Who's doing the dishes?
We all know the feeling – you've just enjoyed a family meal only to venture into the kitchen and be confronted by a nightmare of dirty pans and plates. We all hate washing-up but it's a grim reality of preparing and serving food.
Does washing-up have to be a chore?
Whether you're heating a bowl of soup, making a sandwich or cooking for a dinner party for your friends, you'll be faced with a stack of grubby crockery afterwards. While it isn't possible to eliminate washing-up from your life completely, it is possible to reduce it.
Enlist help
Etiquette usually dictates that the cook deserves to put their feet up after conjuring culinary delights. Delegation is central to any well-oiled operation – so enlist the help of the kids while they still enjoy taking part in household chores! Or allow your dinner guests to step forward with offers of help.
Less is best!
Think about what you're using before you start cooking. Chop up vegetables before raw meat, to avoid using two knives and chopping boards. If you're using multiple saucepans, can you prepare parts of the meal one-at-a-time and rinse the pans in-between?
Single pan cooking
Choosing your meals can also help you cut down the dirty dishes. Homemade soup can be made in a single pan – just fry up some onion, garlic, celery and carrot, plus whatever else you want, and top up with Knorr stock.
Getting it right
Of course, it's still important to make sure dishes are properly cleaned - as badly washed glasses, plates and pans can spread bugs and infections. Tea towels and sponges can be breeding grounds for bacteria, so first of all use a brush on a stick, or a wire scourer.
Next, make sure you first rinse everything under the tap before putting them in the washing-up bowl, again minimising the risk of spreading nasty bugs. Use Vim in your washing-up bowl to help get your dishes nice and clean, then rinse them again with hot water. Finally, instead of a tea towel, leave it all to dry on a drainer or plate rack. The good news is your dishes look great – the bad news is, it starts all over again tomorrow!
