Clean as you go
Clean as you go is the habit of washing, wiping and putting things away during cooking instead of at the end, so the kitchen stays safe, clear and calm.
Also called Clean while you cook.
Clean as you go means tidying up while you cook rather than leaving it all for the end. You wipe the counter, rinse tools and put ingredients away in the gaps between steps. Professional kitchens expect it of every cook, and it makes home cooking calmer and safer.
How to do it
- Start with an empty sink and an empty dishwasher, or a sink of hot, soapy water.
- Set out a bowl for scraps and peelings next to your board.
- Keep a damp cloth and a dry towel at your station.
- Put each ingredient away as soon as you have measured it.
- While something simmers, roasts or rests, wash the tools you are done with.
- Wipe the board and counter between tasks, and move scraps off the board with a bench scraper.
- After handling raw meat, fish or eggs, wash the board, knife and your hands in hot, soapy water before you touch anything else.
Why it works
A clear counter gives you room to work, and you can find what you need. Spills and scraps cause slips and cuts. Washing tools after raw meat stops cross-contamination, where bacteria move from raw food to food that will not be cooked. Dishes also wash more easily before food dries on them, and you finish the meal with little left to clean.
Common mistakes
- Using a new bowl or spoon for every step, then running out halfway through.
- Wiping a raw meat spill with the same cloth you use for the counter. Use paper towels or a separate cloth and wash it hot.
- Leaving the oven and stove dirty. Wipe spills once they are cool enough, or they bake on.
- Starting to clean during a step that needs your attention, such as searing or making caramel.
In recipes
Recipes rarely say it, but the waiting times in a recipe, such as "simmer 20 minutes" or "let rest 10 minutes", are the natural moments to clean as you go. It pairs with mise en place: prep everything, then keep the station clear as you cook.
Related terms
- Mise en placeMise en place means having every ingredient measured, cut and ready, and every tool at hand, before you start cooking, so nothing burns while you chop.
- Cross-contaminationCross-contamination is when germs or allergens spread from one food, surface or hand to another. Separate raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives.
- Bench scraperA bench scraper is a flat, handled blade for cutting and moving dough, scooping chopped food and scraping the counter clean.
- Taste as you goTaste as you go is the habit of tasting food at each stage of cooking and adjusting salt, acid, sweetness and heat before it is too late to fix.
- Brigade systemThe brigade system is the classic way a professional kitchen is organized, with a head chef, a sous-chef and station cooks who each own one task.