Dishwashing Tips #CleanItForward #FinishMoms

As a member of the Finish Power & Free Alliance of Moms I received products, information and payments for these posts.

I am convinced that I used to loath doing the dishes and was always putting it off. But I have figured out some tricks for making Dishwashing time a little better and easier.

1) Do the dishes everyday. It is easy to let them pile up on in the sink (on the counter) but I have found that my kitchen just feels like a better place with a clean sink and counter. Since we spend a lot of time in our kitchen, I have found it helps to keep me less stressed when it looks clean.

2) Pick a time and stick to it. For some it is at night after the kids are asleep, for me it is first thing in the morning. Find the time that works best for you to do the dishes and stick to it each day. Make it a habit to do them at that time each day and you will avoid the sink pile up mess.

3) Enlist the kids to help. My son is 6 and he does a wonderful job of emptying the dishwasher. He has gotten in the habit of unloading them everyday and I reward him with a sticker chart. Each time he unloads the dishwasher he gets a sticker to earn the prize of his choice. It is nice always having the dishwasher empty, then I can load it (and tend to put it off less often).

4) Never put dishes in the sink. I know that sounds crazy, but if you can keep the dishwasher emptied then you can have everyone in your family put the dishes right into the dishwasher instead of the sink. I love the idea of this, but I have never been able to have this work for my family, I just can’t get them to actually do it. But I have heard of many people who this works for.

5) Use a good dishwashing detergent. Not all detergents are created equal. You need one that will not only clean your dishes, but clean them well. And you don’t want to have to scrub and scrub (and practically wash your dishes) before putting them in the dishwasher. I have switched to the Finish Quantum Power and Free detergent tablets and LOVE it! It does a fantastic job of cleaning my dishes. No pre-soaking necessary.

For example this morning I had a greasy pan from cooking turkey burgers last night and the pan was really dirty. All I had to do was rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. It came out clean! No pre-soaking or scrubbing needed.

Not only does it clean well but it has less harsh chemicals* which is safer for my family.

6) Use a Rinse Aid. In order to get sparkling streak free dishes you will need to use a rinse aid. I really like the Finish Jet Dry Power and Free. It does a fantastic job at getting my glasses clear and residue free. And like the Quantum detergent it has less harsh chemicals* as well which is great.