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Photo: NelliSyr/Getty ImagesWhether cooking is your passion or a task you’d rather avoid, cleaning up the kitchen after a meal can feel like an annoying and time-consuming chore. Ever wondered how the pros manage it? You’re in luck.
Keep reading for time-saving cleaning tips from chefs who juggle everything from developing recipes for food blogs to managing restaurants and appearing on TV shows.
1. Batch-Cooking to Streamline Cleanup Time
Jem Mantiri, a food blogger and recipe developer, suggests batch-cooking ingredients or whole meals when you have spare time. “This way, you’ll use fewer pots and pans overall, which means less cleanup each day,” she explains. Even if you’re not a fan of meal prep, you can still cook larger quantities of individual ingredients that can be quickly assembled into meals throughout the week.
2. Soak Dishes While You Enjoy Dinner
Mantiri recommends starting the cleaning process while you’re still at the dinner table by soaking your dishes in hot water and dish soap. “By the time you finish your meal, the food remnants will be easier to scrub off,” she says. If you’re running short on time after dinner, let the dishes soak overnight.
3. Use Deglazing to Loosen Stubborn Food Residue
Sometimes, certain food particles can be too persistent for a simple soak. Scott Groth, a professional chef and food blogger, suggests using deglazing to tackle this problem. This technique involves adding a liquid—like water, wine, or vodka—into a hot pan to loosen burnt or caramelized food bits. While deglazing is a common method for creating sauces or stews, it also works as an efficient cleaning hack when only water is used.
“First, remove any solid food remnants from the pan while it’s still hot,” advises Groth. “Then, add a splash of water (it will begin to boil immediately), and use a wooden spatula to scrape the browned or burnt bits from the pan. It only takes a minute and saves you the hassle of scrubbing with a sponge and soap later on.”
4. Tidy Up as You Cook
Nickenford Joseph, co-executive chef at New York’s Vinyl Steakhouse, stresses the importance of maintaining a clean cooking area throughout the cooking process. “Bacteria can multiply quickly, so it’s vital to keep your work surface clean and safe,” he explains. Cleaning while you cook not only helps ensure a hygienic workspace but also cuts down on cleanup time later. If you’re following a recipe with wait times—such as waiting for water to boil or the oven to heat up—use those moments to wash a few dishes or load the dishwasher.
5. Maximize Your Dishwasher’s Potential
Speaking of dishwashers: “The dishwasher is not just for dishes,” says Marcela Valladolid, TV personality and professional chef. “Throw in things like stove knobs, range hood filters, and even fridge shelves.” She notes that the key to reducing cleaning time is simplicity—use fewer tools to clean as much as possible at once.
Groth also recommends using the top rack of the dishwasher to clean your dish sponge. Alternatively, you can soak it overnight in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water to disinfect it and prevent bacteria from growing.
6. Line Baking Pans with Parchment Paper
If you love sheet-pan meals, Mantiri, Groth, and Valladolid all suggest lining your baking sheets with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or silicone baking mats. “Cleaning a baking sheet can take a lot of time, but by using parchment paper, cleanup becomes a breeze—just lift the paper and throw it away,” Groth explains. “This tip is especially handy for those roasting vegetables or baking bacon in the oven.”
Be sure to check the baking sheet for any food remnants that might have stuck on during cooking. Even so, you’ll avoid the strenuous effort needed to scrub away stubborn burnt-on food from the entire pan.
7. Store Food and Leftovers Correctly
"In any kitchen, keeping things organized is crucial—especially when it comes to storage areas or walk-ins," explains Joseph. "A tidy space makes everything more efficient because you’ll always know where everything is." Having a designated place for every item also simplifies tasks like unpacking groceries or storing ingredients and leftovers. "Keep in mind this order: ready-to-eat foods at the top, followed by seafood, beef or pork, ground meats, and finally ground poultry at the bottom," he advises, underscoring the importance of food safety in your organizational system.
Properly organizing your fridge can help prevent leftovers from spoiling, keeping things cleaner and reducing the risk of a messy fridge full of old food. Groth suggests using dry-erase markers as a simple way to label items. "At my house, we store leftovers in airtight glass containers with snap-on lids. I write on the containers what the leftovers are and the date they were cooked, so everyone in the family is aware," he explains. Adopting this kind of system can also help minimize food waste—good for both your wallet and the environment.
