Dish Washing Tips
Posted on 22. Mar, 2009 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in House, Personal
About a year ago, we tore our kitchen apart during our home renovation, and we still haven’t put it back together yet.
We haven’t installed kitchen counters, a kitchen sink, or kitchen cabinets. As a result, we’re still washing dishes upstairs in the bathroom sink. It has been going on for so long now that it’s our “normal.”
To keep things simple, we only own four bowls, three plates, three mugs, and a smattering of cutlery. By having so few dishes, we’re forced to wash a bowl or spoon before a dish-backlog builds up in the “to be washed” zone. It’s a simple system, but it works well for us.
Even still, we get behind with the dishes and end up eating cereal out of a mug. No system is perfect!
Gary Gray
Mar 23rd, 2009
Hi L-J
So that is why I have trouble getting the dishes done every day. I have too many dishes.
If you have four bowls, three plates, three mugs, and a smattering of cutlery for the two of you.
I should cut that number in half as there is only one of me.
Wow what a wonderfully simple revelation.
I resolve to only use the allotted number of units in future and to wash said units after every meal. Thanks Laura Jane!
Now I am open to tips on eliminating clutter. lol (oh if only I had a place for everything and everything in it’s place…I am a pack rat you see)
Smiles :o)
Gary
Carmen
Mar 23rd, 2009
Hi Laura Jane,
I was just re-reading your blog, (it really is “two read worthy”) and I’m still trying to get up the “gumption†to sell my present house, and buy my dream property like you folks did, when a very weird thought went through my head…………I wonder what they did with that old Kemac(SP?) stove from the original kitchen?? Do you still have it, or did you already part with it?
Carmen
Anonymous
Mar 23rd, 2009
This morning i was thinking the cupboards really need a cleaning out. So stuffed full. Then i thought about the book, Little house in the Big Woods. Everyone had one cup, one plate, and so on. Then i read your post… a theme appears.
We already planned to clean out the linen closet today, maybe we should add the cabinets to the list.
christy
Mar 23rd, 2009
doing dishes in an upstairs bathroom for a year!?? you win!!! (i always get on nick for extending home improvement projects too long; we still don’t have a bathroom door and it freaks out guests LOL).
Freda
Mar 23rd, 2009
I remember when we gutted our kitchen 23 years ago. I had just had our youngest (girl) so that was a lot of fun, plaster dust everywhere, the end of October in Iowa down to the slats, no insulation, 2 boys in school and a newborn. Was supposed to be done in just a few weeks, yeah right!!. I also did my dishes upstairs in the bathtub. Really a lot of fun!!! carting them upstairs. We ended up having Thanksgiving at a restaurant and barely put back together for Christmas. But we survived and I vowed to never use a micro wave for everything and I do not.
We will be on the Island the end of June and first week of July. The wedding is July 4th. I am down to marking days off the calendar.
Sending all my early blooms your way for an extra spot of cheer and color.
Freda
Colin
Mar 24th, 2009
Think paper. Paper plates, paper bowls. etc. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but you can use them as a heat source when you are done! Plus no need to wash them.
Kerry
Mar 24th, 2009
When are you starting on the kitchen?
Natalie
Mar 24th, 2009
For a minute there, I was thinking, “Why is he eating potato chips out of a mug?” But OOH! Murchies! Lovely!
