Washing dishes gives me an excuse to watch my "guilty pleasure" television show simultaneously. Or listen to a good podcast. Or just have on a good NPR show.

I generally wash dishes while I'm waiting for other things to happen in the kitchen (toast to brown, microwave to finish, kettle to boil, etc.). You can actually get quite a lot of dishes done in 3-5 minutes, and you'd be in the kitchen anyway. The trick is to make sure the dishes in the sink are filled with water so that you don't have stuck-on food particles that require a lot of elbow grease to get off. If they're filled with water, the food comes right off with a simple swipe of the sponge.

Note that this doesn't work after cooking a meal that uses a lot of prep dishes or pots, nor does it work when I've had guests over and have more dishes than my boyfriend and I will produce on our own. But most of the time, it's fine.

I do something similar, where I say I'll wash only the dishes that are sitting in the sink (as opposed to what's left on the table, stove, etc.). The hardest part is getting started, and once I do, I always end up finishing washing every dirty dish I can find. Same goes for exercising: I tell myself that all I have to do is put on my running shoes, and before I know it I'm out the door!

Just an FYI: If you have the option, running a dishwasher load uses less water than it takes to wash that same load of dishes by hand. Unless it isn't dishwasher safe or won't fit, I now put EVERYTHING (pots and pans too) in the dishwasher. Saves time, aggravation, and water.

I find using a sponge for dishes is super gross. Unless the sponge completed dries up between washes it will accumulate a lot of gross stuff (lots of invisible germs). I use a cloth, which I dry between wash and just often replace with a freshly washed one. Also, for scrubbing I use nylon brushes with a handle, or steel wool for the more serious scrubbing.

I like to use the time I'm on the phone to do my cleaning. I got a wireless headset specifically for that purpose and I'm loving it. So when I talk for an hour or two on the phone with my mother or family members, I dont waste any time, I clean up at the same time. I also love to listen to the radio shows or podcasts.

I get myself to this task easier while I'm cooking. I would be in the kitchen anyway, watching the pot of soup, or check the oven from time to time. This way I get two tasks done at once.

I am grateful for my dishwasher every single day! But I only run it once daily, so I also use the soapy sponge trick for the breakfast dishes and wine glasses, which I hate putting in the dishwasher.
It really does work, it's quick, and you can do a LOT of dishes with that one 'loaded' sponge! And you use very little water too, just a little for rinsing...

I wash as many as I can fit in the dish rack and tackle another task while the dishes dry. Then I put them away and wash the rest. I always nuke the sponge, so it doesn't feel gross at all.

@Areana: I think that the invisivble germs will accumulate on cloth as well as on a sponge. As long as you wash and dry them after you finish with your washing they're fine. :)
I like washing the dishes or loading the dishwasher while I'm cooking so that at the end of the meal there are only the plates, cutlery and glasses left out.

I often "trick" myself into doing the dishes by using the time it takes to make a cup of tea (heating up the water and steeping the tea long enough) to do the dishes. It works out perfectly and I would have been standing around in the kitchen anyway!

Dishes are one chore I try not to procrastinate, it only takes more time and work to clean dishes that have food dried on them. So, I 'trick' myself into doing them right away by telling myself that it will save me time.

I do something similar.... since I do most of my kitchen prep on Sundays (chopping, dough-making, etc), during the week while the water's boiling for pasta or the oven's preheating or there's pizza baking, I deal with only as many dishes as time allows during the "wait" portion of meal prep.

I usually do a ten (or five) minute rule instead, and I challenge myself to finish all of the dishes. If I've been cleaning as I go, the dishes almost never take more than ten minutes, so it's really just getting over there and getting started that makes it so hard.

If it fits in my dishwasher, it goes in :) I have more important things to do with my time than standing at the sink with my hands in dirty water :)

Unless you're cooking or baking something that requires a large amount of bowls, pans, etc., why would you let it get to the point of a "towering piles of plates and bowls"? If you don't have a dishwasher, maybe washing after every meal would be the easiest thing to do so you don't get so overwhelmed you need to take 'breaks' from washing dishes.

People will keep the same sponge for at least 2 weeks to a month (often much longer) at a time. All sponges will become mildew after a few uses (despite the anti bacterial product some comes with -- the anti bacterial product in it is far gone after a few uses of the sponge). So unless washed in dishwasher (or maybe microwaved), sponges need to be dried and sanitized at least every other day, or replaced every week or two to limit germs accumulation.

