9 Ways to Cut Down on Dreaded After-Dinner Dishes

For some, cooking loses some of its appeal thanks to the inevitable cleanup. From a quick rinse of plates to scrubbing pans, cleaning is often the least enjoyable part of eating at home. Fortunately, a little creativity can go a long way to reducing the burden. Here are nine ways to cut down on dreaded after-dinner dishes.

1. Start with an Empty Dishwasher

Before dinner, empty the dishwasher so that you can load it with dirty mixing bowls from meal prep and dishes from dining. Placing dirty items in the dishwasher as you go keeps the counter and sink clear, and encourages everyone to take a DIY approach to cleaning their own used items. At the end of dinner, you should have very few leftover items to load before pushing the appropriate wash cycle before bed.

2. Utilize Downtime

In those moments of downtime waiting for food to cook or a sauce to reduce, tackle small cleaning tasks. Place already-used items in the dishwasher, let pots soak, or handwash delicate cutlery. By taking advantage of downtime to get a head start on cleaning, you’ll cut down demand for after-dinner cleanup.

3. Soak Serving Dishes While You Eat

If you plan to transfer food to serving dishes, you should soak the pots and pans with warm, soapy water before washing. Set pots and pans up for this soak just before sitting down to eat, so that food residue doesn’t dry in the meantime. Doing so will save you time that would otherwise be spent scrubbing caked-on food and sticky sauces.