Boring question of the day: Do you clear away before or after eating?

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So, let's pretend you've made yourself eggs on toast for lunch.

Do you leave the cooking things out whilst you eat and clear everything away after.

Or do you clear the cooking things before sitting down to eat?

Id put the bread, by the, eggs etc away as i go. Put any washing up next to the sink, leave pan to cool. Id probably wipe the side down too. Before

Clear up what I can but no, not actively washing up and wiping down until after I have eaten something like that. It gets cold!

Put stuff in the warming drawer and clear up before eating.

I clear as I'm cooking, and then stick the last bits in hot soapy water while I eat, unless it's a one-pot wonder that I can quickly clean while everyone is sitting down.

I eat and then pass out. Boyfriend tidies kitchen while complaining.

While I'm cooking. Don't like coming back in to a messy kitchen.

Eat first - what is the point of making hot food if it's cold by the time you eat it because you cleaned and washed up first?!

@TeeBee

While I'm cooking. Don't like coming back in to a messy kitchen.

but what about the last things before serving? For example, the frying pan and whatever utensil you use to get the egg out of the pan and onto your toast - when does that get cleared away and washed up?

Eat first, then clear up - I like to eat my food piping hot, so not willing to wait until the frying pan is washed

If the dishwasher has space I clean as I go but the last few bits can wait. I'm not letting my food go cold.
If the dishwasher is full I stack the lot and deal with it after.
I don't understand cleaning as you go. What if you need the sharp knife/chopping board/spoon again? I particularly get annoyed when DH or FIL tidy as I'm cooking.

Before, generally. Unless it's a large meal like a roast or something with leftovers that I need to sort for the freezer, in which case I'll do it after.

Clean as I go. Stack any pots or pans in dishwasher. If I didn’t have a dishwasher I’d leave bits on the side ready to wash up after my meal. I’d be having to wash up the plate and utensils I’d used during eating so why let my food go cold in order to wash up twice!

I try to clear up as I cook, but once the food is ready I want to eat it. Can't stand having a messy table to eat at, though, it has to be clean and free of cooking utensils etc.

Eat first.
Might fill the dishwasher in the final stages of cooking if I'm waiting around but last pan and spatula etc, get left where they are.
I'd find it deeply unattractive for someone to insist on washing up and wipe down while I'm sat there, fork in hand, watching it congeal and go cold.

Eat first!!! I can't stand letting hot food go all cold and soggy.

I used to get so annoyed at my mum for cleaning up before but now I do it too. I can enjoy my food more that way.

I wash up as I go along - then any pans get put into soak while I eat. Washing up done afterwards before the food hardens and the water goes cold!

@ginsparkles

If I am cooking I clear down as I go, If my husband is in charge of the kitchen I tackle the war zone after eating !

This

ginsparkles
If I am cooking I clear down as I go, If my husband is in charge of the kitchen I tackle the war zone after eating !

This was how it seemed to go with DH so I changed the rules to cool and clear up your own stuff.

DH is beginning to get the hang of clearing up as you go.

Leave those where they are and eat the eggs on toast while it is still hot.

Oops, quote function didnt work. That was in reply to:

For example, the frying pan and whatever utensil you use to get the egg out of the pan and onto your toast - when does that get cleared away and washed up?

My Dad once hid the frying pan from me as I didn't wash it up immediately.
It was a cast iron pan and fucking hot.
He was a strange man.

@madcatladyforever

A week later usually

Clean as I go if using a saucepan for example for soup after pouring into the bowl by the time I have put it in the sink and popped in some fairy and water the soup should be less "burn the roof of my mouth" like .

Both. I clear and wash up as I cook but there is usually quite a few things left to wash up as the food is served ( depending on the meal being cool d) so then I clear up afterwards as well. It is one of the reasons I loathe cooking. All that washing up, sweeping floors and cleaning surfaces . Never mind a cleaner, I've always said I'd prefer a cook over a cleaner any day, as long as they cleared up after every meal . Unfortunately we don't seem to have those in modern life