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Post by crazycatlady on Dec 29, 2009 16:09:36 GMT -5
I visited an elderly relative out of state. The family member who usually cleans for him had not been there for about 3 weeks due to the Christmas holiday prep at her own house. It was very evident because I found moldy dishes in the sink.
I cleaned them all, including running the dishwasher twice. This is small potatoes from how bad it used to get, but it still felt good to have it cleaned up.
Came home to a stinky sink full of my own dishes. The pan from the Christmas roast is still in there.
I would like to issue a challenge. Anyone who is behind on their dishes, lets do some today. If you only have a 2-3 week backlog for 1 person, maybe you can get them all done. If (like me) you have a week backlog for a family of 5 who use lots of paper plates, I bet you can get them done, too.
If you have lots of people dirtying lots of dishes, and it has been a long time, maybe you can set a goal of making a start on them.
Lets do this together!
 to  to 
Post your successes, whether it is a spotless kitchen sink, or that you really put thought into how you can change your way of dealing with dirty dishes!
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Post by messyjedi on Dec 29, 2009 16:36:59 GMT -5
I cannot play today because I finished my dishes backlog during Nov/ Dec. As some of you know, there are 10 people in my household. We did some dishes regularly out of necessity, but they hadn't been complete in over a year. There was always one counter full of dirties  During clean up, I ran 1-3 dishwasher loads a day, whatever I could fit in, and then when I got down to the end I handwashed for the better part of the day. I also gave myself amnesty and threw some plastic things and some mismatched things away. I will be here cheering you all!! |
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Dec 30, 2009 9:14:00 GMT -5
My dishwasher was out of commission from mid-November to mid-December. Yet I had Thanksgiving dinner during that period. I did a lot of hand dishwashing, somehow made it till the darned thing got fixed. It took Sears five service calls plus major parts-motor and heater. I have an herb pot that's been on the stove since November, full of wet herbs and moldy water. I think it should go out in the trash. I'm not really crazy about it, it wasn't a gift from someone special. Yes! Out it goes!
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Post by Script on Dec 30, 2009 12:29:16 GMT -5
I am not doing dishes, but i am catching up on deep-cleaning new stove and range hood. i have been neglecting things lately (depression, sickness)
I have done 15 + 20 minutes today.
good luck to all
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Post by littleengine on Dec 30, 2009 16:06:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion to do this. I am overwhelmed at the thought of all the dishes I have to do. I did a lot (several hours' worth) yesterday, but it is all so hopeless because they get dirty all over again the next day. I baked two batches of healthy pumpkin muffins and now there are dirty muffin pans, mixing bowls, spoons, all that.
I'm trying to keep up with the stuff I generate each day, but even that feels hopeless when I have four needy young children who suck up all my energy. I am so exhausted between work and the kids.
There are dishes from six months ago stashed in one place. Dishes from four years ago in another. Dishes from three weeks ago in yet another spot. Dishes in my oven. Dishes in my dining room. Fruit flies too.
I don't have a dishwasher.
The thought of all that work looming, on top of all my "regular" work, makes me so angry.
But I'm going to try to tackle a little bit today.
Thanks for your very timely post.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Dec 30, 2009 17:21:51 GMT -5
You have permission from all of us to throw out dishes, pots, and pans. Do whatever you need to do for recovering space and sanity. If you have things you really must wash, you may wash them in the bathtub as follows: Dishes may be washed in the bathtub.takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/thread/1821 |
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Post by JessicaMessica on Dec 31, 2009 1:57:34 GMT -5
ugh this is so me right now. my dishes are moldy and gross i was thinking to myself the other day, "clutter and trash is okay for me right now. animal excrement and mold are NOT OKAY. if i can just clean up those things, i can deal with the clutter and STUFF later...but i have to get to the stuff that can make me sick first."
gah. dishes are always the worst for me. i don't have a dishwasher. i've been really depressed and blah lately, so of course, they haven't been done in weeks. however, i made some progress in other areas last night, so hopefully they'll be done soon.
