In my new quest to fly high I have been trying to tackle the biggest and most important fly lady rule. Fly ladies say it with me…SHINE YOUR SINK!! So I am trying to keep my sink dish and pan free.
Here is our previous system. The family puts dirty dishes into the right side of the sink that I load into the dishwasher. If you haven’t read my 100 things you might not know that I am a expert at loading the dishwasher. Absolutely no one else is allowed to load it cause frankly, they just screw it up. Just between you me and the lamppost (how weird is that expression?), I have also been known to rearrange other people’s dishwashers when they aren’t looking. It’s a sickness, don’t judge. Sometimes, things get loaded right away, other times, I’m not gonna lie, they might sit there a little while.
The pots, pans and other odd shaped things that don’t fit in the dishwasher go in the left side of the sink. The hubby is in charge of those. Depending on life, those may or may not sit there for a while too. I’m not callin’ him out, just keepin’ it real (don’t I sound hip and cool?). I am just thankful I don’t have to do it cause I hate cleaning pots and pans.
The new system: when I am cooking lunch and dinner, I fill the left side of the sink with dishsoap right when I start. As I cook, I throw things in there. They soak while we eat, and then before I leave the kitchen, I quick wash them up. At least, I have done this for 2 days now and it seems to be working. I give it 2 more before I get tired of washing pans and pass the job back to the hubby. But if I do manage to stick with it, isn’t it an awesome tip? That crazy purple fly would be so proud!
For more tips that work (for a few days at least), head over to Rocks In My Dryer.
Kerry
says:
This idea makes me miss a divided sink. We currently have a deep undivided sink…which I love because it can “hide” a heap of dishes, but it doesn’t really lend to this plan.
Great tip though!
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May 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Misty
says:
i’m an on-again/off-again flybaby too… and well, there’s only one way to load MY dishwasher (by me), but i’m not sure we’ll see eye to ey. but i’d GLADLY compromise and wash your pots and pans and let you load (and unload) my dishwasher! i just started flying again, sort of, but i am w you on the backhanded compliments!! and, i read your 100 things post (hello? couldn’t resist a tag like that could i?) and we have several things in common!! i love your blog!
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May 27th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Kerri
says:
I’m with you on the dishwasher thing. I never tell hubby he can’t, because I dream that some day he’ll “get it.” But I have to fix his arrangement every time…he is usually the more efficient one, and thinks everything through, so he has to be just messing it up to annoy me.
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May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Maxime
says:
I do the dishwasher thing, too.. We should start a support group… LOL
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May 27th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Alana
says:
Yes, I do the dishwasher thing to. So does my mom and mother-in-law, which makes for very interesting clean-ups after family dinners! Great idea.
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May 28th, 2008 at 5:44 am
CoCo
says:
Not a dishwasher freak, but I MUST have the dishes and kitchen cleaned up before evening. Why didn’t you inherit that from me? Must come from gathering around the sink as kids and washing dishes BY HAND after every meal.
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May 28th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Kim
says:
That makes complete sense to me …..and if would come to my house and do the dishes each evening it just may work
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May 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Playful Professional
says:
You know I might have to try this… then maybe the other side of the sink would at least be filled with dishes and soap, not just dishes. By the way I am OCD about dishwasher loading too. There are particular spaces built into the dishwasher shelves for a reason. The plates do not go on the top and do not dare to put things crooked.
[Reply]
May 28th, 2008 at 9:49 am
runningamuck
says:
I soooo relate to you regarding the loading of a dishwasher. I try not to rearrange too much after Hubby helps out by loading it for me. lol. I give the kids the job of unloading so that I can reserve the right to load it as I please. I’m so glad to find someone else as possessed as I am.
Love the blog by the way. Just found you and have you bookmarked so I can come back and read some more… after I’ve finished loading the dishwasher.
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May 28th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Tara
says:
lol you are funny.. I can totally relate lol Great idea..though..set yourself up for success
By the way, it nearly kills me, nearly causes me physical pain when I am helping to load a dishwasher that is arranged IMPROPERLY lol 
Thanks for the post!!
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May 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Mom24
says:
It’s a great idea! Wouldn’t work for me because we only have a one bowl sink, but still, I like it! Thanks for sharing.
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May 28th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Lisa K
says:
As a fluttering flygirl I try the sink thing, it’s been one of my struggles! I have gotten better at the picking up as I go, but after a long baking or cooking session I probably leave 25% of my mess for either hubby or later. If I left 100% I’d never find the kitchen LOL!!! Can’t judge you on the dishwasher thing… every time dh loads it I get a knot in m y stomach and if I don’t leave the room I will reload it! He had our 8 year old load it the last time & it’s till sitting there because I can’t even bring myself to empty the clean dishes it’s SO WRONG LOL!
[Reply]
May 28th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Jen@BigBinder
says:
I couldn’t care less how the dishwasher is loaded. My husband shares you, um, compulsion, about the loading, but since he only bothers with the dishes about every 2 weeks; not so much of a problem over here.
What I really wanted to say is: Props for not gettin’ up in your old man’s grille, homes.
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May 28th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
marigold
says:
Great post Jill. I let my husband do all the dishes, load the washer, run it. Then I put away. But I do wish he could learn some fly rules and not let them sit overnight in the sink. BUT if I don’t say anything, he is usually washing them first thing in the morning!
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May 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
jodi
says:
i’m a fluttering flybaby too…for me, some days are better than others! good luck keeping up with it!
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May 28th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Worlds Greatest Mommy
says:
I had to give up flylady. All the emails made me always feel behind, but I do follow the shiny sink principle.
A hot sink of soapy water is a cook’s best friend!
Thanks for the tips.
[Reply]
May 28th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Devon
says:
I am completely with you on the dishwasher. Being in and out of the hospital the past few weeks with my pregnancy, I have absolutely gone NUTS when I come home and find how my mom/m-i-l/hubby have loaded it. It makes NO SENSE and can only fit about 1/3 of the dishes that I can fit in.
I did the flylady thing for a while, but it was quite overwhelming to me and made me feel completely stressed. It just didn’t work for my personality, I guess. Anyway, I do a few of the things she suggests, but I forgot about the sink of hot, soapy water thing. I need to reinstate that. Especially now that baby #2 is just a week and a half away from coming (at the most). I need all the help I can get!!!
[Reply]
May 29th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Amanda - VintageDutchGirl
says:
Oh yes, the old soak-in-suds trick. Works every time…if I actually DID it
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Nash
says:
I am with you on not letting anyone else load the dishwasher! They DO screw it up and half the time my DH doesn’t soak or pre-rinse the dishes. He thinks there is actually someone in there scrubbing all the stuff off. Ticks me off!
[Reply]
June 1st, 2008 at 9:51 am