121409-broom.jpg During the holiday season, your kitchen can often feel like a war zone instead of the heart of the home. At any given time you can find one or more of the following in our own kitchen: Cookies for shipping, cooling cakes to be frozen for later parties, jerky and fruit being dried, plus our nightly dinner preparations. Here's 7 things to take a look at to keep things under control.

Do you have a place or two you always remember to give an extra look at before company comes over? Share your secret dirt collecting spot in the comments below!

• Handles and Pulls: Most everyone at some point in time has had to open a drawer or cabinet while your hands are covered in biscuit dough or something equally icky and sticky. It's easy to forget about such things, so make sure to give them a wipe down before your holiday guests find your stray crusty fingerprints.

• Small Appliances: Our food processor, blender and mixer are all getting quite the workout lately and it's always nice to give them a once over to remove stuck marshmallow fluff that went unnoticed and an array of fingerprints that have occurred from their frequent use.

• Extra Serving Ware: Now's the time to check your serving pieces to make sure they are all good to go. Pick a day you won't be baking or cooking much else to free up space in your dishwasher or sink in case they need a quick run through. Remember the basic tableware along with large serving platters, bowls and stemware.

• Your Trashcan: It sounds silly to say your trashcan might need a scrubbing. But there's bound to be a few splatters up against the side from a cracked eggshell that didn't quite make it in or the like. Just give it a simple wipe down to keep it in tip top shape.

• Inside of Your Workhorse Appliances: Check the inside of your microwave, stove and dishwasher for bits of stuck on junk. It could have been a casserole that boiled over or chili that splattered when you weren't looking, but a good once over is always nice, especially when gone unattended you could cause a little smoke or even a dishwasher that isn't keen on draining!

• Refrigerator: Before you know it your fridge will be packed to the gills with food waiting to be prepared or cooked off for your holiday feasts. It will make it easier to fit it all in if you take the time to dig through old condiments, left overs and any spills that might have occurred. It's always amazing how clean your glass shelves become, even when they don't look all that dirty!

• Range Hood: For those who have experienced the gross that can accumulate on top of a range hood, you'll know how easy it is to collect all kinds of things up there at a rather quick rate.

Related: Kitchen Cleaning Products: What Are Your Favorites?

(Image: Flickr member Kaiton licensed for use by Creative Commons)