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cleaning, dishes, doing dishes, housecleaning, how to clean kitchen, how to do dishes, organization, procrastination
Okay. If you haven’t read Dirty Dishes Part 2, start there.
STEP SIX: Wash those dishes!
So, at this point, you should have your dishes all stacked next to the sink, and your flatware soaking in your dishpan/sink in hot soapy water. You’re going to leave these soaking and start your washing with the glasses, cups, and mugs. Shove your fresh dish cloth down into each glass and twist it to wash the bottom. Then work it up the inside of the glass. Finally, pinch the cloth around the lip of the glass, washing the entire edge and then wash the outside. Place carefully in the rinse side of the sink. Be sure to lay down tall items so that they don’t fall over on their own and break. At this point, I like to place a stack of plates/bowls in the soapy water to soak while I rinse the glasses, etc. Rinse the glasses, cups and mugs inside and out and put them upside down to drain in the dish drainer. (If you don’t have a dish drainer, you may use a clean dish towel ~ or hand towel if you don’t have a dish towel. 🙂 You will need to turn the glasses upside up after they have drained a little if you are using a towel because otherwise no air will get inside to help them completely dry.)
While your glasses, etc. are air-drying, start washing your plates and bowls. Wash what will fit in the rinse side of the sink. You may need to finish drying the glasses with a clean, fresh towel if they haven’t completely air-dried by this point, and put them away to make room for the plates and bowls. I don’t like to towel dry my dishes, because it’s an opportunity to spread bacteria from one dish to another. So, sometimes, I take a short break to let the glasses dry completely. If you do this, don’t forget to get right back to it!
NOTE: As you wash, if your dish water loses its suds, gets cold and/or greasy, or starts to have lots of “floaties” in it, you need to dump it in the rinse side of the sink and run some fresh hot water. BE CAREFUL and PAY ATTENTION: Don’t let small items like flatware dump into the garbage disposal, and be sure to retrieve any that do. Also, get a fresh dish cloth if the one you are using becomes greasy or gross.
After you have repeated this process to get all your plates and bowls clean, wash the flatware and rinse, then the sharp items you placed in the pitcher or glass. Now, just continue the process cleaning the serving dishes, then the cooking dishes. As the dish drainer (or towel) fills, continue to empty it and put away the clean dishes.
STEP SEVEN: Wipe everything down
When all the dishes are clean, you need to wipe the counters, table and stove-top. If your water has become “yucky” or greasy again, run fresh. If your dish cloth has become disgusting, get a fresh one. Dip your cloth into the hot, soapy water and wring it out well. (You don’t want to be dripping water everywhere or leaving large amounts of it behind as you clean.) Wipe your surfaces. Continue to dunk your cloth in the soapy water and wring it out every so often. If you cloth gets full of crumbs or trash, it’s a good idea to shake it out over your (open) trash can before dunking it in the soapy water. If you have a tablecloth or place-mats, shake them out outside. (If that’s not possible, do this with the place-mats over the trash can, as carefully as possible. Use a lightly dampened cloth in your dominant hand to brush crumbs from the tablecloth and into your other hand. Discard these in the trash can and remove the table cloth.) Wipe down the table and allow to dry before putting on a new table cloth/place-mats. If there is oil or grease on any of the surfaces, use a paper towel to wipe up as much as you can and discard it so that you don’t mess up your dish cloth too much. You need to wipe under your toaster and other counter-top paraphernalia. Get to as much of the counter as you can, all the way back to the wall, with the time and energy you have left. Follow instructions for cleaning your type of stove top and do so. If there are obvious food spatters on the wall behind the stove or sink or food prep areas, wipe that off as well as possible.
Dump your soapy water and rinse your cloth well. Wipe down the faucet and area surrounding the sink. You can also use a paper towel to polish the faucet a little. Rinse your cloth one last time and drape neatly at the edge of the sink or take it to the hamper. Don’t throw it in! Drape it over the edge to dry or it will sour and stink.
STEP EIGHT: Enjoy your handiwork!
Sit down and enjoy a glass of water or a cup of tea or coffee and admire the results of all your hard work. If you’re now too tired to even cook that skillet meal, order some Chinese delivery and serve it on your best dishes. Mom will be proud!