Washing dishes, cooking meals, and wiping down and sanitizing countertops and sinks are some of the never-ending chores you must deal with every single day. And what do they have in common, you may ask? Right. They’re all kitchen chores. 

The kitchen has just so much going on that sometimes you’re just tempted to ignore them and wait for the next day to clean up, right? Even just the sight of the things you need to do makes you tired already. But we’re telling you–you will regret blowing off your daily kitchen cleaning routine, even just for a day.

Instead of feeling refreshed when you wake up the next day, you’ll immediately feel dreadful upon seeing dirty dishes piled on top of each other. How uninviting are those greasy leftover pots from last night’s cookout session? If you’re getting squeamish about this, perhaps you’ll also react the same way if you ponder upon the last time you really “cleaned” your chopping board.

What about your oven–have you considered checking the insides? Or your stove region–are you sure that its black surface is entirely free of backsplashes? It might have been quite some time since you did that if you’re getting icky feels right now. 

Looking back at your kitchen experiences, you may now have realized why kitchen chores should be done religiously. Aside from being visually pleasing, a clean kitchen reflects that your home is safe and healthy. 

We’re with you if you say that doing kitchen chores are tedious and physically draining. It really is. However, we also need to remember that bacteria and germs can be found everywhere, especially in your kitchen, where you prepare meals and store food.

Since kitchen chores are a must, we have come up with ways to make these chores less of a chore. Why hassle when you can hustle through chores like a pro, right? Below is a compilation of tips and tricks for you to use to make kitchen chores easier.  

1. Clean as you go (CLAYGO)

You might have heard or seen these words in food chains, school cafeterias, and public places such as parks. It certainly helped maintain the cleanliness of said places. The idea is that, before leaving, you need to ensure that the place or the area you occupied is clean. 

Applying this concept in the kitchen might just be the answer to your cleaning problems. For our first tip, if you “clean as you go,” no dirt or mess will accumulate after you finish your work. It requires extra effort but trust us; this strategy will help you escape from doing a full cleanup afterward. 

Simply, cleaning as you go is about acknowledging and using little opportunities to do a few minutes of cleaning between meal preparation or while waiting for your food to cook, so you won’t be left with a messy workplace. 

Immediately clean up spills to avoid contamination with food and prevent accidents. Transfer used pots, pans, and other utensils that cannot be reused in the sink to clear your space. Wipe stove countertops after cooking to prevent gunk build-up. 

Here, the little things matter because they contribute to making your kitchen chores manageable. 

2. Keep your cleaning tools ready

This second tip goes hand in hand with CLAYGO. You can only follow through with wiping spills and avoiding excessive mess in your kitchen if you have your cleaning tools at the ready. Have your mops, brooms, dustpans, and rags nearby for easier access. 

However, keep several rags that are designated for their specific uses. You can have one on your countertop for spills, one hanging by the refrigerator door handle, or nearby your sink for hand wiping.  

3. Make Trash Cans Accessible

We’re sure you don’t want to go across the kitchen just to throw food packaging or vegetable peels in the trash; that’s why we present you with this third tip. In connection with the first two, it is important that you also keep your trash cans easily accessible. 

This will help make CLAYGO easier to achieve. Your kitchen will remain clean and in order even when, for example, you’re preparing for a family event where you have to cook a lot of food. 

4. Immediately soak dirty dishes

We’re sure you can relate to the struggles of dealing with food leftovers on your dishes, right? If left to dry, they become crusty and hard to remove. Not only does scraping them off make you sweaty, but it also might ruin the surface and the overall quality of your perfectly good dishes. 

To save yourself from this dilemma, you need to practice immediately soaking dirty dishes in warm soapy water to prevent food debris from drying out on the surface. That way, handwashing them or even running them in the dishwasher will be much easier. 

5. Clean Burnt Pots and Pans ASAP

Say you’re cooking dinner and receive an emergency call from a friend. While in the middle of your conversation, you can smell like something is burning. Then you remember leaving your pan on the stove 20 minutes ago. 

You immediately feel horrified by the situation–not only was your dinner burnt, but so was your pan! Well, we may not be able to salvage your dinner anymore, but we can still save your pan with the help of this fifth step. Don’t wait any longer to do so because letting the burnt-on food sit for some time will be more difficult to deal with. 

Removing burnt-on food from the surface is not that hard if you know the trick. If you’re cleaning just a moment after burning the food on the pan, you can just immediately soak the pan with hot water and clean it as usual. That can do. 

However, sometimes you might need a little more to clean it completely. You’ll need baking soda to do the process. 

Fill 2 or 3 inches of the pot with water, then add ¼ cup of baking soda. Simmer for 15 minutes. After doing so, turn off the heat and allow the water to cool down for 30 minutes. 

After which, wash the pan just like how you usually wash it. Do a gentle scrubbing on the areas with the burnt-on food still stuck. And that’s about it. Repeat the process if needed. But again, the chore becomes easier if you do the cleaning as soon as possible. 

6. Do chores before going to bed

Sometimes, you get easily overwhelmed by simply looking at your kitchen after a day of cooking meals for you or your family. There’s just so much to do. 

We’ll help you with the overwhelming feeling through this sixth tip. Before even thinking about going to bed and officially calling it a day, deal with some of your kitchen chores first to save yourself from stress upon waking up in the morning. 

First, load and run your dishwasher. Yes, it might sound exhausting, but since you have already pre-soaked the dishes earlier, you might just have to finish the whole task. You’ll be thankful that you won’t wake up with a sink loaded with dirty dishes from last night. 

Second, while your dishwasher is running, you can quickly handwash some of your remaining kitchenware that is not dishwasher friendly. 

Third, have one last wipe on your kitchen counters and sink to ensure they’re really clean. This is also the time when you disinfect those areas so you have a fresh and hygienic start the next day. 

Lastly, make quick swipes of the broom on your floor. You might save your home from attracting pests by getting the stuck peas that might have fallen from when you cooked earlier. 

See! When you have them listed and in order, it’s less stressful. By now, you’re not just going to sleep feeling fulfilled, having accomplished simple tasks in the kitchen. You’ll also be able to start your day right the next day. 

7. Make Kitchen Chores a Family Bonding Activity 

Suppose you live with your parents or your children. In that case, there’s another way to make kitchen chores easier is doing it as a family bonding activity. Assign simple and clearly defined tasks to other household members. That way, you won’t be overwhelmed with the tasks. 

This might be beneficial for them, especially for the children. They’re not just simply contributing to the household but also, they get to learn simple life skills. This is just like hitting two birds with one stone. 

There you go! You’re now equipped with tips and tricks for making your kitchen chores easier. 

By following these tips, cleaning your kitchen will be a less daunting task. You’ll have less kitchen mess to deal with afterward. You’ll also feel less stressed when you wake up the next morning with your kitchen gleaming. Moreover, you’ll feel safer since a clean kitchen keeps harmful bacteria and germs out of your family’s meals.