Wake Up to a Clean Kitchen

RE: Wake Up to a Clean Kitchen Post By Lynda (Guest Post) (11/08/2006) As a Homeschool teacher I have a bit of freedom with class scheduling, breaks, homework assignments, etc. So, while my student/grandchild is finishing up assignments, I time it so that I can also listen to my favorite RADIO talk show next to the kitchen sink AS I EMPTY AND FILL MY dishwasher , loading with pre-rinsed dishes, then, sweep/mop when needed. My mother taught me to towel dry all the chrome/hardware and stovetop to have the best looking kitchen. Ladies, there was actually a primitive tradition long ago of WAXING all surfaces and handles in the kitchen, do some of you remember that? It was just like waxing a car with the wipe on, let dry, and buff off!! Those were ALSO the days many ladies IRONED their underwear and sheets!!! What a waste of life. Look at all the time we have to do other things now? lol I have only met a few women who enjoy washing dishes, so since I am one of them, this helps the time pass for a no-brainer job I dislike. I hardly realize it's all done by the time the program is over. It was one of the few ways I could discipline myself to just DO THE DISHES! Another thing I figured: Since the dishwasher costs a bit to operate, and some labor, water and soap to clean well, I learned it is cheaper and MUCH easier on me to spend less by returning to buying a cheap package of paper plates/plastic cups, which I thought I could never again afford. Setting the rule of only ONE PLATE AND ONE CUP PER PERSON PER DAY, Marked with their initial to 1) Make certain they're not wasting them, 2) to see just who set them in the wrong place or forgot to place theirs in the trash at the end of the day, unless the contents were very messy, yet it has stretched those products to the max and been a life saver, "just like the good ol' days"! Now I have half a chance of having fingernails once again, as well, because my hands will not be in dish soap/water as long or as often. I also SOAK, rather than scrub, anything that's burned on or dried out hard on the pots/pans while I clean something else, hnow about you? I keep everything rinsed well immediately after use, stacked neatly and tightly until that midday program I love about Politics and Religion. It's first hand information about the Middle East, so it also prevents me from being tempted to sit too long in front of the TV I seldom watch, for the hand-me-down "latest news" so that I can continue with dusting next. A fun way to solicit and teach my grandchild to work and help is to make the chores a challenge with interesting names: "Today's challenge will be: a "DUST HUNT" a "SEEK AND DESTROY MISSION" (FOR FALLEN PAPER TRASH ITEMS BEHIND FURNITURE.) a "TREASURE EXPEDITION" IN SEARCH FOR THE MISSING ________ a "GUESS ( while working), WHAT WE'RE HAVING FOR LUNCH" GAME. "Your hints are : 1) It's lumpy, yummy, brown, full of nutrients like protein, carbs, vitamins, and it sometimes simmers! What is it? Answer is hidden somewhere in the kitchen. First one who finds it gets a second helping if they like it, OR the "last helping" ! an " INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESS", (while picking up toys): Dialogue," And as we search through the rubble of this war zone, we hear cries of help from beneath the bed,"Help! Help! I can't find my way to where I belong. Can you? The Dinosaur slippers miss their brothers, the sock twins who REALLY need a bath. So, let's race to the washer to see which of them gets clean the fastest. Ready, SET, Hop! (only HOPPING) (or skipping, etc.) allowed! (I'm disabled but go through the motions in slow motion, which always brings a chuckle anyway.) Calling all Cars! Calling all Cars!, "Be on the lookout for many stolen vehicles of all colors and kinds, taken from the bedroom shelves of my grandchild last evening and have not been seen since. They may have been carnapped and dropped under the sofa cushions, or locked in a closet, or abandoned in the middle of some big carpet turf. The thief may be armed with a water gun so be very careful and you may use your binoculars and flashlight if needed to capture them!" Anything that stimulates their imaginations and motivates them think it's fun to get it done is worth thinking up, right? When clean, I turn them around three times with their eyes closed and ask them to open their eyes to see if they LIKE IT MUCH BETTER CLEAN! (Be prepared for a few, "No, I like it messy!" days in the early years. lol : ) RE: Wake Up to a Clean Kitchen Post By Eileen (Guest Post) (11/07/2006) After the dishes are done, after a meal, we clean and dry the sink. The between meal or night dishes are placed in the dish pan under the sink. Nobody wants to be the one to leave a dish in the sink LOL. RE: Wake Up to a Clean Kitchen Post by imaqt1962 (365) | (11/06/2006) Contact MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE IS TO WAKE UP TO DISHES IN THE SINK OR COME HOME TO AFTER WORK RE: Wake Up to a Clean Kitchen Post by Harlean from Arkansas (266) | (11/05/2006) Profile | Contact I used to be the world's worst at waking up to a sinkful of dishes. I made a New Year resolution 8 years ago to change this, and was so successful that I even wash late nite snack dishes before going to bed. I don't have a dishwasher, and don't think I need one for 2 people. When you consider the bills for the water it uses and the energy to heat the water, which is much hotter than my dishwater, it is quicker and more frugal, and my dishes go from the cupboard to the table. Most people I know who have dishwashers set the dinner table from the dishwasher. This summer I added another simple chore that makes the kitchen look better, still. After the dishes are done, I sweep the floor and damp mop it with plain water. It takes all of 10 minutes or so, and I don't have to mop and wax nearly as often. Harlean from Arkansas