How To Make Washing Dishes Fun?

Washing dishes? Fun?

Yes, washing dishes can be fun. Maybe not watching a James Bond movie fun, but a bit more interesting and easier than the tedious task it usually is.

No matter how much you hate washing dishes, there are ways to make sure dirty dishes do not overrun your kitchen.

The trick is to make the task shorter and distract yourself while doing it. Here are some helpful tips on how to make washing dishes fun.

1. Do It Regularly

It seems counterintuitive to do something you dread more regularly. But when it comes to washing dishes, staying on top of dirty dishes is one of the most effective ways to make washing dishes less tedious.

The main reason most people hate washing dishes is because it takes long to do it. It takes long because they let dirty dishes pile up.

I know it’s easy to procrastinate on a task you hate doing. But instead of letting dishes pile up and then spending more than an hour cleaning them, it’s easier to spend 10-20 minutes two or three times a day cleaning a smaller pile.

Even better, clean some of the dishes as you cook. It will make the after-meal pile much smaller and easier to clean.

Not all people like this piecemeal approach. They’d rather wash a large pile at once rather than doing it in small bits. If this is your style, check the next tip.

2. Distract Yourself

To be honest, washing dishes is incredibly boring, for most people at least. Pick a utensil, scrub, rinse, repeat…several dozen times.

It can feel like it takes twice the time that it actually takes. To make time move faster, distract your mind.

Music works great for many people. A nice energetic playlist will even help you wash dishes faster.

If you want something that completely takes your attention away from the dishes, try a podcast. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a half hour podcast finishes, along with the dirty dishes.

An audio book also works great especially if you have a lot of dishes to do.

If you have a TV or tablet in the kitchen, you can also try a movie or a couple of episodes of your favourite TV show. Here is mine. 🙂

3. Partner Up

You know how chatting with someone makes time fly? You can use that to make washing dishes more fun.

One reason why many people find washing dishes boring is because they do it alone. Sharing the task with someone not only lightens the load, but makes it feel easier as well.

It can be your partner, a sibling or roommate.

Even if they won’t agree to help you wash the dishes (maybe it is your turn to do them), ask them to keep you company.

4. Turn It Into Alone Time

This tip is handy for parents who spend most of their time dealing with rowdy and raucous kids. Getting some me-time is difficult. So why not use washing dishes as an excuse to have some alone time?

Older kids will especially be eager to leave you alone with the dirty dishes. Take that time to meditate and relax.

Even if you are not looking for a quiet time away from kids, washing dishes can be a great time to think.

Since you don’t need to mentally focus on what you are doing, you can zone off and think about a challenge your facing, a project your planning or maybe a future goal.

It’s the perfect time to build castles in the sky.

5. Start With The Tough Dishes

I know more than a few friends who wash all utensils except their pots and pans. They could stay unwashed on the counter or in the sink for days.

It’s understandable. Scrubbing a pot after washing a big pile of plates and mugs is tiring.

The trick is to start with the tough dishes. Scrub the pots and pans first then rinse them and get them out of the way, or put them on your dish drainer.

If there’s a pot with stuck-on food, soak it the night before to make it easier to scrub with your brush.

Once you are done with the hardest bit, the rest of the dishes suddenly look much easier to clean.

6. Use A Dishwasher

What’s more fun than not washing dishes, right?

If, no matter what you try, you can’t bring yourself to like washing dishes, invest in a dishwasher. Then be diligent when buying new utensils and cutlery – make sure they are labelled as dishwasher safe so you never have to hand wash anything.