Dirty dishes done right.

United States
July 30, 2007 10:23am CST
How long do you wait to do your dishes after dinner? Most days I am really good about getting the dishes done and out of the way. But, yesterday was the exception. After we got through converting one of our back rooms into a dream family room we could all enjoy, I was just too tired to bother with the dishes. So, everytime I went into the kitchen I had to face a mile high mountain of dirty dishes and pots staring at me angrily from the sink. Needless to say, I tried to avoid the kitchen as much as possible. I was planning to wait until early morning to wash the dishes, because that's when I do my best cleaning, but eventually broke down around midnight and cleaned them properly. So, how about you? Do you wash your dishes or load the dishwasher right after dinner? Or, do you wait until your dinner has settled and you are shutting down everything for the night? And, here's a question for the guys, as well. Do you help your spouse wash the dishes or just crash in front of the TV and let her deal with them?
5 people like this
29 responses
• Malaysia
31 Jul 07
Me? I'm a guy (husband & father). One of the kitchen's rule at my house; everybody got to wash their own dish/es and the remaining is my wife will get it done. For house cleaning as well, we work together with disciplines unless for the car where I take it to car wash cleaner.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Aug 07
Might have to try that rule in my house!
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I usually wait until after my dinner settles and when I can be bothered to tidy up the kitchen and put the dishes away in the dishwasher. Sometimes I have done it right away but that is hardly ever.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Jul 07
Well, I always know when my post-dinner break is over when I see the line of ants carry crumbs out the front door! Pests are a real problem where we live, even for the neatest mom!
@babs0818 (1191)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I hate dirty dishes...my dishwasher is broken..so everything has to be washed by hand...and with 6 people in the family it is almost necessary to do them right after we eat...I tried to teach my 11 year old to do them...a couple of months ago..but it is a loss cause...they look just as dirty after he washes them..than before...it seems like he just plays around and wastes the dishsoap....so I end up doing them over everytime....
• Philippines
20 Aug 07
I am not married yet but at home I am always the one who wash the dishes. I think it is better to wash the dishes right after everybody ate. This is because to prevent the build up of bacteria and other insects in the kitchen.
@mrsbrian (1949)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I usually enjoy a cup of coffee after dinner at which time I do the dishes, we have a dishwasher so I just load it up, my husband is very helpfull to clearing up the dishes expecially if we have had company for dinner. There have been times when I would have just loved to wait till morning but I cant sleep with a sink full of dishes and if I do them right off than there out of the way.
1 person likes this
@Nardz13 (5055)
• New Zealand
2 Aug 07
Hi there. Our children do our dishes, as part of there daily chores, and they get onto it straight after dinner, we have no dish washer, and we're doing fine without one...
• United States
31 Jul 07
This is why the dish washer was invented because if you stink at hand washing dishes, then just put them in the dish washer.
@wdiong (1815)
• Singapore
1 Aug 07
I will normally start washing the dishes right after a meal. I cannot stand the sight of so many dirty dishes all piled up in the sink.After all, sooner or later ,they have to be washed, so why not get it all over and done with?
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul 07
I tend to eat then wash, dry and put away the plate I have used immediately. I don't like to see dirty dishes around the sink. I just love to have a clean and tidy kitchen. My partner eats and then leaves dirty dishes around. At best he washes the dishes but does not dry them or put them away. So I have put the washing up bowl in the cupboard under the sink. My partner keeps his dirty dishes in there and it will be interesting to see when he gets around to washing them.
@UDDERONES (887)
• United States
31 Jul 07
Most of the time we eat off paper plates to save on dishes. Our dishwasher broke, so that is another reason we do this. I like to do them right away, however normally I am worn out from work etc. So I wait and do them twice a week.
@gr8life (6251)
• Malaysia
31 Jul 07
Hello beautyqueen26, I always wash the dishes right after dinner. I will make sure that the house is in order before I go to bed. I always rushing in the morning as I need to prepare breakfast for my husband, prepare my baby son before sending him to the babysitter's house and get ready to go to work. If I don't clean the house and arrange everything nicely at night, I won't have enough time to do it in the early morning. I am very lucky that my husband is quite a helpful person. I can depend on him whenever I have a load of work to do.
@clocks123 (1225)
• United States
31 Jul 07
i wash the dishes by hand sometimes after i use them i will fill the dishpan up and wash them other times do the dishes by hand after i eat or put them in the dishwasher if there are alot of dishes and just run the dishwasher when it gets full '
@vinzen (1020)
• India
31 Jul 07
Hi, I normally do my dishes after dinner right away, mainly for two reasons, to keep the insects, and ordour away, and also so that early morning when i get up, i have a sparkling kitchen and the feel of a new fresh day. Yes i agree there are times, when we have been doing other chores or have been out for some work , and are really engrossed and tired and drained out, and those days i also just let the dishes be, though it plays on my mind too, but then take a turn and ay doesnt matter, its only for today! So pamper yourself a little bit on a few special days, so what ! And yes, my spouse is always a ready help for all the chores in fact, and i am blessed to have him.
• Malaysia
31 Jul 07
I usually do my dishes after I finish eating. I don't like to procrastinate. If I leave it there even for a while, I'll become lazy and it will be difficult to get me to wash them. It is more economic if you wait for everyone to finish before you wash them. If you feel you did a lot of work already, you can get ur family members to do them as chores. May be give them incentives to promote them. This works very well with children.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
31 Jul 07
there are oly me and my hubby in the house... so we usually clean the dishes straight away after dinner as i don't like to see dishes piling up in the sink... and usually i do the cooking while my hubby is relaxing in front of the computer... and after dinner, it is my turn to sit down and relax in front of the computer while he does the washing... :-)
@nangel78 (1454)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I try to get the dishes done on a daily basis. I work full time as well so sometimes my schedule gets hectic so I do what I can.
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
30 Jul 07
I finish my dinner, I quickly go and have a smoke and then come back and do the dishes, I hate leaving sitting there..I am handwashing at the moment, and its driving me crazy ..I HATE it..We dont get our new kitchen until the end of August, and I cant wait for my dishwasher..
@lyndee22 (1210)
• Philippines
31 Jul 07
I always do the dishwashing after dinner. I don't want to see kitchen wares piled up at the sink. It's very untidy to look at and it will attract insects. As much as possible I don't want to postpone doing the dishes, I would rather finish it late than to be the first thing done in the early morning, it's a mess.
@tinamwhite (3252)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I do not have a dishwasher...and like you, I generally wash dishes within 30-45 minutes after the meal is over...if what I am cooking takes several dishes that I will need to use...I wash them as I cook...it has always worked out very well for me... My husband does wash dishes quite frequently...I do not expect him to do so...but sometimes...he just tells me to relax..and that he will take care of everything...he is really wonderful....
• Australia
31 Jul 07
i do dislike getting up in the morning to find the dinner dishes still looking at me, but more often than not that is exactly what happens. i'm a stay at home mum and my clock off time is 7.00pm kids are in bed before then and i will potter around cleaning until 7.00 if it isn't done by then it will get done tomorrown. i found i had to do this as it is never ending and i found i wasn't getting alot of me time so after 7.00 pm is my time until i go to bed