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!

01
Save time with an Instant Pot.
Tastes Better From Scratch

Save time with an Instant Pot.

If you've ever had to cook frozen meat in a time pinch, transform dry beans into a meal in a matter of minutes, or stew meat until it's fall-off-the-fork tender without simmering it all day, you'll take comfort in knowing that the Instant Pot can do all of these things and so much more. Save yourself cooking and cleanup time by preparing an entire meal in practically no time with these family-friendly Instant Pot recipes.

02
Clean less with sheet-pan dinners.
Lemons For Lulu

Clean less with sheet-pan dinners.

If roasted, caramelized dinners are your jam, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for a delicious and crazy-easy meal that requires hardly any after-dinner cleanup. Get inspired by these yummy and convenient family sheet-pan meals.

03
Entertain kids with a learning tower while you cook.
Carrie Richards Photography

Entertain kids with a learning tower while you cook.

To keep little ones entertained while you cook, invest in a learning tower (or DIY one!). The stools allow small kids to safely access counter space without running the risk of falling off. Give them snacks, a coloring project, or safe cooking utensils to make them feel like they're part of the dinner prep process. This mom swears juggling dinnertime with a toddler used to be a nightmare until this Little Partners Learning Tower changed everything.

04
Line cabinets with corkboard.
House Tweaking

Line cabinets with corkboard.

Instead of overcrowding your fridge with magnets and papers, line the insides of cabinets with self-adhesive corkboard for a clutter-free way to stay organized. Keep things like schedules posted on mudroom cabinets, and pin favorite recipes or takeout menus to kitchen cabinets.

05
Get your stainless steel refrigerator to sparkle.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Get your stainless steel refrigerator to sparkle.

Distilled white vinegar will remove all dirt and fingerprints from your stainless steel appliances.

06
Have a spice drawer.
The Hunted Interior

Have a spice drawer.

Having a designated spice drawer makes it easy to see and grab all of the spices you regularly use.

07
Create a hideaway cabinet for keys and wallets.
The Hunted Interior

Create a hideaway cabinet for keys and wallets.

Adding a shallow side cabinet is a brilliant idea for keeping keys and wallets all in one place. Check out the full renovation reveal and shopping details at The Hunted Interior!

08
Get burnt residue off of pans.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Get burnt residue off of pans.

This concoction of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap will get any burnt residue off your pots and pans.

09
Camouflage outlets and switch plates.
The Hunted Interior

Camouflage outlets and switch plates.

Paint or carry-over grout patterns to camouflage outlets and switch plates.

10
Clean coffee pot with vinegar.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Clean coffee pot with vinegar.

A coffee machine can be a confusing contraption to clean. Vinegar is the best way to clean one.

11

Use a lazy susan in the fridge or cabinet.

In my house, salad dressing and condiments always seem to get easily overlooked on the refrigerator door. Using a lazy Susan on one of the fridge's shelves keeps everything at eye level — so smart.

12
Freeze grapes for keeping wine cold.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

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.

Avoid splattering grease and cook the strips more evenly by placing them onto a baking sheet and into the oven for about 15 minutes.

15

Cut kids' food with a pizza cutter.

Waffles, pancakes, and french toast (most things toddlers eat, really) can be cut up for tiny mouths super efficiently by using a pizza cutter.

16
Use a straw to core strawberries.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

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.

After painting the sides with chalkboard paint and filling the jars with spices, baby food jars easily become part of a great-looking spice rack or drawer.

18

Cut kernels of corn off the ear using a bundt pan.

A bundt pan has another handy purpose: it provides the perfect place to balance an ear of corn for cutting and an easy way to collect all the corn kernels that fall right off.

19
Use a caddy for cleaning supplies.
House*Tweaking

Use a caddy for cleaning supplies.

If you want to go all out when it comes to kitchen sink organization, then maybe this kitchen caddy hack is the choice for you. Dana from House*Tweaking raves about her choice to install a detachable caddy with enough room to house all of her cleaning goodies, making it a piece of cake to carry around from room to room. Plus, the caddy sits on a sliding track underneath the sink, which just makes this hack all the more genius.

20

Microwave two bowls at once.

To fit two bowls into the microwave at the same time, simply place one on top of a glass so that it sits higher than the other. How easy is that?

