...Especially me! I love to cook and bake, but the clean up is like my nemesis. Having a heavy clean up puts a serious damper on the fun! So how to I defend myself?
First of all, before I start anything, I make sure my kitchen is cleaned up. Yes, I clean up before making a mess because there's nothing like having an even bigger mess to put a damper on your cooking fun. So, minimize the mess, and you won't feel so overwhelmed with dishes later.
Once you have started with your cooking or baking, try to clean as you go. Wash utensils that are easy to clean, and start soaking the dishes that will require more time. If you're using items that can be washed in a dishwasher, put them in the dishwasher as you go. That will get them out of your way right away. By giving yourself a head-start, you won't feel like you have so much to clean up when you're done!
Be smart, and help yourself reduce messes with the dishes you are cooking or baking in. Make sure you are preparing your dishes according to the recipe to avoid stuck sides, which will involve soaking and scraping to clean. Even if your recipe is cooked perfectly, you can be left with some nasty dish clean up. If you are baking, use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you are using a slow cooker, I highly recommend Reynolds slow cooker liners. If you are baking something like lasagna, try lining your pan with non-stick Reynolds foil or pan lining paper. Because I don't like to create a lot more product waste than necessary, I'd recommend only lining your pans for those big-mess recipes.
By wiping your countertops & stove top and cleaning dishes as you go, you get quite a head-start to the inevitable clean up. You'll find cooking or baking is less of a hassle and more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about cleaning everything at the very end!
