Hey, where did all that dirty kitchenware come from?

[Floater]

I'm on kitchen duty this week so after the afternoon coffee break I gave my cow-irkers ample time to fill up the washing machine, I even took a round to see if some lazy bugger had left something in the staff room. When I was satisfied that everything that was supposed to be washed was loaded I switched the machine on only to find an hour later that in some mysterious way the kitchen had been filled with dirty cups, mugs, plates, cutlery etc. etc.

Is it too much to ask that when you have had you coffee, tea or whatever you place things you want to have washed in the proper place as soon as possible to facilitate it for the kitchen slave?

And while we're at it, we do have a number of communal mugs so why do you use somebody's personal mug behind hirs back? Do you really think that just because it is there on the shelf it's yours for the taking? The owner might have other ideas.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

1. While you're kitchen slave, wash dishes once per day. Then it doesn't matter when people return their dirties.

b. Are your communal mugs easily identifiable? Are the personal mugs also identifiable, so that never the twain shall meet?

iii. Why would a personal mug be kept on the shelf with the communal mugs, anyway?

Seaboe

[Mad Jay]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

1. While you're kitchen slave, wash dishes once per day. Then it doesn't matter when people return their dirties.

I second this. Wash cups once per day. Post the time at which cups will be washed, and ask people to soak their cups if the drop it off after the posted time

iii. Why would a personal mug be kept on the shelf with the communal mugs, anyway?

Seaboe

Probably because the personal mugs are getting washed with the communal mugs

[tagurit]

Floater, do you wash dishes before I leave for the day? Because, I'm drinking coffee right til the end.

Of course, I wash my own mug.

[Tweetilynn]

I second everyone else. Do them once a day. Also, am I the only one impressed that not only does Floater have a dishwasher at work, they actually have someone responsible for running it. We have a kitchen sink and everyone is responsible for their own dishes.

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Tweetilynn

I second everyone else. Do them once a day. Also, am I the only one impressed that not only does Floater have a dishwasher at work, they actually have someone responsible for running it. We have a kitchen sink and everyone is responsible for their own dishes.

Once upon a time we had a system where whoever noticed the dishwasher was full switched it on, but then someone came up with the idea that we take turns so it's not always the same people who do it.

I would also like to add that when I arrived at work half an hour ago I noticed that somehow during the night some new dirty cups and glasses had popped up on the kitchen sink (instead of inside the dishwasher).

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

1. While you're kitchen slave, wash dishes once per day. Then it doesn't matter when people return their dirties.

There isn't space enough in the dishwasher or mugs enough to do it just once a day. Besides, this happened at the end of the day and I don't want to start a new day with dirty dishes as I, contrary to popular belief, do have a certain idea of tidiness. A leftover from the time I washed dishes for a living, I assume.

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

b. Are your communal mugs easily identifiable? Are the personal mugs also identifiable, so that never the twain shall meet?

The communal mugs are neutral, personally owned mugs are in all shapes and designs. There is no way they can be mistaken. The "problem" is that some people just don't care, they grab the nearest one regardless of whose it might be.

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

iii. Why would a personal mug be kept on the shelf with the communal mugs, anyway?

Why not? That's where the coffee is, in the kitchen. On the other hand, I keep my own in my room so I can keep an eye on them. Each of them has a story and I prefer it to be me that drops any of them on the floor rather than some clumsy cow-irker.

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

1. While you're kitchen slave, wash dishes once per day. Then it doesn't matter when people return their dirties.

I would just like to point out that I have just started the dishwasher, which is totally full of stuff from the morning coffee break and lunch (plus what people hadn't put there yesterday afternoon). There is no way that we could wash up but once a day.

[SplishFish]

Could you create a schedule and communicate it to all your co-workers?

"The dishwasher will be run at 10:00 and 15:00. Please have all your items in the kitchen by that time."

You can change the times to whatever makes sense for your office.

Regarding the personal coffee cups, has anyone complained? If people don't want their coffee cups used by others, they can wash the cups themselves.

I choose the mug I have at work because it has zero sentimental value to me. I won't be upset if it breaks, gets stolen, or if I leave it behind when my contract ends. Whomever uses my mug is welcome to the cold I've been fighting off for the last 2 weeks.

Splish "diseased" Fish