As a mom, I’m down for saving energy, time, or money. And if it’s something that saves all three at once, sign me up. I don’t go as far as extreme couponing, but give me an easy life-hack and I’m all on board.
One commonly relied on product in my household is aluminum foil. I tend to use it for cleaning more than cooking, and it’s the one thing I truly need a Costco membership for.
While some of these hacks might not be new to you, hopefully there is one new hack below that saves you time or energy so you can spend more time with your kids!
Hack 1: Foil “Trash Can” When Cooking
I use more foil in this manner than actually for cooking, and it’s my best cleaning hack. I lay a sheet of foil next to me when cooking. This becomes my catch-all “trash can” for everything. Carrot peels, trimmed chicken fat, potato skins, you name it. Then when I am done cooking, I ball everything up and throw it away. Not only did I save time from walking back and forth to my trash can, but I save time cleaning. It’s the same idea as a trash bowl, but without having to wash another bowl!
Hack 2: Foil Ball “Sponges”
No matter the amount of non-stick spray I use, there is always residue from our meals baked onto my pots and pans. When my heavy-duty sponge just isn’t doing the trick, I ball up a piece of foil and scrub off the tough residue. My husband also adopted this trick for cleaning his grill, and it works just as well as his old rusty, metal cleaning brushes. Goodbye burnt cheese!
Hack 3: Foil Grease Catcher
Another cleaning trick that’s worth sharing: foil grease catcher. When draining cooked meat, I use foil to catch the grease. I then allow the fat and grease to cool to a solid and then ball up the foil and throw it away. It keeps the grease out of the sink AND makes the disposal super easy.
First, get a bowl that is larger than your colander. Then, line it with foil. Lastly, place your colander on top so that all grease drains from the colander onto the foil. Once hardened, toss!
