Pre-washing preparation of dishes

    The importance of scraping and washing dishes as soon as possible after use cannot be underestimated. Removing solid chunks of food from the dishes by scraping them into a garbage can or disposal is absolutely essential to maintaining the usability of the sink Inaddition, the rinsing of any sort of semi-liquid waste, together with perhaps some very small solid waste, not only makes eventual washing easier by preventing said waste from drying into an impenetrable film, but it also allows the dishwater to be kept as clean as possible during the actual washing processes, leading to cleaner dishes overall.

    Ideally, one would always wash dishes relatively soon after use in order to keep the kitchen in a tidy condition. Sometimes, however, scheduling conflicts or the small volume of dishes used can make such a process inconvenient or superfluous. This serves the same purpose as scraping the dishes, that is, to allow the sink to fulfill its normal function as much as possible.

    This is the most straightforward of all the steps, but some guidance is still necessary. The key element is that a dish should not be considered washed before it is actually clean. This means that there is no foodstuff of any kind remaining on any surface of the dish. Those who are blind may wish to run their fingers across a dish to ensure that this is the case, since dishes are often designed to be more or less smooth in their clean state.

    Especially if one person is doing all the dishes by himself, it is impractical to dry a dish immediately after it has been washed. As such, a rack of some sort is desirable, and for the sake of convenience, they should be placed on that rack in an organized fashion. This makes hand-drying more efficient, because it allows for the dishes that go in the same place to be dried all at once. Beyond that, though, it makes air-drying more efficient, because it allows those dishes that are ready for use to be found much more easily. Especially in the case of air-drying, all dishes should be placed so that there are no places where standing water can gather, in order to avoid the water spots that can make food and drink unappetizing. Spoons and cups in particular should be stored upside down.

   Miscellaneous cleaning

    When one is done cooking, one will often find that the dishes are not the only part of the kitchen that calls for cleaning: something may have spilled on the counter or the table, or crumbs may cover the floor. In the case of spills, the same general practice should be followed as for dishes. Any outstanding solid or semi-liquid waste should be removed as soon as possible to prevent the drying process from making clean-up needlessly difficult.

    The garbage can is an essential tool in cleaning, as illustrated above, but it, too, needs to be cleaned on occasion. Many people appear to be well-acquainted with the process of tying up the garbage bag, but few seem adequately equipped to go on from there. Most think that the most appropriate course of action is to leave the garbage bag beside the can, which is admittedly an improvement over the occasional tendency to leave the tied garbage bag in the actual can, but it still does not go far enough. If garbage cannot immediately be taken out, it can still be placed in the hallway or some other area where people heading toward the long-term garbage storage area will see it. The next step in this process is for someone, perhaps not even the person who filled up the garbage can, to take responsibility for the garbage to which he or she has contributed in some degree and to carry that bag to the long-term storage area.

   Step1

     Wash as you go. The first rule of keeping a clean kitchen is to wash dishes as they become dirty as much as possible. That way, you avoid the eventual build-up of a mountain of dishes to be washed later.

    Step2

     Keep your counter tops free of clutter. Remember the old adage "A place for everything and everything in its place." That piece of advice will keep things organized and in control for you.

   Step3

     Rinse pots and pans immediately after using, to avoid the hardening of the food on the metal surfaces.

    Step4

     Clean utensils immediately after using. This comes in handy if you will need them again soon, say, for another part of the food-preparation process. Put them away immediately if you won't need them again.

   Step5

     Clean your stove regularly. If you can, buy a stove with a ceramic top. These newer stoves make the clean-up process much easier than it is with other stoves. A liquid cleaner takes care of any spills or messes with relative ease.