Stop Unloading the Dishwasher

Let's play a game.

What's your least favorite household cleaning chore to do?

Ready. Set. Go.

Mine is unloading the dishwasher. For some reason I just loathe it. It takes time. It needs to be done frequently. And I can't get to my dirty dishes until I get this job done. Yargh. For awhile, it felt like I was running and unloading the dishwasher once a day. Ain't no one got time for that.

Enter efficiency.

Every house needs to run with efficiency. It makes things simpler. It means less cleaning for you. And it makes life a little more bearable, especially when you have littles.

In order to simplify this task I went to Target and bought the cutest plastic plates I could find (I am more likely to stick with ideas if they have some cuteness factor to them), two new plastic water bottles with lids and straws, and two new single sets of flatware. I then told my husband that these new items were for daily use and that they were not allowed to be put in the dishwasher. Ever. Need a plate? You can only use this one. Need a cup. This is the only one you get! That's right, we started using the same silverware and plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And we both use the same two cups to drink out of every single day. I wash these dishes by hand after every meal (which takes about as much time as it would to put them into the dishwasher) and put them in the drying rack to be used for the next meal.

Happy Dance.

With this system I have cut down my dishwasher use to only 1-2 times per week. Yay!