The complete idiot's guide to doing the washing up. Properly

FILL up the sink. Pull on your gloves and get ready to wash up faster than you ever have before with our guide to kitchen duties. You're welcome.

Does this look familiar?

LIFE without a dishwasher is desperate.

Scrap that. Life without a dishwasher is actually a small version of hell. Especially if you're the type of person whose sense of Zen is completely destroyed by the sight of unwashed dishes.

If that sounds like you, then read on as help is at hand.

Beth Macdonald, doyenne of housekeeping, reckons most of us can be divided into "washers" and "wipers". Although in less democratic households when time and helpers are few and far between, it's not unusual to be flying solo when it comes to sink duty.

Whatever your domestic arrangement, here are a few key steps to making your washing-up experience better. Not only will this method cut back on the time it takes you to wash up, it will also leave you with streak-free glasses and no trace of that distinct egg smell that lingers when the job hasn't been done properly.

Now, over to Ms Macdonald, aka blogger @BabyMacBeth.

"Before you start, make sure you fill the sink with hot, sudsy water and have a stick scorer on hand. Gloves are optional," she said.

"I don't wear gloves because I like to get my hands right in there. I also think they're unsightly at the end of the job - you've cleaned up and then there's a big pair of yellow gloves just hanging around. But I guess the advantage of gloves is that you can make the water even hotter and that gives you a better clean."

Then:

1. Glasses go first: You don't want have any other food residue. Hot soapy water and then rinse with hot water. This will help you avoid getting tea-towel fur on your clean glass when you're wiping up.

2. Throw your cutlery into the bottom of the sink to soak: We'll come back to them later.

3. Plates are next: You don't need to rinse the plates after you've washed them. Unlike glasses you can shakes off the water because the plate has even coverage. Get any lingering soap suds with the tea-towel at the end.

4. Pop in ceramic dishes: Also mixing bowls, spatulas used in meal prep and or cooking

5. Take the cutlery out: Rinse with hot water.

6. Do your pots and pans: Leave these to the very end, especially if you've done a big batch of spaghetti bolognaise. NB: you may need a mid-wash change of water before you get to this point. When you have no soap suds left, the water is tepid or there is so much debris floating on top and through the water, it will become evident to you.

7. The post-wash mood lighting and sink bench wiping: It's essential that the person who washes up takes control of these final actions. Consider it a reward for the hard work. Once you've done the clean, wipe down the benches, wipe down stove top and then add a finishing touch by switching on the range hood light. NB: If this is a midweek wash and you just can't be bothered it's totally OK to chuck a clean tea towel over the dishes on the rack. Then it doesn't exist. Ditto with big pots that may need to soak overnight with some suds squirted in the bottom.

8. Squeeze the dishcloth thoroughly: Leaving suds in the sink and a wet cloth is not acceptable. These are essential part of the process; it's like crossing the tees and dotting the eyes.

Do you agree with the list above? What would you change?

Continue the conversation via Twitter @BabyMacBeth | @lucyjk | @newscomauHQ

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