If you read around, dish sponges are often the dirtiest pieces in a kitchen. They are constantly left damp in the kitchen sink, the germiest place in a household. Tests of sponges used in home kitchens show that most of them are a safety hazard -- carrying potentially dangerous bacteria - which you then spread all over your kitchen when you wipe/clean it down with a sponge.

Yes, clothes also accumulates germs but it's easier to keep totally try in between wash (sponge takes forever to dry) and also, just easy to throw in the laundry every other days. So no germ accumulation there for weeks at time.

areana - I like to microwave my sponge to get it super clean. Just make sure its damp before you stick it in the microwave

The thing I don't get with the dirty sponge claims is each time you use the sponge you fill it up with soap - - which kills and washes away the bacteria! I understand that they are perfect breeding grounds for growing bacteria, but they are also washed continuously. I've never seen a study that then goes on to say how many of the sponge's bacteria actually get put onto our plates as we clean them, stick to the plates despite running them under hot water, and then are later able to get us sick. I'm guessing, based on my own experience, almost none.

I've never gotten sick from using a dish-sponge and I don't know anyone that has. Must be all those immunities we've built up from not being terrified of germs.

I usually drag my laptop into the kitchen and watch some tv shows on Netflix while I wash dishes. Netflix recently changed their player to automatically move onto the next episode which I rejoice in, since it means I'm not drying my hands off every 20 minutes to switch to the next episode.

Occasionally James Brown will join me in cleaning, and he is a great motivator as well.

The dishwasher v/s handwash water use really depends on method. If you have one pot of soapy water, scrub a few dishes, and then rinse them all at once it uses MUCH less water than running the faucet all the time...and I'd bet less than the dishwasher!

Regarding gross sponges: I like to saturate mine in vinegar then nuke it in the microwave. The vinegar steam softens stuck on crud and I just do a quick wipe of the interior to clean it. Sponge & microwave cleaned simultaneously!

I currently use a filter drip coffee maker for my morning coffee, which requires that I boil water and then pour the water into the filter several times, all of which takes between 15-20 minutes and requires me to remain in the kitchen. I discovered that it takes about the same amount of time to wash my dishes, so that is what I do while I boil my water and wait for the filter to empty before my next pour. It allows me to wake up a little and I find I feel like I've started my day off in a productive way.

@Tatterhood, I totally agree. I turn off the faucet after rinsing each item and have found I use MUCH less water. Plus, I'm single and don't have that many dishes, so if I tried to save them up in order to run the dishwasher, I'd never have what I needed!

I microwave my sponge once in a while, but honestly, I've never gotten sick from anything I do in the kitchen, so I figure I'm doing all right. I sanitize surfaces with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and am careful with meat, so using a dish sponge seems like a mild offense.

I agree with @Tatterhood and @ScuttledCuttle. (Such cute names!) Those claims of dishwashers using less water than handwashing were created by dishwashing companies and determined by washing dishes with the water continuously running.

http://www.treehugger.com/kitchen-design/built-in-dishwashers-vs-hand-washing-which-is-greener.html

Odds are, your dishwasher is greener than hand washing.

This site is called Apartment Therapy. How many apartments have dish washers?

I "trick" myself into doing the dishes by the following conversation with myself: "Think I'll just stack these dishes on the counter to get them out of the sink. Well, I might as well fill the sink a little and soak the flatware. Suppose I should put the plates on top, too, to let them soak. But, I like doing plates. I'll just wash the plates. Those stacked up nicely. Think I'll just wash these few bowls, too, while I'm at it and the water is hot. Hm, there aren't too many glasses. Think I'll just do them, too." By this time, the flatware is easy and the pots can either be filled to soak or scrubbed to get them out of the way, too. It's what works for me.

Ms Melly,

Mine does.

QUOTE: Must be all those immunities we've built up from not being terrified of germs.

@ KirstenWI: Ha, ya think? Pure wisdom.

QUOTE: This site is called Apartment Therapy. How many apartments have dish washers?

@ Ms Melly: Hm...I've lived in half a dozen apartments all of which were equipped with dishwashers. The only time I did not have a dw was the couple yrs I rented a house.

I've never lived at a place that has a dishwasher in my entire life, but I don't care because I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't mind doing the dishes. I do them after each meal and that's it, no need for another incentive than "yuck, I hate waking up to a gross sink filled with dirty dishes". Regarding dirty sponges, er... not only you put new soap each time, but don't you rinse your dishes? Doesn't that take the germs away?

