Make-Do Dishwasher Sign - Dirty or Clean?

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At Make-Do Mondays we discuss how we’re simplifying, downsizing, repurposing, buying used, and using what we’ve got.

It’s a carnival celebrating creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. To participate, share your own make-do solution in the comments or write up a Make-Do Mondays post at your blog, then return here to link via MckLinky. Enjoy others’ ideas by clicking on their link in the MckLinky list.

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Make-Do Mondays with Shari

So even though we have only 4 people in our family, I always hear, "is the dishwasher clean?"  

I wonder why that is?  

If I open the dishwasher I can immediately tell if the dishes are clean, well almost always immediately.  But for some reason my family seems to think that they should ask me first and then look for themselves after I answer.  I think they should look for themselves and then ask if they can't figure it out on their own.  

I have been trying for ages to get this changed, but then it isn't a life threatening thing so I probably will live with it because it isn't worth spending time on.  (For me that is, and on most days, I have more important things to worry about, teach them about, etc.  They will discover they can figure this out on their own in good time.  It is just one of those mini-gripes.)


So I finally came up with a solution several years back.  (Yes, I see we need a new one, but maybe some day I will get to it!)  I took a magnet from a business card that I didn't need.  I used to get them on the Yellow Pages phonebooks.  Sometime they come in the mail. I have seen them in some stores, doctor offices and other places.  

So I took one I wasn't using and took a piece of paper and wrote 'Dirty'  and   'Clean'  on the paper and then glued it to the Magnet.  Then I placed it on the Dishwasher.  

Now the rule is to switch the direction of the magnet when the dishwasher is turned on for it's cycle.  Then when it is cleaned out, turn it back to say 'Dirty'.  

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