We reuse plates throughout the day unless they're super nessy. Let's face it, crumbs from toast don't warrant the plate to go in the dishwasher. Just a good quick hot water rinse. Out back on the table to air dry and in place and eady for lunch in a few hours.

We use 1 cup/day. We drink water so it doesn't really ever get sour from milk or juice.

Dishwasher run every other day but I'm the master of Tetris when it comes to finding room in the dishwasher for more dishes.

Now that the weather is nicer we eat almost all our meals outside. Lunch at the playground (or wherever we happen to be) 80% of the time so no crumbs or dishes (just plastic sandwich keeper/reusable plastic baggies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

Once a week is not the norm. Your honesty is rude and bitchy. Might want to work on your delivery.

It's the truth. I don't feel the need to work on my delivery.

You posters either 1) eat all the time (And having returned from a cruise, nothing surprises me any longer.) or 2) never wash a dish by hand.

If my kids eat lunch on the weekend at different times, each one will wash his/her plates, utensils, cups, etc.

same for us - Husband and I wash dishes by hand on many nights.

2 times a day running the dishwasher?
wow

We wash pots/pans by hand and put dishes/glassware/utensils/tupperware into the dishwasher. I run it nightly. I suppose I could clean it all by hand but why?

A full dishwasher is more efficient than washing by hand. Three kids. Twice a day often.

I'm a sahd but I figured I'd chime in.

Pots/pans take up a lot of room in the dishwasher and fill it up too fast with their bulk. If that makes you run the dishwasher more often that doesn't seem as efficient to me as taking 5 minutes to wash those bulkier items in hot, soapy water.

The toddler phase is full of messes, what with spills and crumbs. It's horrible. It gets better but the fact is, people have to eat, and eating makes messes in the kitchen, so you always have to be spending time in the kitchen. The only upside is that the more you cook and clean the better you get at it.

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

With the age of your children, I would expect your kitchen to be clean. They are in school all day and old enough to help clean. That is not at all comparable to having toddlers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

Once a week is not the norm. Your honesty is rude and bitchy. Might want to work on your delivery.

It's the truth. I don't feel the need to work on my delivery.

You posters either 1) eat all the time (And having returned from a cruise, nothing surprises me any longer.) or 2) never wash a dish by hand.

If my kids eat lunch on the weekend at different times, each one will wash his/her plates, utensils, cups, etc.

same for us - Husband and I wash dishes by hand on many nights.

2 times a day running the dishwasher?
wow

We wash pots/pans by hand and put dishes/glassware/utensils/tupperware into the dishwasher. I run it nightly. I suppose I could clean it all by hand but why?

A full dishwasher is more efficient than washing by hand. Three kids. Twice a day often.

I'm a sahd but I figured I'd chime in.

Yes, cleaning all day long!

During our kitchen Reno, I put in 2 dishwashers. Best decision ever!

All 4 of eat breakfast at home so 2 cups, 2 glasses, and 4 bowls.

I pack lunch for DH and the kids so a cutting board and some utensils.

I make dinner at home. 4 dinner plates and 4 glasses and utensils. Plus whatever bowls, mixing cups, utensils I need for making dinner.

I work from home so there are my lunch dishes.

Then DH and the kids usually have some sort of snack/dessert after dinner.

I run the dishwasher after dinner. Starting with the even snack, I start loading the other one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

Once a week is not the norm. Your honesty is rude and bitchy. Might want to work on your delivery.

It's the truth. I don't feel the need to work on my delivery.

You posters either 1) eat all the time (And having returned from a cruise, nothing surprises me any longer.) or 2) never wash a dish by hand.

If my kids eat lunch on the weekend at different times, each one will wash his/her plates, utensils, cups, etc.

same for us - Husband and I wash dishes by hand on many nights.

2 times a day running the dishwasher?
wow

We wash pots/pans by hand and put dishes/glassware/utensils/tupperware into the dishwasher. I run it nightly. I suppose I could clean it all by hand but why?

Me too. I've got teen boys and it seems that somebody is constantly in the kitchen grabbing something to eat or that it's time for me to cook a meal. Constant crumbs, constant stuff out on the counter, pots/pans needing to be washed, dishes needing to be rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher, recyclables needing to be taken out to the trash...Yes, I know that they are old enough to be preparing food and cleaning up after themselves. But I swear that there is something about teenagers' eyesight that makes them blind to some of the mess.

And don't even get me started about the bathrooms.

Yes it's ridiculous! And then there is all the homework, papers, and kids' toys and clothes that get left on the counters and kitchen table. I'm constantly asking them to clean up their stuff. I definitely feel like I clean the kitchen all day long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

Once a week is not the norm. Your honesty is rude and bitchy. Might want to work on your delivery.

It's the truth. I don't feel the need to work on my delivery.

You posters either 1) eat all the time (And having returned from a cruise, nothing surprises me any longer.) or 2) never wash a dish by hand.

If my kids eat lunch on the weekend at different times, each one will wash his/her plates, utensils, cups, etc.

same for us - Husband and I wash dishes by hand on many nights.

2 times a day running the dishwasher?
wow

Anonymous wrote:Yes! Or not cleaning it, and then it gets filthy.

The mess is never ending.

Another +1 with a toddler and a school age kid. I can't devote as much time on a regular basis. It goes in cycles. I cook and then the next day I do a big cleaning. We eat leftovers and then I let the mess build for a while. I figure it's like laundry. The laundry will never be done all the way for any length of time because you are always changing clothes so I do one load a day and that's it. I need to devote time to other things. Decide how much time you can devote and do it at the start/end of the day and be done.

It's counterintuitive, but I think handwashing toddler dishes/cups/bottles is far quicker. You have to rinse them before the dishwasher anyway, then put them in, run it, take them out, put them away. 8 extra seconds and a sponge will get them clean the first time, and for sippy cups/ cups we often just shake off water after washing and put them straight back in the cabinet.

Also I only do floors and (all but the most used) counters once a day. Yes, they're disgusting by evening, but it's just not worth doing it 3x.

Yes, i feel I always am cleaning the kitchen.

Couple things to help (maybe, lol) -- don't let your toddlers eat while walking? Eat at the table, work on "neat" eating. I always tell my kids to take a bite over their plate.

Dishwasher - I run it once per day, but I hand wash all pots/pans.

Other than that, no other advice. Toddlers are messy.

Don't get a dog that will give you more to clean!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of four - one in ES, the other in MS - and we run the dishwasher once a week.

Unless your toddler is the size of Honey Boo Boo's mom, I don't understand your situation.

I am being honest here.

How is this possible? We have 4 plates or bowls from breakfast, plus 2 coffee cups and 2 glasses. Lunch means 3 plates and 3 glasses. Dinner is 4 large plates, sometimes 4 bowls, 4 glasses. Plus whatever is used for snacks. Plus the utensils. Plus anything used to make the meals that can go in the dishwasher. I run mine 2x/day.

Do you never cook or eat at home?

+1

I run it at least once a day. Twice if we cook something more elaborate or have a playdate and use more dishes.

I wonder if PP is eating out of those individual serving instant mac & cheese containers or something?