Simplify Doing the Dishes

Step 3 Wash As You Go

Now everyone has to wash their dish in order to eat the next meal. At first the kids would still throw their dishes in the sink and then have to scrub them when they wanted to eat again but they've learned the value of washing immediately after eating as the food is not stuck on yet. 

Really the main thing this does is enforce the dishes being washed. If anyone comes to the table without their designated dish it's obvious and asked why they didn't use their designated dish. However it does do two other things that helps make washing dishes less painful.

1. It spits the job among the whole family. Instead of one or two of us tackling a mountain of dishes after dinner, everyone does dishes for a minute or two several times a day. 

2. Allows the job to be done faster because of the reduced number of dishes that have to be done (only 1-3 per person).

Using this simple method we've greatly reduced our dishes disorder.

Comments

[gutzybroad]

I Have used the same system for a long time. The only diffrence is I went to walmart and Bought the same plate bowl and plastic cups in diffrent colors. Every one has there own color and you definatly know if someone is cheating. My kids are 12 and 15, so I've gone as far as giving everyone there own color towel also. I got tired of going to get a towel to find there were none in the closet. only to find them in kid's bed room. now towels get washed with there clothes and put in there closet on there shelves. if they leave them on there floor the use a dirty towel: however I always have a clean one.

[Shanjaq]

This step is by far the most effective. Wash what you use when you use it. The food can't get any easier to rinse off than while it's fresh. =P