Hi everyone! Just as I thought I was going to lose my mind with my Beagle breaking into my garbage (the lock broke), I got a request from Hefty to do a guest post on the blog. Coincidence? I think not! See what they have to say about how garbagio can affect your  cooking life 🙂
Cleaner Kitchens for Messy Cooks
Are you the type of cook who leaves a messy food trail as you go? Cooking a meal is usually much more fun than cleaning up afterward, and it can be easy to get so caught up in a recipe that you completely forget that all the stirring, slicing and sautéing can actually cause quite a mess!
While clean up is an unavoidable part of the cooking process, there are luckily ways to make it simpler. Try the following easy tips to keep your kitchens cleaner and more organized for all of your cooking escapades:
Keep a trash bag taped to the counter or scrap bowl
If your trash can is not directly in front of you as you cook, or if it’s stored under the sink, it’s likely that food scraps will stay on the counter instead of making it into the trash. To avoid progressively dirtying your countertops as you cook, tape a trash bag to the side of your counter to hold scraps, dirty paper towels and empty food packages. Alternatively, keeping a scrap bowl on your counter serves a similar purpose, but you’ll have to wash it afterward.
Baskets on shelves or over the door shoe racks – cabinets or countertops
Keep your ingredients organized and within reach by using baskets and containers on your pantry shelves. Knowing exactly where everything is located will save you time and reduce potential messes as you search for ingredients. For even cleaner cabinets, keep messier ingredients like flour, sugar and cornstarch in plastic bags or containers to avoid spilling all over your pantry.
Dispose of tools you don’t use
Are your drawers and cabinets stuffed with pots, pans and utensils you didn’t even know you had? Take an hour to go through your kitchen drawers and throw away or donate anything you never use. You’ll free up tons of storage space and will end up with fewer piles of tools on your counters that accumulate as you dig through drawers during meal prep.
Save leftovers
Keeping leftovers is a win-win situation: you get to minimize clean up and enjoy a tasty home-cooked meal the next day! Instead of wastefully tossing leftover food or trying to force it down the garbage disposal, scoop leftovers straight into plastic storage bags or containers for cleaner pans and sinks.
Take those extra containers, bags and hooks that you have lying around the house and put them to good use! Eliminating kitchen mess will not only minimize cleaning stress but will give you less time in front of the sink and more time enjoying a delicious meal.
Author Bio: This is a guest post by Katie F. on behalf of Hefty®. Visit www.hefty.com for more organization tips and to explore products like trash bags and storage containers that can help keep your kitchen spotless.