Cooking is fun. Cleaning is... well, cleaning. So to minimize the mess, take out these non-cooking items when you cook.

1. Garbage bowl. How many minutes are wasted walking over to the trash can or compost bin with handfuls of peelings or scraps (dropping some in the process). Instead, use a bowl on the counter where you work to consolidate all of your cooking waste.

2. Flexible cutting mat. Cut those veggies and onions on a flexible mat. When it's time to transfer them, pick the mat up, bend it, and funnel everything neatly into the pot.

3. Take the trash can or recycling bin out of the cupboard. Cooking something that requires using a lot of canned or boxed goods? Take the recycling bin out of the cupboard, set it by the counter and drop everything in at once as you open it.

4. Put reusable measuring spoons in a cup. Put a cup or ramekin in front of you while baking or cooking. Then, if you use a measuring spoon that you know you’ll want to use again, drop it in the cup so you don't forget about it and get out a new one. This also keeps spoon use down.

5. Splatter screen Use a splatter screen when rendering fat, sautéing, or shallow-frying and you will save time on cleanup later.

6. Fill a bottle with soapy water. Have a bottle full of soapy water ready. It makes you more likely to spray scummy spots immediately, and wipe down the counters as you go, instead of leaving them to get crust