I have to have an empty dishwasher too so I can just put in there when done. I take all of the "stuff" off the counters so I have more working space, and nothing else in the way or to clean dust off later. For as big as my kitchen is I have little counter space. I try to clean as I go. I too go through a bunck of towels so I have do laundry and wash the dishes when I am done.

I thought about what someone said about the clogged sink. I heat some hot water on the stove. Then I put Greased Lightening in the water once in the sink. I then let it drain while putting more boiling water down the drain to follow.

Because I have two small kids and I work full time, I do my cakes in segments and I always clean as I go. I will bake and clean up completely from that, letting my cakes rest, cool or freeze until I can get back at them again. Then I'll make my icing, put it in a air tight contained for the fridge and I'll clean up from that. Even while I'm doing this, I have one sink full of hot, soapy water that I just toss things into when I'm done using them. After that, I'll clean my larger bowls and toss the rest into the dishwasher.

The fondant and gumpaste is like an accessory in my kitchen. I'll clean up from making the fondant right away, but one of my counters has little bags of fondant all over it when I'm working on a cake. Or there's a piece of styrafoam somewhere with flowers sticking out of it, drying. My kitchen is always in use.

Try cleaning as you go. It makes it alot easier after it's all done.

I, for one, DEF clean as I go. I have found it so much more helpful that way. The only thing the hub does for me is wash the tips. I have him trained on that. My wilton instructor gave us SPECIFIC instructions on NEVER throwing out the leftover BC down the drain bc of the shortening. So, I try to get as much of it as possible into the garbage can and so does hub. Whenever I make my cakes or icing, I take out all the ingredients I need, measure and serve them and then put everything back where it goes. I HATE clutter, lol. So, nothing is out that I am not using. I also clear the table so that nothing extra gets dirty. HTH!

I'm with Cake_Princess.. I have pretty much the same ritual..clear off counter.. mix up cakes.. put cakes in oven.. clean up while cakes are baking.. next day make icing.. color icing.. clean up mess from coloring icing.. decorate cake.. clean up mess. It's MUCH easier if you squash the mess when it is still a baby mess than if you wait until it's a full blown typhoon of batter and icing crusted all over the place.. I hate a dirty kitchen.. HATE it.. so I have to clean as I go.. it makes everything better!

Oh.. and I laughed pretty hard at your signature line C_P ..

Clean kitchen?????????whats that Lol I have to follow myself around all the time with a dishrag Seriously I do things in increments also. Do a little clean alot LOl

try doing it without a dishwasher! I haven't had one since xmas

I finds out what works for me is to make up the icingng the day before. And while the cakes are in the oven,i will wash the batter bowl and the ultensils. measuring cups, ect...Then while the cakes are cooling, i would wash the pans and store them away. It is good to keep a bowl of soapy water so i can put the icing tips and bags after they are emptied of icing in there so they can soak till I would wash them,usually the next day.

great advice everyone - here's my tip: Use those little mesh bags that you put tips in to go in the dishwasher. While you are working, put one of those bags in a tupperware container of hot water, when you are done with each tip, throw it in the bag in the water, and by the time you are done, you can just pick up the bag and throw it in the dishwasher, the water should have soaked out all the icing. And keep a trash can right by your side! Picking up little bits and pieces of trash all over takes more time than you would think!

i make everything days ahead. i also keep the sink full of hot/soapy water. ...and i clean up a little as i go along, so there won't be a huge mess when i'm done.

I think I am a clean freak too... First I have a room for decorating...BUT before that I did everything in my TINY kitchen. STAY ORGANIZED... and as said a small mess is easier than a typhoon....
I have a bowl that all dirty no longer needed items go in. and I'm with Cake-Princess. Do everything in steps... it is all about being organized. My kitchen is so small that the only thing on the counter is the KA toaster and coffee pot. THE COFFEE POTS NOT MOVING.lol
when the icing crusts it is so easy to just scrape it off into the garbage...then into the dishwasher it goes.
Does anyone else pull out the frige monthly to dust????
I told you I'm a clean freak...
I would DIE if someone had hair or dust or WHATEVER all the stuff under the fridge is in or on their cake.

ok...oh great minds of how to keep a kitchen clean -- or in this case GET it clean....

1) a little trick I've found that works at least for me -- use bathroom cleaner (scrubbing bubbles in my case) to clean the top of the stove and burner rings to get off grease and make that chrome just shine.

figured this one out by accident trying to clean stove from many years of accumulated grease left by previous owner of the house who I swear knew only ONE cooking method -- fry everything

which leads then to....

