Sanity Tip: How I Tamed The Dirty Dishes Pile

For years, I used to get so frustrated when I would go to clean off the kitchen counters and discover a dozen dirty glasses or more for the five people in our household.

Sanity Tip: How I Tamed The Dirty Dishes Pile

Then, one day, an idea was born out of pure frustration with the dirty dishes pile (and those ideas are usually the best). I took a wipe-off marker and labeled the glasses with everyone’s name. Before they enter the dishwasher, I clean off the ink with a damp paper towel.

The best part is that I no longer have the problem of too many dirty cups on the top rack of the dishwasher and too few dirty plates on the bottom rack. In fact, I often have room for bowls on the top rack as well as glasses.

Post Update:  Another option I find works well is to assign each member a different type of glass. This is even simpler than labeling glasses; you don’t have to search for a pen or wipe the name off later. However, you must have a wide assortment of glasses, which sometimes takes up more room in the cupboard.