I've never lived in an apartment, nor heard of one, that doesn't have a dishwasher. I also assumed they came standard, same as a fridge or stove.

Dishwashers are definitely NOT standard in a rental (or even when buying)! I grew up without a dishwasher and after several apartments am just now in one that has a dishwasher. I do use it, but only if I have a lot of dishes to do (after a dinner party or something like that). I know there are arguments that it uses less water, but I grew up in a family that was very aware of conserving water. When I hand wash dishes I use a tub with a small amount of hot water/soap to scrub everything clean. They then go in the other side of the sink where they all rinsed off at once. I also try to use the leftover water for flowers or the toilet tank. When I use my dishwasher I can hear how long the water runs for, and it definitely seems like it uses more (albeit, for a larger amount of dishes). I also tend to wash as I cook (especially for a big meal or party), so the clean-up after is minimal. I can't imagine letting them build up so much that you have to wash them in shifts!

I think the dishrag vs. sponge thing is personal preference. I'm kind of grossed out by sponges, but growing up my mom always used dishrags so that's what I'm used to. To me, it's easier throw the cloths in when I wash towels than to have to remember to microwave a sponge regularly. In my opinion using a cloth is more environmentally friendly, as well. Sponges will break down eventually and have to be replaced, whereas a dishrag can keep being reused (think paper napkin vs. cloth). It's also a good way to repurpose old bath washclothes or you can crochet some out of leftover materials.

I wash my dishes while waiting for the kettle to boil.

I never use anything for washing dishes but a long handled brush. I am not a germophobe but really, folks, those sponges are gross. Even with hot water and soap they are a breeding ground. I keep barmops on hand for wiping down the counters and a different color for the floor and I am not averse to using a paper towel once in a while. They DO grow trees especially for towel companies -- it's not as if I'm denuding the rain forest. I have been in houses where the kitchen linen never seems to be replaced or washed, or even bleached on the rare occasions when it is laundered. I have a dishwasher and also wash things by hand. My dishwashing brushes go in the machine, and are replaced every couple of months. Microwaving a sponge only makes it hot - doesn't kill germs.

Why don't you just wash the dishes right after you finish using it? That way there is not a pile of dishes to wash later. If you have kids teach them to was their dishes after they use it. I purchased my kids their own set each. Every one had their own color set, if it was not clean at dinner time that person would have to wash their dish before dinner. After a week of this every one learned to wash their own dishes after each use.

I have an EnergyStar dishwasher which really does use less water than typical sink washing for the same amount of stuff. I put my eco-friendly sponges in with the dishes to sanitize them.

My approach is load them as I use them -- the minute I'm done with a bowl or tool or pan it goes into the dishwasher, so by the time I serve food all the prep stuff is loaded. As soon as I clear up after the meal, the things go straight into the dishwasher, not the counter, not the sink. I rarely use so much that there is too much for the machine, but when that does happen, as soon as I run the first batch and it cools, I put those things away and load the next batch.

All this mainly happens when we entertain, since we eat most meals out. I normally only run one batch per week, with breakfast things and beverage containers from throughout the week. But the premise holds. Load as you use things, run the machine when it's full, and IMMEDIATELY put those things away so the machine is empty to re-start the cycle. It has worked for me for years, and my friends think I'm an obsessive neatnik -- which I am definitely not! (Oh, and I did this the few times I lived without dishwashers, as well -- but then I lived alone and had even fewer things to wash.)

Handwash vs dishwasher...the thing is I usually run out of spatulas (I own two) before I can run a full-load. So while the research indicates the dishwasher uses less water and time...I feel bad about running it only half full (or half-empty). But it icks me out to grab a dirty utensil and hand wash it right before I need it.

I've lived in 5 apartments and none of them had dishwashers.

I always thought having a dishwasher was pretty standard in an apartment too. An apartment without a dishwasher is deal breaker for me. I guess Im just spoiled lol. Maybe its a regional thing. I live in the south, and just about every apartment comes with one. The only thing thats usually optional is a washer/dryer.

That's total paranoia about germs in sponges and in dark corners. If you keep reasonable cleaniness, nothing bad will happen to you. It's excessive scrubbing, using disinfectants, bleach (you know that's toxic, right?) etc that are bad for you. Like those 'hand cleansers' you see everywhere. Don't use 'em.

That said, I love OP's one-sponge take on cleaning.

Modern Dishwashers do use less water than if you run the tap while hand washing. Otoh, if you have a double bowl sink and use one for soaping & the other for rinsing, you're ahead.

