6 Amazing Tips that Will Make Thanksgiving Cleanup a Breeze!

Everyone loves cooking, eating and relaxing on Thanksgiving, but there’s one thing nobody likes – the piles and piles of dishes to be washed, and trash to be taken out when the meal is over! Our organization whiz Peter Walsh is here to show you how easy cleanup can be with a little preparation!

Tip 1: Foil

Take a large sheet of foil and use it line the bottom of your oven, so that any drippings will fall onto it and you can just discard and not have to clean your whole oven! Peter also suggests lining all of your baking pans with foil.

Tip 2: Parchment Paper

Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the inside of your baking pans, it will make cleanup a breeze!

Tip 3: Dishes

Peter suggests to get a large commercial dish pan and fill it with soapy water, and just put dirty dishes in there throughout the day. To taking it a step further, make your life even easier by putting it on a rolling cart so you can load up the dishes in the dining room and bring them to the kitchen that way. Carry a bowl with you to scrape all the scraps into so the food doesn’t end up muddying up your dishwater.

Tip 4: Tablecloth

When you’re done with dinner, roll the tablecloth up so that you catch all the bits of food in it, and put it on your dish cart. Shake it out outside and wash after your guests have left!

Tip 5: Trash

Labeling your trash bins will help your guests know exactly which bin to put the recycling, waste, etc. Then, at the bottom of each bin put 4 or 5 extra trash bags, so when you take a bag out, there’s another bag right there and you don’t have to hunt for a new one.

Tip 6: Set Up a Leftover Station

Set out inexpensive plastic containers and bags so that your guests can help themselves to leftovers and bag them up themselves! Include a sharpie so that guests can write their names, and then set the bags by the front door so people won’t forget them when they leave. Brilliant!