thanks for the post! |
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Post by CaringFriend on Dec 31, 2009 3:46:31 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion to do this. I am overwhelmed at the thought of all the dishes I have to do. I did a lot (several hours' worth) yesterday, but it is all so hopeless because they get dirty all over again the next day. I baked two batches of healthy pumpkin muffins and now there are dirty muffin pans, mixing bowls, spoons, all that.I'm trying to keep up with the stuff I generate each day, but even that feels hopeless when I have four needy young children who suck up all my energy. I am so exhausted between work and the kids.There are dishes from six months ago stashed in one place. Dishes from four years ago in another. Dishes from three weeks ago in yet another spot. Dishes in my oven. Dishes in my dining room. Fruit flies too.I don't have a dishwasher.The thought of all that work looming, on top of all my "regular" work, makes me so angry.But I'm going to try to tackle a little bit today. [/size] Bless your heart! Between a job and 4 kids, you are lucky if you still have any energy or sanity left. May I share with you what worked for me in the past with a different problem that had gotten out of hand? I had a really bad "hot spot" on dresser top. I know it doesn't compare to the size of your problem, but it was overwhelming to me at the time. That dresser top was about 6 feet long and was stacked completely from end to end and 2 feet high. <sigh> Besides trying to get the proper medication and dose to treat depression, I was also physically ill for what seemed like a long period of time. I'd look at that mess, but just couldn't seem to tackle it. Finally one day it dawned on me - if I just stopped adding to the clutter plus remove just one thing per day, sooner or later the mess would be gone.So that's what I did. Every day, whatever was in my hand, I would make an extra effort to put it away or in the trash, rather than lay it down on my dresser. Also, every morning when I would leave my bedroom, I would take one thing with me and put it away or throw it away.Then one morning I looked at my dresser top and was shocked to see that it was nearly bare!!!! My first instinct was to panic because what happened to my stuff? Had my husband moved it? And if he did, was there something important in it that may has been lost?!! Then I realized that my plan had worked!!! There were only about 6 small items left there, so I disposed of them all. Then happily, washed the dresser scarf and polished the dresser top.The best part was that I had developed a new good habit and that dresser top has been clutter-free ever since! I have applied this method to other areas that for one reason or another have gotten out of hand.If I were in your situation, I would trash the 4 year old dirty dishes. Obviously, there is nothing there that was needed anyway. Then I would empty out the sink completely - stacking them on the counter with the rest or placing them in a box in or near the kitchen. Then keep telling yourself that you will take care of every dish that is dirtied today + 1 from the old stash. I'd even use a LOT of paper plates, paper cups, and disposable plastic utensils until I had the problem under control.Thankfully, today's liquid dish detergents make the dishes practically wash themselves Honest! Before I cook a meal - or bake muffins! - I fill a dishpan with HOT sudsy water. As I am cooking, I toss the used items into the water. Then while the food is cooking or baking, I take care of the items in the dishpan. Since they have been soaking, the gunk almost slides right off! It takes little, if any, effort to wash them. Then I rinse them and place them in the dish rack to dry naturally.After the meal, I quickly rinse the dishes and place them in the dishpan to soak while I clean up the table and take care of the left-overs. By th time I get back to them, again it's a quick swipe and rinse. It is important too, to fill the pots and pans with hot sudsy water when you have placed the food on the table.Other tricks: be sure to always use PAM or a similar spray on baking surfaces and skillets, even non-stick. I also line pans with foil when I roast meat to eliminate a terrible mess to clean up. Take a deep breath and decide what you are going to do. Good luck to you. Let us know how you are doing. OK?  |
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Post by crazycatlady on Dec 31, 2009 13:54:30 GMT -5
Wow, what great work is getting done!
DD14 Lulu is our dish czar, and she caught up the dirty dishes while I cleaned in the kitchen. Of course we have more dishes now, but since they are current dishes, she will quickly get them done, while I clean some more.
MessyJedi, that is totally awesome that you got the dishes DONE! And good on you for throwing away stuff. At my relatives house, I did throw out some plastic stuff that was moldy. I haven't had to do that at my house for quite some time. (DH still misses the dutch oven pan that I threw out because it was moldy!)
Fluffernut, good on you for throwing out that pan of moldy herbs/water. I think you are fabulous! And thank goodness for a working dishwasher again!
Prezzana, it is lovely that despite illness and depression, that you did some kitchen challenges! I hope the expanding clean area will help lift your spirits.
Lioness, thanks for the link. Your encouragement helps a lot.
Pickles, when things are gross, I like to run one sink full of HOT HOT water. If mold and stink are involved, I add bleach. I let it sit until I can reach in without burning myself. Then I pull items out and got at them with the scrub brush. Amazing how much easier things are to clean after soaking.
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Post by crazycatlady on Dec 31, 2009 15:09:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion to do this. I am overwhelmed at the thought of all the dishes I have to do. I did a lot (several hours' worth) yesterday, but it is all so hopeless because they get dirty all over again the next day. I baked two batches of healthy pumpkin muffins and now there are dirty muffin pans, mixing bowls, spoons, all that. I'm trying to keep up with the stuff I generate each day, but even that feels hopeless when I have four needy young children who suck up all my energy. I am so exhausted between work and the kids. There are dishes from six months ago stashed in one place. Dishes from four years ago in another. Dishes from three weeks ago in yet another spot. Dishes in my oven. Dishes in my dining room. Fruit flies too. I don't have a dishwasher. The thought of all that work looming, on top of all my "regular" work, makes me so angry. But I'm going to try to tackle a little bit today. Thanks for your very timely post.
I have found that shopping, cooking, and doing the dishes is too much for me. DH does most of the grocery shopping now, and I do most of the cooking. One of the kids does most of the dishes...currently 14 y/o Lulu. We also use paper plates quite liberally, and often have simpler meals that require less clean up.
I do agree with throwing away dishes that have been dirty for a long time...you have done without them this long! Or just chose a few of those to wash and keep, and throw the rest out.