2) HELP!!! she also didn't know much about keeping floors clean either. in the kitchen she put down waxless floor and then promptly waxed it time and time again w/ mop 'n glo, never bothering to strip off the old before putting on new.

so.... I've tried ammonia straight, letting it soak for a good 10 min several time and, while it got up some, there is still a bunch that won't budge.

Have tried 409, spic n span, fantastic, dish soap (Dawn) and still there are parts that stubbornly remain.

Suggestions, short of putting in a new floor?

ok I second scrubbing bubbles NOT GENERIC.... and I also line the top of frige and a cabnet I have with plastic wrap. No more messy tops to clean. what else. Sorry Doug about the floor I'll search that one out. But Magic erasers work great for lots of stuff. Walls and ceramic stove tops too.

Some of us need all the help we can get! And My mom swore by Heloise!

Hey, there is a seriously good product out there called "The Works". Now, they have a lot of products, kitchen cleaner, drain unclogger, toilet bowl cleaner, etc. Do you know what works better than Lime-a-way and CLR put together? The Works toilet bowl cleaner!! I use it on lots of things... even when the shower head starts spraying funny... a drip of that toilet cleaner into it and it minds it's manners!! That stuff is amazing! I know it sounds funny to use toilet cleaner... but the stuff is awesome!

A plate, a bowl and a damp towel one sink with HOT soapy water... That is really all it takes

A plate for your utensils, a bowl for trash that you need together so you aren't running around wearing yourself out back and forth to trash and a damp towel to wipe those little spots along as you go.

I bake one day...decorate the next.

For my cake batter I've eliminated the need for the big measuring bowl that just needs to be washed by using my digital food scale instead. I took one day to convert the amount of batter I would need for each pan into ounces. Now I simply put my pans on my digital scale and pour the batter directly from the mixer to the pan. Saves me the hassle of cleaning a large measuring bowl and eliminates the time it takes to measure it out and then dump it into the pan. I do the same for my frosting - slap the bowl on the scale and let her go - no more crisco'd or powdered sugar measuring cups, etc.

I use newspaper on counter, plate for spoons, sink of hot water,empty dishwasher, cookie sheet with misc. ingredients so you can just pick it up and put it away quicker...it does help.

You have gotton alot of good info on organizing and cleaning. It has always worked for me to clean as I go. I bake one full day. If I have time I will make the icing also. I keep a bowl on the prep table for trash stuff, and a bowl for my dirty spats, tips etc. I keep wet and dry towels to wipe the prep table after each project. I level when I need to, glaze, and fill all the cakes at one time, and let them sit. I then thin ice all cakes, and let them sit some more. I then have all my orders ready for the final coat of icing, and I ice all of them. Then I can concentrate on the decorating. Each segment has a clean time. At the end I have some dishes and the sweeping and moping and thats it. It is all about organizing.

Yep, I let the icing CRUST over because it comes off easier and more of it comes off therefore less of it goes down my drain!!!

Ok, I understand all the awesome tips about cleaning as you go. That's what I do, most of the time. I also too have a hubbie that's happy to step in and helps with the cleaning part if I ask. But I have to admit, no matter how you comparmentalize it, organize it, or make it efficient -- I STILL HATE THE CLEANING PART!!!! I just wanna decorate!!! LOL...

I have a couple of tips...

1. I store a lot of my baking ingredients on sheet pans. I have a bun rack in my house, so I store them on this, but you can use small baskets kept in your pantry/cabinets, etc. I take the pan down, use whatever I need, and put it back when I'm done. Much easier than going back and forth to get the vanilla, baking powder, etc. (If you can afford to buy a bun rack - it's a HUGE time/space saver. And you can get cheap ones for about $100. When I'm not using mine, it rolls out into the garage.)

2. I also line my counters... but with cling film. I buy the industrial sized rolls at Costco, so it takes a single long piece and my counter is covered. I don't like using parchment or towels, because they can slide around. I have black granite countertops, which are VERY expensive, and it's easier to pull up the film than waste my time cleaning/polishing them again.

3. I keep a stack of paper plates next to my mixer when I'm baking a lot and rest my utensils on it. When it gets really dirty, I lift the top one off and toss it.

4. BAKE IN BULK & FREEZE! The less you bake, the less you have to clean.

5. Crack your eggs on a paper towel placed on your counter. Not only will this keep the "goo" off your counter (or cling wrap), but this little bit of "shock absorber" helps keep shells out of your eggs.

6. I HATE mopping my floors... so I sealed the baseboards with clear caulk to keep dirt, etc. from getting under them. Sealing the space between the floor and the baseboard is a HUGE timesaver. Not only will it keep it dirt out of there, but bugs as well. (I had recent issues with earwigs because of local construction).