Too Many Doggone Dishes To Wash?
Have you ever come home tired, prepared a meal, relaxed, and then realized you still had a mountain of dishes to wash?
I absolutely can’t stand washing dishes, and I know that I’m not alone. Surely there’s some support group out there for the people, like me, whom can’t stand to spend what seems like an eternity scrubbing, and rinsing, and drying.
I know there’s this wonderful invention out there called a dishwasher, but at times it’s not appropriate to use, or maybe you do not own one.
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the dishwasher, I usually smell too much of the dishwasher detergent on the dishes after the cycle completes (do you enjoy smelling cascade while you eat), or I end up with too few dishes to justify a cycle, or the dishes aren’t clean to my standards after a cycle.
I digress. The purpose of this article is to give you a few tips that will make your time spent washing dishes easier.
1. Get Rid of Dishes You Don’t Use
If you’re anything like me then you probably have too many dishes in your cabinet. Until recently, my family of 3 had way too many dishes in our cabinet. Close to 150 plates, cups, and bowls in the cabinet, it was crazy!
So what generally happened with my army of 3 is we grabbed cup after cup, bowl after bowl, plate after plate until the cabinets were nearly bare. When it was time to wash dishes later on, there was a huge job to do.
To avoid this, get rid of those mismatch plates, cups and bowls. We’ve had so many dishes broken over the years that until recently, our dishes were mismatch, so we bought a beautiful new set of dishes; maybe it’s time you do the same. If you have a 5 person household, do you really need 20 plates from 3 different sets?
You’re probably thinking, “If I throw out all of my extra dishes, what do I do when I have guest over?” Easy solution, you can store those extra dishes in place away from your kitchen and take them out when you have company. But be disciplined, make sure you put those extra dishes back up after your guest leave.
If you really want to have matching ware, you can buy 2 new sets, so that everyone has matching dishes when you have guest over. We have a formal dining set, but we certainly use Dixie cups and plates for a barbecue or get together.
2. Wash or Rinse Dishes After Every Use
It might seem tedious but hear me out. In the morning my little family of 3 might have eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and orange juice for breakfast. That’s easily 10-15 items including silverware. Those dishes sit there all day and the food particles get dry, sticky, and just become a big nightmare later on.
By washing or at least rinsing after every use, you will save yourself a big headache. I use the Scotch-Brite Dishwand because it saves me from having to make dish water. This is ideal if you need to wash just a couple dishes at one time.
3. Use the Same Cup or Glass For the Day
Just because you have a million dishes in your cabinet doesn’t mean you should use them all. Grabbing a new glass every time you want a drink of water is kind of like having a credit card. Instead of paying in cash you are putting the payment off for later.
But like the credit card, eventually, the proverbial bill becomes due; its time to wash dishes.
Assign everyone in your household a glass or cup for the day. If everyone uses just their assigned cup, it will cut down on your overall time spent washing dishes. Of course, you should wash or rinse with hot water after every use. If you find it too hard to use the same glass or cup for the whole day, you can assign everyone a personal water bottle.
4. Everyone Should Pitch In
When you can’t stand washing dishes as much as I do, then you certainly don’t want to be the only washing them. It should be fair to everyone in the household.
While our son is just a little too young to not make a huge mess while washing the dishes, he can certainly help dry them and put them away. Having everyone pitch in will also make it so that they follow the other tips above. They will be more reluctant to dirty dishes if they have to wash them.
How you decide to handle your dish washing is up to you, but if you would like wash less dishes, even one of these tips will help you.
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