~By Roxanna Ward
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My to do list is longer than my kids spelling list. I find that over
half of my to do items must be done immediately. The other half of
my chores need to be done in order to keep myself from having more
work later. So time management is always a challange for me.
The kitchen is one of those chores that has to be done immediately.
Afterall, if you do not clean up after breakfast, you have to weed
through th emess to fix the next meal. Which in turn creates more
work for you. The more work you have the less time for soap operas
and bon bons!
In my quest for more bon bons, I've come up with some shortcuts to
kitchen clean ups. Many times you can use the "do as you go"
approach to cleaning. If you take certain steps as you go, clean up
will be easier. Hopefully you'll find my short cuts helpful too.
When mixing foods, use a larger bowl than is needed. This will give
you plenty of room for splatters to stay inside the bowl and off your
walls. If a larger bowl is not available, simply cut a hole in the
center of a paper plate and stick the beaters through the holes.
Splatters will be kept inside by the plate.
Cleaning grease splatters must be my least favorite chore. It rates
up there with the toilet. You can help keep the grease in the pan
when frying by placing a colander upside down over the pan. THe air
can get in to cook the food, and the grease will stay inside
underneath the colander. Turn a cookie sheet upside down over the
burners not in use. Lets face it, I'd rather clean a cookie sheet
than scrub three additional burners. That's what dishwashers are
for. You can also buy a decorative burner cover. Most dollar stores
sell these in sets of four. Thay too are easy to toss into the
dishwasher. Aluminum foil works great also, but the cost is greater
in the long run.
Before you start cooking, grab a paper towel to place your spoon on.
If you use a spoon rest, you'll have to wash it. Remember your goal
is to have more time for bon bons. You can use the same paper towel
or napkin for the entire day. Toss it into the garbage after dinner
and your counter will be clean. Great thing about this tip, is that
is costs only pennies a week.
If you have to spray a pan wth a non stick cooking spray, place the
pan inside the sink first. The sticky spray residue will be in the
sink and not on the counter. Or skip the spray and line the pan with
aluminum foil. Once again the aluminum foil with more costly in the
long run. Even more so if you make your own spray. But the
convience of throwing away the mess may be worth the cost to you.
Your time is worth money also. Make sure to spray your pets food
bowl before placing food into it also. Makes for a easy clean up of
the pets bowl.
Last but not least, always make sure to use the vent above your
stovetop when cooking. Even if you don't see the grease, it is
there. This helps prevent the thick sticky film that always follow a
meal.
Now that you are equiped with these time saving cleaning tips, get
back to your soap operas and bon bons. Afterall, that is all we do
anyway right!
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Roxanna Ward, Community leader and staff writer for
http://www.BabyUniversity.com, lives in Georgia with her husband and
her three children. As a published freelance writer the focus of her
writing is concentrated on sharing household tips, her experience
with her frugal lifestyle as well as the phenomenal process of
breastfeeding, child rearing related issues and romantic
relationships. She is also currently the Editor of three newsletters:
What's New at BabyU?, Intimate Encounters and At Home with Baby
University. Roxanna can be contacted at Roxanna30135@...