You two have done amazing well with your house, surviving winter, everything. I wish I’d had half your confidence and adventurousness when I was your age!! (I know, I sound like grandma…)
You won’t know what to do with yourselves when you have the kitchen finished. :)
mom Marjorie
Mar 25th, 2009
How’s this for synchronicity – it was just TODAY that a friend and I got onto washing dishes as a detailed topic of conversation! When I asked my friend how was her marriage these days, her firstand main response was to describe her silly dishwasher (the inside trays fall onto the floor when the crokery etc is tooo heavy!!) and also the friction between her and her husband re “the dishes” and the dishwasher. She prefers washing pots and pans by hand, and he will huck them in the dishwasher (to get them out of sight, ha ha) and the ‘caked on stuff’ will remain on, even after the dishwasher has gone through its cycles. I retorted that a problem area of my couple-life was also ‘the dishes’ – my partner prefers hand-washed dishes, and “most of the time” does the dishes as his share of the housework. But, when he lets them pile up for more than a day, I whisk them out of sight by loading them in the dishwasher, with the intention of turning it on when I will have a full load. But, because it will take two or three days to dirty enough dishes to get a full load, if my partner notices dirty dishes and cutlery in the dishwasher when he is thinks it’s ‘dish-washing time’ , he whisks each item out of the machine and hand washes it! … What silly variations on a theme, huh!! But, don’t worry, we do love our guys, and appreciate them!!
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Mar 25th, 2009
@Gary – Packrats are wonderful people. It just means that they care! (I have PR tendencies myself.) I wonder whether you really will adopt the dish tip??
@Carmen – I feel really bad about the stove. Somehow, it ended up in our yard. It’s still there. It’s exposed to the elements and we never meant for that to happen. We just have too many projects on the go so in the yard it sits!
@Anon – I am already impressed by the fact that cleaning out cupboards was on your todo list! Funny how life comes in themes and groups that make you think, huh?
@Christy – Do we win….or do we lose??????????? Lol
@Freda – I’m not sure if you know, but I am mortally terrified of having children. Some people are impressed by what we’re doing. I say, it has been an adventure. But do it with two energetic boys and a newborn?? I don’t think I have the gumption, as Carmen so astutely stated. :) Sounds like you’re coming at a wonderful time. Exciting time for you and Ben!
@Colin – Paper plates a great idea. Not sure why we haven’t done it yet. Maybe because we are royally
cheapthrifty. I don’t even mind admitting that when we curl on Tuesday nights, we drink water out of plastic cups. We then bring our plastic cups home with us and use them over and over. Yes, it’s recycling, but…mostly…it’s cheapness.@Kerry – When are we starting on the kitchen? I DON’T KNOW!!!!!!! That’s the disturbing part of it all.
@Natalie – I know what I will do with myself. I will sit on the couch and breathe a sigh of relief. But Cameron? He’ll be all energetic and wanting to start some new project, I’m sure of it. Like sell the house and start all over again or something! Not me though.
@Mom – Hi Mom! Housework is definitely a source of friction. I won’t go into details, but there are other reasons why we only have a few dishes! Namely, because…because…yep. It was funny, I scanned your post before reading it properly and I saw, “variations on a theme.” I thought, oh, this must be written by my mother! And it was. I love your expressions. I use them too.
Nora
Mar 26th, 2009
Now if you used my theory on dish washing it would solve your fear of having children………we had no kitchen for awhile when we renovated our house and yes dishes were washed in the bathroom……..but the beauty of it was the children washed them LOL. We made up for it though…….a dishwasher….the way my kids eat it is full at least once a day sometimes twice, so now they only have to load it………and they have learned a valuable lesson about living on their own…….how to wash dishes by hand. Win win for all. But really when you finish your kitchen you’ll wonder how you lived without it…..but at least you can go back and see this page and remember. Good luck with the reno. Mine was officially done ……. but now I’m thinking sliding door off the back of the house……and a deck…….maybe screened in.
Phil
Mar 26th, 2009
But it’s a Murchie’s mug; that makes the whole operation classy…
LJ
Mar 28th, 2009
Love the Murchies mug. You’ve got a little ‘taste’ of home.
Julie K
Mar 29th, 2009
Well if Cameron is looking for something to do in 3 years when we move there my husband is more than willing to exchange some “sweat equity” on projects! He is very strong and would be more than willing to help him out in return for some of Camerons’ expertise!!! We are willing but extremely non-handy people!!! My technical expertise would be basic wall painting LOL However we could certainly supply you with lovely fertiliser for years from our horses :)