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Christmas and New Year are likely to be busy times for cooking and dining, whether you are celebrating with friends and family or simply with your immediate household. According to experts, there is one way you can “reuse” cooking items that are usually thrown in the bin to help with the post-dinner cleanup.

The team at Essential Living recommend using the kitchen foil used during the cooking process to banish “stubborn” grease and grime from plates and utensils.

This is a great hack for those who are particularly environmentally conscious.

An expert from Essential Living said: “Before you throw away any used tin foil, why not reuse it to scrub your oven dishes and stainless steel pans instead.

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“Scrunch your tinfoil into a ball, then wet it and gently rub it into any stubborn spots.

"If the foil dries out, dip it back in the water or grab a fresh piece.

“The aluminium in the foil has the ability to tackle tougher grease as opposed to cloth.”

However, the experts warn not to use this trick on non-stick pans as you could be facing trouble.

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The Essential Living spokesperson said: “Avoid using this hack on your non-stick pans as they are prone to scratch and ruin the pan.”

For particularly tough to clean pans, the experts have another trick up their sleeve.

According to the spokesperson, their "top tip" may be tucked away in your kitchen cupboard - a welcome relief when shops are shut over Christmas.

They explained: "Sprinkle your pans with a thick layer of salt and lemon which will help remove dirt even more as it breaks down the grease with its acidity."

Of course, dishes can begin to pile up during the festive season, and even with the best tools at hand, tackling them can become a chore.

However, some Reddit users have shared their top tips for banishing dirty dishes.

One user named TheBigRedWookie shared a hack they claim can "cut down wash time a lot".

They said: "I've found the easiest method is to immediately rinse them off."

This doesn't necessarily mean tackling entire task straight away, but simply spraying down each plate or item of cutlery with a bit of water and then leaving to soak.

They added: "Just rinse [them] real good.

"Cuts down on the wash time a lot, when you do wash."

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