We Asked 7 Chefs for Their Go-To Cleaning Tips for Hosting, and Here’s What They Said

The holidays are a special time, as loved ones gather for dinners and to exchange gifts. But between cooking those hearty meals and wrapping all those presents, things can get disorganized and messy rather quickly.

Chefs may cook and plan large meals for a living, but at the end of the day, they have to go home and plan their own family celebrations. They do so armed with something a bit more than culinary prowess — they know how to keep things clean and organized along the way, one step at a time.

Cooking for friends and family can be stressful, but here’s one essential tip according to Matt Migliore, a New York City-based private chef: Clean as you go. “Plan ahead by scheduling when to run the dishwasher or assigning someone to tackle the dishes,” says Migliore, who also likes to set up easily accessible garbage and recycling stations, use disposable containers for mise en place (which means having all your ingredients prepped before cooking), and keep all your cleaning essentials (like rags and paper towels) within reach. “Staying organized and tidy will make the experience less stressful and reduce the workload later on,” he adds.

You can save a whole lot of time by effectively multitasking. “My best tip is to use time management and timers to help clean as you go,” says Brian Lewis, Atlanta-based restaurateur and founder of the newly opened Bocado and Bocado Pizza. He suggests washing the pots or getting your reliable family members to help you wash and dry while a dish is baking in the oven.

While celebrities like Ina Garten are known for exclusively using white plates at dinner parties (it’s all about presentation!), your cleanup will be a whole lot more seamless if you stick to disposable plates and cutlery. “This simple trick eliminates the need for dishwashing, saving you time and effort. Plus, it’s perfect for large gatherings where there’s a lot of food and people to serve,” says Patrick Ochs, a corporate executive chef with INK Entertainment in Miami. You can also find compostable disposable items, too.

The same thought process also applies to using disposable containers to store those inevitable leftovers. “Not only does this make reheating meals easy, but it also makes disposal quick, no messy pans to scrub, and you can throw away the foil containers once you’re done,” Ochs says.

According to CJ Jacobson, a chef partner at Aba Miami, you can avoid having to clean the stovetop by putting tinfoil underneath the burner grates before you begin cooking. “The tinfoil will catch any spills and splatters along the way or between courses,” Jacobson says. When any food inevitably falls or drips, all you have to do is fold up and throw away the tinfoil instead of taking time away from friends and family to clean.

Whitney Cardozo, owner and proprietress of Chez Foushee located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, believes that anything you can do ahead of time, do. It’ll free up a lot more time to actually spend with your guests. “It really cuts down on cleaning up and stresses the day you are cooking,” Cardozo says.

Don’t let messes build; handle them as they happen. “If there is one essential cleaning tip that keeps me organized when hosting, it is addressing kitchen spills immediately,” says Shannon Smith, a private chef from Tulsa, Oklahoma. “That is because it prevents them from settling and becoming difficult to remove later. This also effectively cuts the cleaning time in half during the busy holiday cooking season.”

Bernhard Mairinger, chef and owner of Culver City, California’s Lustig, is in the process of moving into a new house, so he’s all about getting rid of clutter — and that is a useful hack for holiday meal prep as well. “Getting ready to host gatherings during the holidays is the perfect time to declutter and get your cabinets and closets in order,” Mairinger says.

While it may seem like a daunting task as the holidays approach, Mairinger recommends doing a full deep cleaning of your cabinets and their shelves and your closets. “This gives you the opportunity to organize your kitchen and your closets, to reorganize and make room for new items that will come in from the holiday gift-giving season, and it will help get your house/apartment ready for company as you never know who will open which doors!”