I have a much easier method, I think. My sink is rectangular and I have a rectangular plastic bin thing that fits in half of it. It's a small plastic storage bin and the lid lives down the side of the fridge. I fill the bin with warm soapy water. Once a utensil, plate, cup, bowl, whatever is used it goes into the soapy water. Once I can't fit anything else in, I half fill the sink with cold water. Because the stuff has been soaking, it only needs minor washing. Then rinse in the cold water and drain. It takes about three minutes, if that. If ever I need to hide the dirty dishes, I just put the lid on the bin.

Good music, glass of wine or allowing myself to watch an episode is my motivation to tackle a sinkful of dirty dishes.
Oh and i have not had a dishwasher since I lived at home, 21 years ago.

I've lived in Brooklyn, NY my whole life. No one I know has ever moved in an apartment that had a dishwasher.

I doubt that my 98 year old buildings pipes could handle it. This place doesn't allow washing machines either, and still uses fuse boxess instead of circuit breakers. A dishwasher would be a dream come true.

Actually, if it gets over 150F,germs are killed off, at least the typical food borne illness ones.
And while "they" do have monoculture tree plantations, it is at the cost of old growth forests.
Lessening demand for disposable paper products lessens the demand to clear cut old forest.

I live in an apartment with a small kitchen. I got a countertop dishwasher that I store in a pantry on a cart with wheels. I roll out when I need it. It is awesome. Couple hundred bucks; you plug it into the sink faucet and into a regular outlet for power. Does a bunch of dishes and is energy star rated. Love it.
http://www.amazon.com/SPT-SD-2201W-Countertop-Dishwasher-White/dp/B004MX8XO6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350685927&sr=8-1&keywords=countertop+dishwasher

If the dirty sponge bothers you, do what I do: Run it through the dishwasher. Or toss it in the microwave. Either way will kill the germs.

Seriously, why do so many AT commenters feel the need to be rude when they have a differing opinion? Why not just say "I prefer to do the dishes all at once", rather than "be a grown up and do the damn dishes?"

AT is a community - let's make it a nice one.

I find, like @PerryA, that if I can just get started, my attitude usually changes to "what else can I find to wash?"

The One Soapy Sponge idea is a good one, though. A good trick to get me started.

I don't put chopsticks in the dishwasher.

Recently I came across portable, countertop dishwashers for under $200! They come with an attachment that supposedly fits most sink faucets. Were I to rent a place with no d/w, I'd consider it well worth the cost to buy one of those!

Thanks, ElleOh, It really is incredible how many people on this website seem to TRY to be rude! If someone has a strong opinion I don't mind hearing it, that's not what I'm saying. But sometimes if I myself am in a grouchy mood, I just decline to comment. Makes me feel much better later, to not have been ugly to someone.

Been doing it for years. Only way I can cope - with only one sink!

I only use crocheted scrubbies. That way I know they're fully cleaned. Sponges totally give me the heebie jeebies. I used to HATE doing dishes with the fiery passion of Hades. Then I realized that, as a mom, time where I can say "Not right now" and not feel a lick of guilt about it was very few and far between. Dishes became "my time" to think, make mental lists, or just zone if needed. Changing the way you see the chore will really help with the hate.

Regarding the handwashing vs dishwashing debate, our current home has no dishwasher and I find I use far less water. Having only had them in apartments (we all know how crappy the cheap ones are), I always had to prerinse. Seemed redundant. Now I use a two bowl sink. One with hot, soapy water, one with cold rinse water. No running the tap past that. The cold helps the soap come off better. Also, consider how much soap you use when doing dishes. Most people use the same amount of soap whether it's plain or ultra concentrate. The point of the ultra concentrate is to not use as much. Seriously, two drops in a full sink of the ultra is more than enough. Then there's far less rinsing to be done.

i wash the dishes every morning while waiting for the kettle to whisle.

@eHomebody EXACTLLLLLLLLLY MY WAY...Oh, how we hate it...; (

In this area, all reasonably new apartments have dishwashers. Anything built before the 80s might or might not have them, however, even many of them have been renovated over the years. You probably won't find them, in really cheap rentals, however unless they are in a newer building.

Clean as you go along. I learned this system when I was a teenager working in small restaurants. And toss that sponge into the dishwasher every now and then, too, to help get it clean. And if you happen to live with someone else but have some psychological diversion or sense of entitlement concerning cleaning up after yourself, there's a special place in Hell for you. Really.

