When it comes to what your favorite season of the year is, football season is an easy answer. You and your family and friends love getting together to watch the game and eat all the yummy tailgating food. What’s not so fun is all the dishes that come with hosting! In today’s article, we’ve put together some of our top tips for handling them to make this football and tailgating season a breeze.
Prep (and wash) in advance as much as possible.
One of the most effective things you can do to take the load off of yourself when it comes to excess dishes is doing as much prep work before the actual party as possible. Not only does this mean less chopping, cooking, and assembling the day of the party, it also means less dishes since the cutting boards, the knives, measuring cups, mixing bowls, etc. are already washed. This minimizes the number of dishes you’ll have to do during the actual party or after, and it frees you up to enjoy the game and your guests.
Clean your dishwasher drain and filter at least once a month.
Another step you can take to take more of the heavy lifting off of you is to make sure your dishwasher is working as effectively as possible. Because your dishwasher does so much cleaning for you day after day, it is crucial to take some time at least once a month to clean your dishwasher drain and filter at least once a month. If you don’t take the time to do this, your dishwasher is likely not getting things as clean as it should be and could be throwing old food particles all over the dishes you are trying to wash. To clean these pieces of your dishwasher, take a look at the bottom interior of the appliance. There are a few different types of filters, but most of the ones on the market today have a removable filter that you can take out, run under running water, and clean with some sort of cleaner (vinegar and baking soda or dawn dish spray work great).
Use the right detergent.
Making sure your dishwasher works as well as possible also means choosing the right detergent. Cheaper just isn’t always better in this case. You want to look for a detergent that is designed to dry without spots or streaks. It’s also really important to follow the directions on your detergent package to make sure you’re making the most of it.
Load the dishwasher immediately.
This tip is helpful to get you into a mindset shift. While it can be tempting to wait until the sink is piled high with dishes to really take the time to do it, loading even the smallest dish in the dishwasher immediately can make things so much easier on yourself.
Use disposable plates.
While the tips above can be really helpful, if you’re having a big enough gathering it may be worth it to you to choose disposable plates. You can still serve your food in nicer dishes, but switching to disposable plates, cups, and/or utensils for your guests can have a big impact. If you’re hosting more of a casual get together, you can usually find themed football plates, napkins, etc. or even ones with your favorite team’s mascot and/or logo on them. If you’re trying for a fancier get together, there are disposable tableware options that are sturdier and look more like a faux china.