The One Thing I Always Do After I Do the Dishes — Cleaning Tips from The Kitchn

Let me begin with a caveat: I do not always do the dishes straight away. I do try to because I think it's always easier to just deal with the mess instead of letting it pile up. Why not put that coffee mug in the dishwasher or give that chef's knife a quick rinse and dry and put it safely back on my magnetic strip?

The alternative is that I don't do those things and I just leave it all out on the counter. Or I'll stack the pots and plates and assorted cutlery up in the sink, which makes me feel virtuous and like I did something, even though I inevitably take it all out of the sink in order to do the actual cleaning.

The point is, the first option is definitely preferable and I feel a tiny bit smug when I glimpse at my cleared-away counters and empty sink. But I am definitely not perfect and there are plenty of times when I let everything go and have to deal with a whole heap of dirty dishes.

Regardless of which scenario plays out, though, I always do this one thing after I've done the dishes.

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