Don’t Hide Dishes in Your Oven (And Other Real Cleaning Tips)

Life in Chicago moves fast, and between work, commutes, and trying to have a social life, keeping your apartment clean can feel like a second, unpaid job. We get it. Sometimes, the temptation to just “hide” the mess when company is coming is all too real.

A Cautionary Tale: My Oven Was Not a Dish Cabinet

When I was my absolute messiest, I was not good at doing dishes. My sink was constantly overflowing, and the countertops were covered. My go-to solution when people were coming over? I would just hide the dirty dishes. I’d stash them in cabinets and, on multiple occasions, in the oven.

This strategy, as you can imagine, backfired spectacularly. I’d forget the dishes were in there and preheat the oven. One time, I had plastic Tupperware bowls in there that melted. Plastic was all over the bottom, smoke was everywhere, and the stench was unbelievable. The smoke alarms were blaring. You’d think I’d learn my lesson, but no, this happened multiple times.

So, the number one tip from someone who’s been there: don’t hide dishes in your stove. It’s a fire hazard and creates a much bigger, smellier problem than you started with.

Better Solutions for a Consistently Cleaner Home

Instead of resorting to panic-hiding, here are a few realistic habits that can help you stay on top of the clutter.

1. The 5-Minute Daily Reset

Set a timer for five minutes each evening and do a quick reset. This is a great way to clean your apartment in small, manageable chunks. Load the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, and put away any stray items. This small effort prevents messes from becoming overwhelming.

2. When You Need a Deeper Solution

Sometimes, life gets away from you, and you need a fresh start. That’s when it’s time to call in the pros. A reliable cleaning service near me can be a game-changer. For those bigger jobs, nothing beats a thorough deep cleaning help from a trusted Chicago cleaning company.

3. Make It Easy on Yourself

If you’re consistently short on time, there’s no shame in getting regular support. The best cleaning services in Chicago offer flexible scheduling. You can easily schedule a cleaning that fits your life, ensuring you always come home to a tidy space without the stress.

You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself

Let’s be honest: we all need a little help cleaning my place sometimes. Whether you need a one-time reset or ongoing apartment cleaning, hiring someone to clean my apartment is a valid and effective way to manage your time and sanity. With fast cleaning services available, you can quickly get your space cleaned and get back to enjoying your life.

When I was my absolute messiest, I was not good at doing dishes. There was always dirty dishes everywhere. And then if people were coming over, I would just hide the dirty dishes. I would hide them like in cabinets and in the oven. On multiple occasions, I forgot I had dishes in my oven and I preheated it. And one time I had like a plastic Tupperware bowls and stuff in there which melted. Plastic all on the bottom, all everywhere. Stunk to high heaven. smoke alarms going off and you think that would be the only time, but no, it was multiple times. So, don’t hide dishes in your stove.