The Best Bowls

Plastic mixing bowls are easiest to lift and use. They're also inexpensive and breaks down easily. While stainless steel mixing bowls intensify emulsifying action, making it ideal for mixing ingredients, leftover foods shouldn't be stored in this material. The best large bowls are ceramic ones or oven-proof glassware that can double as serving dishes and mixing bowls.

Replace Your Sponges Regularly, Affordably

How often sponges should be replaced vary largely from every two weeks, once a month, to a every few months. I prefer to replace mine every month, considering the contaminant exposure my sponges face: raw poultry and meat juices leftover on cutting boards, fats and greases from various foods, the damp and moist environment sponges live in, etc. Experts claim that sponges can be as dirty as raw poultry! To make replacements more affordable, I buy my sponges at the 99 cents store. I get 6 sponges for 99 cents! They're surprisingly durable and don't scratch my cookware surfaces.

Use Your Space Resourcefully

For extra storage up, consider the ceiling. You can hang pot racks, wire baskets, and string bags to hold cookware, utensils, and produce that doesn't require refrigeration such as onions and potatoes.

Keep Your Cookbook Stain Free

Open the book to the page you need, and then cover it with a plastic bag or plastic wrap. This will preserve the quality of your cookbook and keep it sanitary.

Blend Your Blender Clean

Many modern blenders have a clean feature. But if you don't, add some warm water and dish detergent to your blender. Then blend it until the detergent suds. It makes cleaning much easier. Continue to do this until stuck on food and residue dissolves. Then wash the outside of the blender as you usually do and rinse the inside thoroughly.