Do you clean as you cook, or wait till the end?
By alextrg
@alextrg (86)
Malaysia
December 7, 2008 2:10am CST
Just curious, specify where are you from, and do you clean as you are cooking, or do you keep chucking things into the sink as you are cooking and only do the MAJOR cleanup at the end?
I know for French cooks, keeping the kitchen counter top as clean as possible to avoid accidents(I saw this in Rattatoutile. :p sue me!)...
I'm an Asian Chinese, if possible I like to clean as I go, partly due to certain reasons like
1) cooking stuff, if you have oil, and the oil gets cold, it turns.. GROSS!
2) less items being used, as in I can wash the spoon I just used to scoop say salt, and then use the same spoon to stir the soup or something
3) Don't really have a big sink!
4) I think we use more water washing in bulk? I feel I do anyway.
16 people like this
78 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
7 Dec 08
I tend to stack as I go, and put food away as I go, because as a former professional cook I was taught never to be idle, and whenever a spare moment comes up, use it for saving time later. My partner appreciates this (I do most of the cooking) since it makes her clean-up much easier than if I've left the kitchen looking like WW111 just broke out. Like most male cooks, I use a lot of bowls in my prep work, so if I don't stack as I use, it can get chaotic.
Lash
3 people like this
@Grace030174 (741)
• Qatar
7 Dec 08
i always try to clean up as much as I can as i go along.
for some reasons it just bothers me to have tons of dirty dishes in the sink when i sit down to eat.
Happy lotting!
3 people like this
@mflower2053 (3223)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I try and clean as I go unless there are too many other things going on at the sametime. It makes it easier in the end to have cleaned up everything as you go.
2 people like this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
12 Dec 08
Well I'm from the USA, and I clean as I'm cooking, so by the time I'm done and its time to eat, I've already got most of my dishes washed, I even clean my pans as I get done with them, and my utensils that I used. I think I learned to do this from my grandmother, she used to clean as she cooked too, and I used to see her do it that way. I think it makes it easier on you, I don't like to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen when my husband is home.
2 people like this
@saichandtalluri (1486)
• India
12 Dec 08
I love to be clean i clean while cooking and keep the kitchen clean
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I do a little bit of both. I clean sometimes as I go and sometimes I put stuff in the sink until the end. I think for me it just depends on what I'm cooking.
1 person likes this
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
7 Dec 08
I'm an American.
I do a little bit of both, clean as I cook and set things in the sink for later cleaning. For me it really all depends on what I am cooking. I do like to have clean, clutter free counters while I cook or I get aggrevated.
2 people like this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I usually wait until I am finished cooking and I also have my reason for doing it that way.. My husband likes to clean as he goes and when he comes into the kitchen while I am cooking, the mess gets on his nerves so bad that he will start cleaning for me, smart huh??
2 people like this
@UtopianIdealist (1604)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I usually try to clean as I go, as it seems easier to clean as I go rather than have a huge mess to spend more time on later.
@mrbrownedeye (781)
• Philippines
7 Dec 08
yup, i always do because i don't wanted to see the kitchen/sink dirty. when cooking or preparing for cooking what you do is your reflection on self discipline. i have teach my child not just in the kitchen but in every part of the housse that once your work is finished you should clean the mess. washing or cleaning is not a big deal it help us to motivate or character.
@kellyduff2008 (13)
• China
7 Dec 08
I usually clean when I cooking, because this can save time, while washing while cooking,can utilize the time very well. By the way, I am Chinese, and I like cooking,hehe.
1 person likes this
@sassygoddess (8)
• United States
8 Dec 08
Im in Missouri, (USA) I usually cook and put stuff that might be diffcult to clean in a sink of water to soak, and then my husband cleans up. I cook, he cleans. Which isn't hard since we have a dishwasher
@jengoss (145)
• United States
7 Dec 08
I am from the US. In my house, I usually clean up messes and put things away as I use them. I usually save the dishes for last though. I like to keep my space clean when I am trying to cook, and don't like to leave things out when I don't need them anymore. The dishes are something that I like to do last, because I can just rinse them off and put them in the dishwasher to get them all done at once.
1 person likes this
@dreamjapan (409)
• Japan
7 Dec 08
I have to clean as I go!! I'm in Japan and I have very limited counter space so if I don't clean as I go it ends up being a rather scarey balancing act at the end of cooking.
Jacks
1 person likes this
@chameleonsdream (1230)
• United States
7 Dec 08
I've got it made - I have cook helpers in my kitchen most of the time when I'm cooking a full meal. That means that as soon as I finish using something, I hand it to one of them and say "Wash this and..." either bring it back, or put it away or whatever I want done with it. That makes it a lot easier.
When I'm cooking on my own, though, I wait on cleanup unless I need the item later in the recipe/mean. That's partly because my kitchen sink is in the pantry rather than right in the kitchen where I cook. That makes it much easier for me to put things that need washing to one side, and bring them all to the sink for washing up at once.
1 person likes this
@sweetbabyjane (1929)
• United States
21 Dec 08
I am from the United States from the south. I try to clean and wash as many dishes as I can as I cook. That way there won't be so many pots,pans and cookiing utensils to wash when I get done eating.
@ladynetz (968)
• Canada
7 Dec 08
I love to clean as I cook, that's how my mom used to tech me.
However, I find myself in a position that in a very short time(like 15-20 minutes),I have to cook, serve and wash dishes.
So, if I don't have enough time (even though I'm very fast), I leave the dishes for the evening.
And I don't have a big sink either.
With a full time job, coming come to feed the kids and then drive them to places, plus of course everything has to be on schedule, makes the time for dishes secondary preference.
Bottom lineis, yes, I love to wash dishes in the same time as cooking, so once finish the cooking, my sink is clean too.
1 person likes this
@Firefly99 (251)
• United States
8 Dec 08
I always clean as I cook! I cannot stand dishes in my sink at anytime! So as soon as I am finished with a pot or pan I wash it! I know alot of people that wait untill they have finshed dinner and eating before cleaning and thats ok, but I just cannot do it! And I have freinds that wait untill the next day to do the dishes! I would not be able to sleep that night! No WAY! LOL
1 person likes this
