10 Speedy Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for Busy Weeknights
Cleaning the kitchen is often the last thing we want to do after a long day at work. Oftentimes, cleaning the kitchen is the last thing to do after tackling evening responsibilities and getting dinner prepared.
Luckily, there are a few Kitchen Cleaning Hacks you can use to keep a clean and organized kitchen, even during your busiest weeknight dinners. You can stay ahead of the problem without wasting time with these effective and easy cleaning tips.
10 Speedy Kitchen Cleaning Hacks
1. Clean as You Cook
One of the easiest but most effective cleaning tips to remember is to clean up while cooking. While prepping your ingredients, take a short pause to start loading the dishwasher, wipe down counter space, and rinse off utensils instead of letting your plates and crumbs pile up. This will help reduce cleaning time after dinner.
2. Keep a Bin Handy
Have a large container next to you to put food scraps and wrappers while you are prepping your food or chopping vegetables. It will reduce your janitorial duties and trips to the trash bin.
3. Use a Multi-Purpose Spray
When it comes to cleaning everything that you have just used, having an all-in-one cleaner nearby saves time. Look for natural food-safe sprays for your counters, appliances, and even dining tables. This helps you clean several surfaces at once with one product.
4. Microwave Cleaning in Minutes
Do you know a simple yet efficient way to clean your microwave? Take some ounces of water and mix with a few lemon drops in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave this mixture on high mode for 3–5 minutes, or until the steam melts the food particles. Then you can easily wipe all the mess with a clean cloth.
5. Dishwasher Shortcut: Top Rack Wipe-Down
If you’re too tired to do a deep clean, just focus on cleaning the top rack. To deodorize your dishwasher with little work, remove any grime, wipe down the top rack with a damp cloth, and give it a quick rinse cycle.
6. Keep Countertop Clutter to a Minimum
One of the most important kitchen cleaning hacks is to organize your countertops besides working. You’ll have less to clean if you have less on the counter. Do you know there is a strong positive relationship between decluttering and one’s well-being?
Only keep the essentials out and put away everything you don’t regularly use. Cleaning a decluttered counter takes less time and a little less effort.
7. Soak While You Eat
Once you’ve finished cooking, fill any bowl/pan with very hot water and a drop of dishwashing soap. When you are eating your food, soak the utensils in the mixture. Most of the grime will take little effort to remove by the time you finish your dinner.
8. Use Microfiber Cloths
Keep a couple microfiber cloths at hand. They are good absorbers and can be used to clean quickly. They do a better job of removing grease and dust than paper towels and can be reused.
9. 2-Minute Sink Scrub
You can avoid dirtying your sink by giving it a quick scrub each evening. Pour some baking soda and water, then scrub it with a sponge softly and rinse it well. You will have a clean sink every day with only 2-minutes of work.
10. Set a Timer
Most of the time, the secret to cleaning quickly is setting a limit. You should give a 10-minute kitchen reset time in which to clean the floor and counters, load the dishwasher and some other tasks to be done quickly. You will discover just how much you can do in a focused block of time!
Bottom Line
The goal of these kitchen cleaning hacks is meant to help manage clutter, not clean thoroughly.
Regardless of what your day has entailed, you can end the day with a clean kitchen and a calmer mind using a few simple habits and tools. The idea is to do this everyday so you don’t get overwhelmed.
