has walked through it.
Give Yourself a Clean Kitchen to Walk Into
The night before a big cooking day, try not to leave yourself another mess for the morning.
Run the dishwasher if it is full. Get the dishes out of the sink and take the trash out if it is already getting there.
Put away anything you are finished with and leave yourself some room on the counter.
It does not need to look perfect. You just want to be able to walk in the next morning, make some coffee and start cooking without having to clean for an hour first.
Let AmeriStar Maids Take Some of It Off Your List
The kitchen is only one room, and somehow the rest of the house always needs cleaning right around the same time.
If you already have shopping, cooking and people coming over to think about, AmeriStar Maids can take care of the house cleaning. We can get things cleaned up before the holiday so you are not trying to vacuum the living room while something is cooking in the oven.
You have enough going on in the kitchen. We can handle the rest.
Go over to the website: https://ameristarmaids.com
Make a call at: (570) 310 1057
Email us at: info@ameristarmaids.com