Enjoy the Feast, Not the Frenzy: Time-Saving Holiday Cleanup Strategies

Smart prep and a few pro tips can prevent post-feast chaos and keep your kitchen clean and efficient, with more time available for festivities.

Smart cleanup allows everyone, including the host, to enjoy the celebration. Drazen Zigic/Getty Images

A lot goes into prepping for a holiday meal. The food disappears fast, and then you’re left with the dreaded cleanup. But if you anticipate cleanup when you prep, you'll find that it goes by faster and allows you to continue to enjoy the festivities without being chained to the sink.

Plan Before the Chaos Starts

Make sure that you empty the dishwasher and sink. If you start with a clean kitchen, it will be easier to keep up with the mess that’s about to come.

Empty the kitchen wastebasket before the dinner starts. Double-line the wastebasket so all you have to do is pull the full one out, leaving a clean, empty bag ready to go. You won’t waste time fumbling around looking for the garbage bags. And if someone is emptying it for you, he or she won’t have to interrupt you to ask for a garbage bag.

With a bit of prep and delegation, post-dinner cleanup can become a shared responsibility that everyone chips in for. The Good Brigade/Getty Images

Clean as You Cook

Tidying up after a big holiday meal should start when you’re still cooking.

“The biggest time-saver is not to leave everything to the end,” Ryan Knoll, owner of Tidy Casa, a cleaning service in Phoenix, told The Epoch Times. “Cleaning when the pan is still warm makes cleaning 1,000 percent easier, and gravy or cranberry sauce hardens like crazy if it sits.”

Lining pans with foil or parchment will also make cleanup easier.

If you are working solo, Knoll said, “take two to three minutes while simmering or baking to rinse dishes, wipe counters, and run a quick dishwasher cycle.”

If there are any extra helping hands lying around such as children or teens, have them participate. They can clean while you cook.

Use the Right Covered Casserole Dishes

Preparing casseroles and pies in dishes that come with lids will save time for you and others who may be helping you. You’ll be able to cover the leftover food without having to search for a lid. It will also save you from having to transfer food to other containers.

If your baking dishes do not have covers, then ensure that you have plenty of plastic wrap or covered bowls for the leftovers.

Preparing casseroles and pies in covered dishes simplifies storage and frees up counter space. Sami Hajjar/Getty Images

The Dirty Dish Station and Soak Bin

“I fill a tub or the sink with warm, soapy water before the dinner party,” Kamila Soltynska, founder of Best Home Services, told The Epoch Times. “Then, during or after a meal, all the plates go straight in for an easy soak, reducing issues with dried-on food.”

Soltynska said she often establishes a dirty dish station.

“I pick one counter or sink where all the used dishes go during the evening,” she said. “It keeps the rest of the kitchen usable and tidy, so that the mess doesn’t spread everywhere.”

She also uses the pile method to organize items.

“I sort everything into piles first,” she said. “I usually have one pile for washing, one pile for things that need to go back in their place, and one pile for recycling or trash.”

When the time comes to wash dishes, load the dishwasher by category. First, do a load of plates, then a load of glasses and utensils. It speeds up unloading and avoids the puzzle of where to place oddly shaped items in the dishwasher.

Soltynska said she often pulls out the wastebasket so that trash can go into it without hassle.

Pre-soaking dishes and loading the dishwasher by category speeds up the cleanup process. MelkiNimages/Getty Images

Cut Down on Dirty Glasses

Often, you'll find half-full (or half-empty, depending on your philosophical bent) glasses scattered around the house. This is because guests set their glasses down and then forget where they put them.

Soltynska suggested labeling drink cups. It keeps guests from grabbing a fresh glass every time they want a drink.

Amazon has some festive labels that stick to the glass, on which guests can write their names. If you’re not into stickers, other drink markers are available.

Have a Hamper for Tablecloths and Cloth Napkins

No one wants to sit at a messy table. Clearing the table in one sweep creates momentum and frees up visual space. This will help you feel less overwhelmed.

Remove any dirty tablecloths and napkins. Have a hamper standing by in which you can toss them.

If you see wet stains, this is the time to sprinkle a little baking soda on them before the napkins go into the hamper. The laundry will be safely out of the way so you can tackle it once the kitchen is clean.

Assign Duties to Helpers

Who is the busboy or busgirl? Assign this task to one or two people before dinner begins. Dole out other tasks such as rinsing, putting away food, or even taking out the garbage.

Knoll said it is important to ask for help.

“When you’re hosting, it can feel like you’re alone or like you’re unable to enjoy your own holiday,” he said. “I promise that asking for help is a good thing.”

He said most people enjoy helping others, especially when they see the work you are putting into creating a special holiday.

Do Not Dread Cleaning After a Holiday Meal

Prepping your kitchen and trash and cleaning as you go helps tremendously in keeping dirty pots and pans from piling up and taking up space. Also, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks! This is your holiday, too, and you deserve to enjoy it.