How to Be a Bachelor : The Dishes
In another article I point out the importance of having some counter space free in your kitchen.
So don't fill it up with dirty dishes!
I know some folks are really good at this, so I don't mean to paint with a broad brush, but I've been over to a lot of folk's houses and they usually have a lot of dirty dishes. I don't mean like you see in a horror movie about a guy who has been cutting people up for his freezer, just the day's dishes waiting for you to wash them, or maybe yesterday's.
So unless you are the reincarnation of June Cleaver in "Leave it to Beaver", you might have some dishes in your sink right now, and you probably have some on the counter next to the sink. There's nothing wrong with that, since you are a bachelor, but if you want to keep things more organized, or if you are one who ends up with all of your dishes next to the sink before you wash any, then I might have something to help you.
It's a fairly drastic measure for some people, and as always, I refer you to my post on NOT doing what I tell you to do, but if you want to completely fix the problem in one day, then this will work.
One knife, one fork, one spoon.
One plate, one bowl, one cup.
One pot, one pan, one kettle.
It's about simplification. In many things, the things which cause confusion, clutter and extra work, are things you don't need.
In this case it's about things you don't need every day. So put the rest of your dishes in the garage or the closet of your spare bedroom or, like I did, in a box at the bottom of my coat closet. Because you might need them one day, you might have friends over. You should be able to get them out and you should have a place for them to go when you are done using them.
The important point is that they are put far enough away, or hard enough to reach, that it's easier/quicker wash your one dish rather than go get another one. Within a few days, you will teach yourself to wash your few dishes right after each meal, so that they are ready for the next meal. At the very least, you will learn to wash them before you start cooking.
For me it's not always 100%, but refer to my post on the 80% rule and try to cut us both some slack.
Honestly, at this point, I have three extra prep bowls out, a big salad bowl, and an extra plate for if things are too crowded. But dropping back down to the list I posted above is always an option for me, because I am neglectful and need to be retrained from time to time.
So, to wrap it up, put your other stuff away, teach yourself to wash dishes before you cook or when you are done eating, and try to cut yourself some slack. Sticking to this list will enforce your training, and brings up a principle post (which I have not written yet), on only leaving yourself good options.