Kitchen Hacks For Parents
50 Time-Saving Kitchen Hacks to Survive Parenthood
As a parent, there's nothing more valuable than learning a new hack that saves you time, money, or unneeded frustration, especially when it comes to cooking and cleaning. We've scoured the internet and interviewed fellow moms and experts to round up our favorite kitchen hacks that truly make life easier. Master the art of cooking with a toddler in tow, keeping white wine perfectly chilled (because, kids), cleaning the most absurdly difficult things to scrub in minutes, and transforming your kitchen into an efficiency machine. Bookmark this kitchen hack survival guide and relish in the hours of living you'll get back!
1 Save time with an Instant Pot.
2 Clean less with sheet-pan dinners.
3 Entertain kids with a learning tower while you cook.
4 Line cabinets with corkboard.
5 Get your stainless steel refrigerator to sparkle.
6 Have a spice drawer.
7 Create a hideaway cabinet for keys and wallets.
8 Get burnt residue off of pans.
9 Camouflage outlets and switch plates.
10 Clean coffee pot with vinegar.
11 Use a lazy susan in the fridge or cabinet.
12 Freeze grapes for keeping wine cold.
The next time you're hosting a cocktail party, toss a big bowl of grapes into the freezer and then pop a few into wine glasses for keeping Chardonnay nice and cold. This also works for other cocktails that you want to keep cold without worry of watering down drinks.
13 Make no-mess bacon in the oven.
14 Use this trick to clean oven racks.
15 Cut kids' food with a pizza cutter.
16 Use a straw to core strawberries.
No need to use a paring knife to cut the stems and core from strawberries — just grab a straw. Press it up through the base of the strawberry, which removes the core and pops the top of the berry.
17 Use baby food jars for spice storage.
18 Cut kernels of corn off the ear using a bundt pan.
19 Use a caddy for cleaning supplies.
20 Microwave two bowls at once.
21 Prevent water from boiling over by placing wooden spoons over the pot.
22 Easy peel mandarin oranges.
23 Use a lazy susan under your sink.
24 Meal plan to save money and time.
25 Learn how to clean your dishwasher.
26 If you're on a budget, pick and choose the crucial organic goods.
27 Banish scuff marks from linoleum.
28 Skewer foods for your picky eater.
Anything your kid likes (or dislikes) will look more appetizing on a stick! Kids can help you make skewers for their school lunch, or you can whip them up as an easy dinner using their favorite fruits, cheeses, and even turkey or chicken cubes!
29 Cut watermelon for little fingers.
Yes, a child with a huge triangle of watermelon makes for an adorable photo, but what the pictures don't show is watermelon juice covering their faces, shirts, shoes, and more — because a good slice of melon will drip! Mama Say What?! came up with a great way to slice the fruit so little kids can eat it without covering themselves in its sticky sweetness.
30 Cook hot dogs for the whole gang.
31 Add oven cleaner to clean your Crock-Pot.
32 Save an old ketchup bottle for pancake mix.
33 Clean your stainless steel sink.
34 Make peanut butter banana toast easier to eat.
35 De-funk your garbage disposal.
36 Grate frozen butter.
The next time you need room temperature butter fast, use a cheese grater to make small slivers, which helps it warm up in minutes. You can also use this method when baking and want to add cold butter to biscuit dough for even distribution.
37 Try a chemical-free oven cleaning method.
38 Fold your plastic bags.
Everyone has a drawer or cabinet that is overflowing with plastic bags, which doesn't make it easy to grab a couple when heading to the grocery store. Plus, they take up precious pantry space in your kitchen. Make more space (and save your sanity) and start folding your plastic bags instead.
39 Clean your blender with this hack.
40 Soak strawberries in water with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to extend shelf life.
41 Cut a bunch of cherry tomatoes at once by placing between two lids.
42 Sterilize microwaves.
43 Slice watermelon on a cutting board on top of a baking sheet to catch all the juice for easy cleanup.
44 Get granite countertops spotless.
45 Keep leftover avocado from browning by coating the flesh with a little olive oil.
46 Use the right cleaning spray for your range top.
47 Freeze fresh lemon juice in big batches so you have it at all times.
48 Use vegetable oil and salt to clean cast-iron skillets.
49 Use stale bread to clean your coffee grinder.
50 Clean cutting boards naturally.