I like Caring Friend's idea to be sure to do today's dishes, plus an extra from the backlog. In time, you will be out of the mess. Especially if you do a few stints of hours worth of dishes now and then! |
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Post by crazycatlady on Dec 31, 2009 15:17:32 GMT -5
ugh this is so me right now. my dishes are moldy and gross i was thinking to myself the other day, "clutter and trash is okay for me right now. animal excrement and mold are NOT OKAY. if i can just clean up those things, i can deal with the clutter and STUFF later...but i have to get to the stuff that can make me sick first."
gah. dishes are always the worst for me. i don't have a dishwasher. i've been really depressed and blah lately, so of course, they haven't been done in weeks. however, i made some progress in other areas last night, so hopefully they'll be done soon.
thanks for the post!
Could you contain the piddling cat and dog in one area? I used to foster, and it helped me learn that putting a cat in a crate is not cruel, but is sometimes the most humane way to manage them. It helped my pet kitty relearn her litterbox manners. Thankfully our puppy is fully housebroken now....I understand what a mess that can create. She is now allowed free roam of the house when supervised. Still crated or out on a leash if no one is home!
Lulu filled the dishwasher while I did laundry. Now we just have to put away clean pans, and the dishes will be DONE. What a good feeling.
I will try to take the next step as suggested by CaringFriend, and leave the kitchen clean after dinner. We tend to leave rinsed dishes in the sink, which leads to more dishes the next morning..... |
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tdyx2
New Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 4
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Post by tdyx2 on Jan 1, 2010 11:28:41 GMT -5
"if I just stopped adding to the clutter plus remove just one thing per day, sooner or later the mess would be gone." - great advice - implementing will be a challenge - forcing myself to put stuff away or find a home for it all but thank you all the same!
"Before I cook a meal - or bake muffins! - I fill a dishpan with HOT sudsy water. As I am cooking, I toss the used items into the water. Then while the food is cooking or baking, I take care of the items in the dishpan. Since they have been soaking, the gunk almost slides right off! It takes little, if any, effort to wash them. Then I rinse them and place them in the dish rack to dry naturally." The kitchen is 1 of my problem areas - dirty dishes cover the counters and the sink (and we have a dishwasher so no excuse - just too *** to empty it and reload) also recyclables on the counters and full trash cans of recyclables in the garage and kitchen. The landfill with a recycling area is 25 miles away but it's better than putting this stuff in the trash. Anyhow, I'm getting off topic - thanks for the great idea about the sink full of hot soapy water BEFORE starting any cooking. That's awesome! Thanks for the ideas and inspirations.
Thea (newbie)
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Post by mythreecats on Jan 1, 2010 18:12:33 GMT -5
Woohoo, I'm joining in. That last group of handwashing is my downfall, but I pledge to run the dishwasher and then get handwashing. Will check back in later.
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Post by littleengine on Jan 5, 2010 4:26:16 GMT -5
I was hoping to be able to update this thread with great progress on my dishes. Unfortunately I haven't done as much as I want to. The good news: washed all the ones in the sink and all the ones stashed in the oven. The bad news: there are tons of newly-dirtied ones waiting to be washed. I am trying so hard, but with the kids and my husband, we generate a lot of dishes. I do use disposable cups, but not plates, etc., because it got to be too expensive.  I did look at some of the ancient stashed ones, to see how bad they were. They looked okay. I saw some I really could use--might wash those and throw out the rest. Finding winter really hard. Lots of snow and isolation. Feeling like a bad mom b/c I'm not enjoying my kids at all. Except the baby. My kids are acting like whiny brats and it is just hard. |
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minky
New Member
Joined: December 2009
Posts: 97
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Post by minky on Jan 6, 2010 6:17:22 GMT -5
littlengine - please remember that every little bit helps. So even if you weren't able to do as much as you hoped, you still did something! And don't feel bad about not enjoying your children. I only have 2 children and there are plenty of days where I am ready to throw the towel in. That is part of life! And both you and your children will be none the worse for wear. Moms are allowed to have 'off days' too! I just wanted to share a few tips that helped me with my constant kitchen full of dirty dishes. I sat down and made a list of dishes a family of 4 (or whatever number is in your family) would realistically need to get by. Example: 4 plates, 4 glasses, 4 mugs, 4 cutlery, 2 pots to cook with, 1 big frying pan, 1 little frying pan, 1 cake pan, 1 muffin tin, etc. Then I gave myself permission to throw out any dishes that were broken (mugs and pots with missing handles, etc.) or that I haven't used in ages or that I just didn't like. I didn't bother to wash them as they were destined for the trash bin. I picked out my "select 4" of each that I liked the best and washed them. I put them away in easy to reach spots. Then the extra dishes were washed and put away on higher not-so-easy to reach shelves. That way I had the extras if I ever needed them, like if company came over or if one of our "select 4" dishes broke. But all the extras were stashed away in a manner that it was a pain in the backside to get down for every day use. Basically I was forcing myself to wash the "select 4" when they became dirty, instead of reaching for a new dish. The new much smaller pile of dirty dishes is much more manageable than having every dish in the house dirty. So my advice is to purge your dishes! Decide on what you really need. Keep a few extras just in case, but put those extras away. Have a simple set of dishes that you use on a normal every day basis. It will make your job so much easier! Good luck! |
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