Can I safely ask if winter is over yet? We finally had some warm weather in Boston this past week and I even had the windows open at home for some of the days! I haven't put the snow gear away yet though because I've already learned that lesson from every other year in April.
Jay and I started some Spring cleaning at home and while I don't love cleaning per se, I do love purging things that are no longer needed and giving the apartment a refreshed feel. I'm reorganizing my office this Sunday and am super stoked about that!
While Spring cleaning comes around roughly once a year for us, you know what's never-ending? Dishes. Especially as a food blogger! Whomp whomp.
I thought it would be kind of cool to start a series of some sort: A Day in the Life of a Food Blogger! How unoriginal, right? 🤣
I don't have a timeline for this series, but I'll post some articles as I think of them. Today, I'm starting it off with the dirty, grimy part of being a blogger: washing the dishes and keeping things clean and tidy (with a little Spring cleaning tied in).
I'm also doing this with a little bit of help from OXO and method, so let's get started!
The last time I did the math, which was months and months ago (maybe even years at this point!), a blog post took anywhere from 4-8 hours to do. This included planning out the post, cooking, setting up to style and shoot, write, and includes some promotion. Some things I've never included in this timeline are two important other factors: shopping for ingredients and the clean-up.
The clean-up is, hands down, my least favorite part of the job. If I can have some tools to help that part of the job be just a teensy little bit easier, it's a huge win for me.
Okay, fine. I'll admit that every so often, depending on my mood, washing some dishes with some good music playing in the background can be a little therapeutic. It's a rare thing I'm in that state of mind though, friends.
I'm a sucker for organization. I'm really good at it in my professional life, but it's still a work in progress in my personal life. 😀 As a blogger, there's a mix of both going on there.
When I find the time to work on blog things these days, most of it almost always happens on the weekend. I might save writing and photo-editing for some weeknights on the couch, but all else goes down on a Saturday or Sunday.
Because of this, I'm most likely experimenting with one or two recipes in addition to what I'm actually planning to post on the blog. The dishes start to pile up! In case you didn't get a good look at the photo I posted up top, this is how my kitchen typically looks every weekend:
Some weekends are better and some are worse! You can see there are dishes waiting to be washed in the sink and the dishwasher is full (of course, what you see in the dishwasher is a good mix of blogging tasks and other dishes from normal use, like having breakfast, coffee, etc). Taking this photo also reminded me of this tweet I made back in 2016! Things haven't changed.
Okay, let's go back to some cleaning products and tools that have started to help me in this little blogging journey of mine.
Above is my new sink organizer with a flip-down sponge holder. I keep it flipped up because of the way my sink area is set up, but I like how I can keep my sponge and other cleaning items organized. There's a removable drip tray for easy draining and cleaning.
One tool I honestly never thought I'd say I love using is this dish squeegee. You can use it to easily swipe away leftover food from plates, bowls, etc without having to keep the water running. I also use it in the sink after the dishes are done to easily move any food to the sink strainer.
I've been needing to replace my sink mat for a while; my old one was old, sad, and honestly kind of gross. I kind of wish I took a photo of it to share for laughs, but maybe it's for the best I didn't do that. A large sink mat is great for protecting any dishes or delicate glassware from chipping. This one from OXO is designed to allow air and water to freely flow, helping to prevent any mildew build-up. Fun fact: that martini glass was used for an upcoming blog post.
And for scrubbing away grimy stains on your cookware, the palm brush is a good go-to with its ergonomic handle and it's safe for any non-stick, ceramic, or glass cookware and bakeware.
My favorite item to ask to the mix might be my new 16" turntable, though. I'm a sucker for easy accessibility as much as I am for organizing. It has non-slip feet and a deep ledge. I like not having to reach for items I need because I can just turn the table. 😊
Having some good cleaning products to go with the tools is also a huge bonus and method recently launched their 2018 Spring Collection. method products are made from a naturally derived, non-drying formula to keep your hands soft as well as clean. This limited edition comes with four scents: copper rain, golden citrus, cool lavender, and burnished cedar. They smell luxurious (I especially love the golden citrus and cool lavender).
And that's it for this edition of this new little series on the blog! I hope you found it enjoyable to read and I also hope you found some new products to check out for your own cleaning and organizing fun. Happy Spring!
Disclosure: OXO provided me with free products to use in this blog post. All opinions are strictly my own.
Hey, even with the current covid scare, the essentials remain the same! Thanks for educating the masses with the cookware cleaning tips.
Much love from The Hood Cleaning Pros of Columbus, Ohio