dishwasher magnetThe dishwasher. Boon of lazy bones everywhere. Bane of lazy bones' marriages everywhere.

At least a few times a month, I start to fill the top rack of my dishwasher ... only to realize some of the dishes in there are still CLEAN.

Only now they've had dirty water dripped on them, and they have to be run again.

Ours is not the only household war being waged over a kitchen appliance. My friend and her husband fight over why one will walk by a full dishwasher five, six, seven times in one day and leave it that way.

Allow me to save your marriage:

1. Get a dirty/clean magnet. This started as purely an excuse to shop on Etsy, but with a stainless steel dishwasher, it works like a charm. And how cute is this hedgehog? You can also make your own -- just slap a piece of paper on the door that says dirty/clean and flip it over each time you empty/fill it.

2. Leave the door open. It's hard to ignore a dishwasher with an open door. After the sixth time they bang their shins, they will get the idea. The pro: this is a green option. Experts tell us to allow our dishes to air dry to maximize efficiency. The con: can we say passive aggressive?

3. Always start on the bottom rack. When emptying a dishwasher, water that pools in cups on the top rack can easily spill into the bottom and sully the clean dishes. Starting at the bottom ensures cleaner dishes, but it will also foil the "refilling the top and dirtying the bottom dishes" problem.

4. Never run a partial load. It's not cost effective, and it's downright confusing for the next person who comes along.

5. Grow some common sense and ask. Not much of a trick at all, really. It means swallowing your pride. And sometimes putting the dishwasher off until he/she gets home. But it could save yourself some mega frustration.

Do you have dishwasher wars in your house?

 

Image via lterril9/Etsy