A few ways to make it easier:

1. If you don't plan on washing the dishes RIGHT AWAY (like say, breakfast dishes or a plate from lunch), give them a quick rinse. (No stuck-on food particles).

2. Start with a clean kitchen every time you cook. If it already looks halfway to being a horror show, you better believe it'll make it all the way there before you're done.

3. Clean as you go. It's easier to wash a frying pan and a few bowls while dinner's cooking in the oven. Less to do at the end of the night.

4. Put dishes away while waiting for random tasks to finish in the kitchen. You're more likely to wash more if the drying rack is already clear.

5. Make positive associations with cleaning tasks. I always blare my favourite up-tempo songs while cleaning house. Especially the dishes. I totally swish and grove while I wash the dishes.

6. *If* you have the time, might as well wash that one plate and glass you used for your quick lunch. Takes a minute. Tops.

But if you do this, you have dirty dishes standing around most of the time... that doesn't sound good to me, and I'm a lazy person (that's why I've got a dishwasher in my apartment).

I've been visiting this site for years and still am surprised by how judgmental some people are just because someone does something a bit differently.

A dishwasher was a must-have for me in an apartment, but I got saddled with one that works horribly. Things often come out just as dirty as they went it, and the rinse-aid dispenser doesn't work.

maybe I need to try this. Washing by hand always seems more daunting.

When my dishwasher was broken and I was waiting on my income tax money to purchase a new one, I did dishes in the sink. I would fill the sink with super hot water, add dish liquid, and then put in the pre-rinsed dishes. I don't like food particles in the dish water! When the water cooled enough for me to put my hands in, the dishes were already pretty clean from the soapy soak and required only a quick going on with a sponge or cloth. I rinsed the dishes and stacked them up to dry. I replaced the water or added more hot water and put in the next "load" to soak. My method works for me and gets the dishes clean and sanitary with minimal effort. Some things are okay to wash with a soapy sponge, but I prefer a sink full of soapy water if there are a lot of dishes.

When there are a lot of dishes, like after company's been over, I set a timer for 10 minutes. I was surprised how much I could get done in 10 minutes. It has made me less reluctant to start when I know it doesn't take as long as you thought.

I learned proper Dept of Health approved hand dish-washing at a job years ago (3 basins - soap, rinse, sanitize w/bleach, then air dry), so I know how to do it water-efficiently, but most days I wash with the water running.

I've been reading all about the debates (dishwasher vs hand washing; and sponge vs cloth), all very interesting. What I can say regarding the sponges is - 1) I use them; 2) I will continue to use them; 3) I was concerned about bacteria (even though I have never gotten sick, sigh); so 4) I recently discovered a web site that said hands-down the best way is to let a sponge dry out in the full sun for 10 days.

I have tried many many different methods for cleaning a sponge. Vinegar, lemon juice, microwave, dishwasher. And the person who recommended the sun method was in fact hands-down correct, and that method was the best. I do not smell bacteria on my sponge (by the way, this is not the sponge I was dishes with, but rather the one I use to clean off countertops, and surfaces) anymore. Will it come back, the smell? Probably. If I must, I will put it in the sun again, where a second one is drying out right now. This method seems to really work and be more effective than the other methods. It's lasted longer, certainly.

I've been reading all about the debates (dishwasher vs hand washing; and sponge vs cloth), all very interesting. What I can say regarding the sponges is - 1) I use them; 2) I will continue to use them; 3) I was concerned about bacteria (even though I have never gotten sick, sigh); so 4) I recently discovered a web site that said hands-down the best way is to let a sponge dry out in the full sun for 10 days.

I have tried many many different methods for cleaning a sponge. Vinegar, lemon juice, microwave, dishwasher. And the person who recommended the sun method was in fact hands-down correct, and that method was the best. I do not smell bacteria on my sponge (by the way, this is not the sponge I was dishes with, but rather the one I use to clean off countertops, and surfaces) anymore. Will it come back, the smell? Probably. If I must, I will put it in the sun again, where a second one is drying out right now. This method seems to really work and be more effective than the other methods. It's lasted longer, certainly.

I'd rather do all my ironing, and yours too, instead of the dishes. I buy anti-microbial scrubber/sponges, and toss them in the washer when I launder the kitchen linens. When a kitchen sponge is ready to be retired, I use scissors to cut one corner off, which reminds me not to use it for dishes. Then I use it for general cleaning purposes until it needs to be thrown away.

