I’m all about finding solutions for chronic messes.
Solutions that actually work.
For years now, I’ve been singing the praises of my wash-the-dishes-every-single-night-and-put-them-away-every-single-morning method. The one I blab on and on about in my book, How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind.
That method works. It totally does. It changed the way my home functions.
But I don’t do it anymore. I don’t have to. I’ve found THE best way to avoid dirtying glasses and cups (which used to take up the entire top half of my dishwasher each and every night)!
We don’t use them.
Instead, we’ve purchased a single (affiliate link alert) Drink Funnel
Once I thought about it, I realized there were two reasons why I felt compelled to wash cups and glasses:
- They never get completely empty, and the small amount of milk or juice or now-germy water in the bottom of the glass must be washed out. Otherwise, ewwww.
- People’s mouths touch the rims of the glasses. Again with the germs.
The Drink Funnel solves both of these problems.
The liquid pours straight through the funnel, eliminating the excess that stays in the bottom of a traditional glass, and the funnel eliminates the need for the mouth to ever touch anything.
Here’s how we use it. When someone is thirsty, he/she knows to find the Drink Funnel next to the kitchen sink. In the beginning, I reminded the kids over and over that they must return the funnel to its designated space.
We drink mostly water, and that is the easiest of all drinks to use with the Drink Funnel. The kids simply angle the funnel to press against the drink dispenser on our fridge, and then place their open mouths under the narrow end. They’ve learned (the hard way, haha!!) to only dispense the water in small amounts. It definitely doesn’t work like a water fountain!!
One certain child (who tends to have a better way of doing EVERYthing) truly believed he could bypass the funnel and simply stick his head under the dispenser. You can’t do that. The angle is wrong.
I might have been a little giddy when proven right.
Milk and juice require a little more finesse, since one hand holds the funnel while the other handles the container. Honestly, the kids usually help each other out.
Hubby was most resistant to giving up his coffee cup, but when he saw how much easier it was to keep the kitchen clean, he finally agreed. Now he’s such a believer that I have to MAKE him use a real coffee cup when we’re in a restaurant!
The final (and most important) step is to have each family member rinse the funnel after each use. Honestly, it’s not necessary with water, but the habit aspect is very important so I just have them rinse after each and every use.
This has worked so well for our family, I’m seriously considering eliminating plates as well. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
Important facts:
The entire purpose of the Drink Funnel is defeated if anyone puts his/her mouth on it.
Children should be closely supervised until they master the art of using the Drink Funnel. They should never, ever drink hot liquids with the Drink Funnel. They can try hot chocolate at Grandma’s house.
Technically, no one should ever actually use the Drink Funnel at all, since this entire post is an April Fool’s Joke.
Happy April Fool’s Day!!! Want to play a great prank on your family tonight? See my April Fool’s Day dinner menu here.
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