22

Easy peel mandarin oranges.

Forget peeling and then pulling apart mandarin oranges — the process leaves your fingers smelling like oranges for days! JewelPie has an easy — adult-only — way to get the job done, and kids will love picking the slices off the peel!

23
Use a lazy susan under your sink.
Our Fifth House

Use a lazy susan under your sink.

You may have seen a Lazy Susan in the middle of a kitchen table, but have you ever seen one underneath a sink?! Carmel from Our Fifth House advises that this nifty device is the best way to keep her favorite cleaning sprays not only organized but also equally as easy to reach.

24
Meal plan to save money and time.
Pexels/Jeshoots.com

Meal plan to save money and time.

Make a list and come up with recipes you can prepare for the family for the week ahead. Putting everything you need on paper will prevent you from overspending, and it will also help you get everything you need (nothing is worse than realizing the moment you get home that you forgot something). Make the very most of the meals you put together, spreading them out across all days and limiting the waste. Cue operation #nobiteleftbehind.

25
Learn how to clean your dishwasher.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Learn how to clean your dishwasher.

Yes, your dishwasher can get dirty too. Follow these steps to clean it properly.

26
If you're on a budget, pick and choose the crucial organic goods.
Pexels/Oleg Magni

If you're on a budget, pick and choose the crucial organic goods.

We all want to provide the best, safest, and most nutritious foods for our family, and organic is a great option to help eliminate pesticides and other chemicals and hormones that are added to our food. However, there are certain foods that are not necessary to buy organic, like bananas, onions, avocados, pineapples, mangos, sweet peas, grapefruit, asparagus, and kiwi. All these fruits and veggies are either protected by a thick skin you don't eat, or do not have much exposure to pesticide residue given how they're grown. So, save some money on these and just give them a good wash. For other foods like any dairy products, meats, berries, or produce with skins that you ingest, it's wise to buy organic. This is the best rule of thumb to invest where it's necessary and save when you can.

27
Banish scuff marks from linoleum.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Banish scuff marks from linoleum.

Rubbing alcohol can be used to remove scuff marks from a linoleum floor (and it can be used in many other ways as well)!

28
Skewer foods for your picky eater.
Flickr user Meal Makeover Moms

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.
Mama Say What?!

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.

Instead of wrestling with slippery hot dogs on the grill, stick a couple of skewers through the raw dogs and place the whole "kebab" on the grill for easy cooking and flipping.

31
Add oven cleaner to clean your Crock-Pot.
The 5th Brick House on the Right

Add oven cleaner to clean your Crock-Pot.

Oven cleaner is a great way to remove Crock-Pot gunk.

32

Save an old ketchup bottle for pancake mix.

Make storing already-made pancake batter less of a hassle, and turn the actual pancake-making into an easier feat by putting batter into a rinsed-out ketchup bottle that squirts the batter right out.

33
Clean your stainless steel sink.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Clean your stainless steel sink.

Olive oil, lemon, and baking soda are the key ingredients to cleaning your stainless steel sink.

34

Make peanut butter banana toast easier to eat.

Rather than create a heavy slice of toast topped with banana slices and peanut butter, make a banana "hot dog" that is easy for little hands to grab and chow down on.

35
De-funk your garbage disposal.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

De-funk your garbage disposal.

Your garbage disposal goes through a lot. Use some baking soda to thoroughly clean it.

36
Grate frozen butter.
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

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.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Try a chemical-free oven cleaning method.

This natural oven-cleaning method is easy and chemical-free.

38
Fold your plastic bags.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

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.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Clean your blender with this hack.

This superquick way to clean your blender requires some hot water and a few squirts of dish soap.

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.

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.
The Kitchn

Get granite countertops spotless.

To thoroughly clean a granite countertop, isopropyl alcohol will do the trick. See other tips for cleaning granite here.

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.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Use the right cleaning spray for your range top.

Make sure you use the right cleaning spray when you clean 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.
The Kitchn

Use vegetable oil and salt to clean cast-iron skillets.

Cast-iron skillets can be difficult to tackle. Clean them with some vegetable oil and salt!

50
Clean cutting boards naturally.
Jana Carson

Clean cutting boards naturally.

A wooden cutting board can be cleaned naturally with salt and lemon. Photo: Sarah Lipoff