We have the rule that it gets washed up as soon as its used. This means while waiting for the lasagne to cook, the pots get washed, as soon as the mug is empty it gets washed. It works brilliantly!

I hate washing dishes and I don't trust most apartment dishwashers. My last place had a dishwasher and it was gross, so I used it as a heated drying rack for my dishes.

I have no dishwasher this time around, but I do have a two chamber sink. So I basically soak, scrub, rinse. But that soak phase lasts REALLY long. And if I'm really busy (sometimes I'm gone from 6a-3a), I don't wash those damn dishes.

So now, to get myself going, I just watch a movie...and I never leave dishes in the rack before I start washing. Just makes the task even more overwhelming seeing things piled up somewhere, even if they are clean.

"Modern Dishwashers do use less water than if you run the tap while hand washing. Otoh, if you have a double bowl sink and use one for soaping & the other for rinsing, you're ahead.'

Seems like the 'dishwashers are greener' proponents might want to specify this (rather important) caveat, then. Because I have never seen anybody run the tap while hand washing. I live in Australia, and that would be considered a ridiculous waste of water.

Once you throw in the electricity they take to run, it kind of scuttles the 'dishwashers are so environmentally-friendly' claims.

Honesly, washing dishes by hand is just not that big a deal.

Try dishwasher... :)

I hate doing the dishes, so I like to set a kitchen timer when I'm putting them off. If it's only a few dishes, 2 minutes max, if it's a lot of dishes, maybe 8 minutes max. I race against the timer, and I somehow always get them all done!

I wash my sponge in the dishwasher every day, along with the dishes, and replace it once a month. And while I realize all the studies say that the sponge is the grossest thing in the kitchen, but I've never gotten sick from one, even before I started taking care of mine. :)

I get high.

You could put me to any mundane task and I would realize how much it sucks, but continue doing it anyway.

"The filthiest culprit in our homes is the kitchen sponge or cloth

According to Gerba, there are about 10 million bacteria per square inch on a sponge, and a million on a dishcloth.

In other words, a kitchen sponge is 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat, and a dishcloth is 20,000 times dirtier.

This is the same the world over.

"Always the dirtiest thing by far is the kitchen sponge," says John Oxford, professor of virology at the University of London and chair of the Hygiene Council - an international body that compares hygiene standards across the world."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20324304

Good suggestions. I also had a countertop dishwasher that was wonderful. I take a stainless steel bowl, fill with hot soapy water, take a clean, every single day clean, dishrag, and wash from the bowl and rinse with hot water. I don't put stuff in the bowl so water stays cleans. You do not have to do dishes in sequence..glasses first or whatever..just grab what is nearest. You are allowed to change the water and the dishrag. Just air dry.

Some of the comments here make me laugh.. I feel your pain. I must admit, I am not a clean-freak BUT when it comes to dishes clean-as-you-go is A MUST otherwise dishes accumulate and its just an avalanche waiting to happen!

I live in a country in Europe where dishwashers aren't a common appearance, just a luxury. Electricity and water are expensive here and its just a wasteful to pay for BOTH water AND electricity to wash dishes! And it is obvious that the dishwasher route wastes more water as dishes must be pre-rinsed before loading or else the grime is caked on and dishes will never be sparkling clean!

Hand washing during cooking and after every meal (if possible every time something goes into the sink) is the key to efficiency. Procrastination is a big NO NO. Trust me, you will thank yourself later.

My solution may not work for everyone, but sometimes I just have to overcome my aversion to posting and put something out there...

Step 1: First child seen clears the right-side of the sink, and proceeds to wash and rinse all pots, pans, cookie-sheets, (all the hard-wares), etc.

Step 2: Second child seen puts away hard-wares, and proceeds to wash all silver and utensils.

Step 3: Third child seen stows silver and utensils, then washes anything with a handle (mostly mugs and cups at this point).

Step 4: I slide in and wash the easy stuff like plates and bowls - maybe a few tall drinking glasses without handles

Step 5: Send the entire platoon in to put away air-dried dishes and rag-dry the occasional item.

This system is particularly good for us since the 12-year-old can tackle Step 1, then when my 14-year-old gets home from ballet he can do Step 2, and finally the 16-year-old can execute Step 3 after school and help with Step 5 before she heads to work. Sometimes this happens over a the 2pm to 5pm timeline, but usually happens much more quickly between about 230pm and 4pm...leaving all clean stuff for that evening's dinner.

I love delegating; even more so now that they are my kids and not my employees

Laying Low @ Home,

DownHomeDad