So far I've been smooshing out any icing from my tips and other tools, then "melting" it off with hot tap water. Then I let them sit in a bowl of super hot soapy water. Then I go back again and rinse and let them sit again in h/s water, swishing them about. Then I pretty much can just rinse them while I feel around for any reamining greasy stuff. Yeah, that's a lot of steps, but right now it's the only way that seems to thoughrouly get everything clean.

I have tip brushes but that doesn't help my spatulas, my mixing bowls, spoons, measuring cups, whathaveyou..........

Hi, I use a tip cleaner to clean my tips with hot/soapy water. Since I don't have dish washer, I use a sponge and hot soapy water to clean my other stuff.

Do you mean how do you clean tips or everything?

I absolutely can NOT decorate a cake with a messy house LOL yes, I am OCD. I get the house in order and make sure my kitchen is spotless (which is funny since I'm about to make a mess)

I clean as I go. Put things in the dishwasher that I won't need again. After each step in the cake process, I sweep the floor, wash off tables and spatulas, gear up for the next step.

At the end, everything that can go in the dishwasher goes in and I hand wash everything else.

For the tips, after they come out of the dishwasher, I go back with my tip brush and let them air dry on a towel.

EVERYTHING goes in the dishwasher except my KA bowl, paddle, and cake pans. I have those little baskets that are for baby bottle nipples and things like that. I have one that is small enough and perfect for tips and couplers. I rinse with my sprayer first, but I don't spend too much time, then I pop them in the basket and they come out great.

LOL niccicola -- I also have to get my house SPOTLESS before I make a cake! Not even just my kitchen, the WHOLE house. Seeing clutter or a mess around me just stresses me out if I'm caking. I clean much like you -- as I go along. I can't stand feeling like the kitchen is covered in powdered sugar and shortening, so I sweep and wipe things down between each phase. I save all my pain in the arse tools for last and clean with hot soapy water, using a tip brush for tips and letting them air-dry on a paper towel. Clean up is never fun but when it's done and the kitchen is spotless again, I light some candles and enjoy the biggest feeling of accomplishment!!

~Sarah

No Doubt!!! I feel soooo exhausted when I'm done but like I really got something done that day!!

I've worked in restaurants most of my life and it was always a rule "CLEAN AS YOU GO" so it sort of stuck with me.

Well...... after the powdered sugar BOMB goes off..... I put as much as possible in the dishwasher I have a little basket that I put my tips in and they go in the dishwasher as well.

I like easy

Jen

As far as your soap goes, I use Dawn because it is the best degreaser. I am also a veterinary technician and the recipe to get rid of skunk smell uses Dawn and ONLY Dawn to break down the grease.

HTH.
Melissa

I boil my tips then put them in the diswasher after a project has been completed.

I have spray bottle with a colox/water solution to spray and wash everthing down before putting the equipment away.

Everything else goes in the dishwasher. Except for my turntable, which I hand wash.

I soak tips in hot water but for the rest i clean as i go along,i can't stand a sticky floor so if a piece of fondant or something drops on the floor,i have to clean it immediately.

Oh the clean up, *heavy sigh*...wants to talk about "that" well Just before Im about to finish, Ive boiled a small pot of water, turn burner off. And I put it in 2 different bowls...1/2 and 1/2, The I squeeze out the last remaining icing in the bag...do what I will with it.

I disassemble the tips, get a tooth pick and take that chunck of icing out of it...and then I throw in the tips and plastics into one bowl and let it sit. every once in awhile I switch the water around so it moves through the tips. I get the bag turn inside out, and scrape it with the spatula and throw into the other water bowl and let sit...when Im done putting the cake away.

I go back again, and with hot water wash everything by hand.

For my tips after a soak in soapy water I take a tooth pick and a paper towel and clean out the inside, back in the soapy water *swish swish* Rinse out with hot water, dry and put away

I have a awesome husband that cleans up (most of the time) the kitchen when I'm done with a cake. He is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!

djs328, my diswasher came with a little basket, maybe you can go online to kitchenaid or an appliance store and look for one they must sell accessories or replacement parts.

I am new to all of this, but my water gets really hot. I rinse my dishes first, then I wash them as I go. For my tips, I get as much icing as possible out them and then I place them in a small plastic jar with an opening large enough to easily get the tips back out, half full of hot water and soap. Each time I add a tip, I shake the jar up to help "rinse" the icing off the tips. Then, after I am finished with everything, I shake the jar good, empty the old water out, add new soap and hot water, shake again, empty all of it out and I wash by hand and rinse well. It also helps to put the tips in a funnel so that you do not have to hold them under the hot water.

I start by cleaning my house...dusting, vacuuming and then mopping everything. Then I clean my counters very well and start. I leave a sink full of hot water and soap and when I don't need a dish anymore I rinse it first in hot water and then rinse and let it dry. I clean my counters as I go as well, I hate to see the mess...makes my stomach go into knots! Then at the end I vacuum again and mop and clean my counters with soapy water and then put swiffer dust and shine spary on my cabinets to make sure I take off the powder sugar that might have gotten on them. Then after all that I sit down and have some cake scraps..lol!

First clean as you go.. then diswasher dishwasher. my husband laughs and says if my dishwasher would break down he thinks i would have the big one. haha

The first issue of foodnetwork mag. has a article about Bobby Flay he says his kitchen has two dishwashers my kind of man hahahaha.

Whenever I do a cake, since I love doing cakes, I think of the money I get for cakes as a fee to clean up the kitchen. When you're paid $150 to clean your kitchen it doesn't seem such a chore

Like nickshalfpint, I have an incredible husband who is my power cleaner. As I'm working, I clean as I go (including running a swiffer wet mop between each step of the process,) but he does the final "get the kitchen back in order" for me which is perfect timing because I've usually hit the wall by then.

Tips and couplers go into a deep cup/bowl totally covering everything with water add a splish of Dawn and into the microwave for one minute. Let it cool, wash out with tip cleaner or baby bottle brush, rinse then I put them in another bowl of vinegar and water (really cuts any leftover "greasy feel" rinse with hot water again and set on towel to air dry. I check 'em all to make sure I didn't miss anything. They actually come out of the microwave practically spotless anyways. This was a tip from my Wilton instructor. Just make sure you completely cover everything in the cup/bowl with water and don't add too much dawn. And only do one minute on high...

I wish I had a hubby who helped clean up...he HATES when I make cakes, especially bc. The towel over the mixer works great to cut the powdered sugar explosion. My dishwasher is soon to be replaced and I am definately looking for one with the little box thingy.

My daughter can usually be bribed to do it

Skyebaby, I basically do what you do. it sucks doesn't it? And idjitmom, you're lucky lol. *sigh* don't you guys wish you could just magically have all the stuff cleaned without doing anything? I sure do lol.

I put my tips in a small tupperware bowl with soap and hot (hot!)
water and give it a shake (shake shake shake). Let them sit, change the water and do it again. Of course I still wipe inside them with the corner of a paper towel, but there's just no easy way of cleaning the little buggers. As for everything else? Clean before, during and after. It's the only way I keep my sanity