Hosting a Show: Cleanup Tips & Tricks

[melaniepc]

okay since I have only done two shows and both were at my house, I dont know how this goes.. when you host a show what do you do with the dirty dishes and stuff you use during the show?

 

[chefann]

I bring mine home dirty. It gets me out of the host's house faster and I very seldom have a host offer to do them (they're usually too busy visiting with their guests). Since I usually have a mixing bowl with me, I toss all the small tools into that.

 

[cewcooks]

I usually rinse off knifes, bowls etc, luckily all the food that I have prepared gets all eaten, but I usually help the host wrap up the leftovers for her family for the next day. I always take my dirty dishes with me, I feel that it is not the hosts' job unless she offers to help!
Good luck with your biz

 

[sk8rgrrl99]

My recruiter suggested that I bring a small tupperware tub with me and throw all the dirty dishes into it then bring it home and wash them all there. She said she occasionally left product at a hosts house otherwise so this is the solution she came up with.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I have a large rubbermaid "stackable" drawer that you can get at Office Max. I take it there packed with stuff, and bring it home with my dirties. The larger size just barely fits my large grooved cutting board, and it's just tall enough for the MEDIUM ss bowl from the set....

I rinse off my knives and clean my stones before coming home. Other than that, it waits till I get home!

Here is a link for the drawer I have (I think it's the correct size!)
http://www.officemax.com/omax/catalog/sku.jsp?skuId=03113339&searchString=plastic+drawer&productId=ARS19407&category_Id=null

 

[JAE]

I wash anything that won't go in my dishwasher, like the FC Knives and the LG Cutting Board. Everything else gets put in plastic grocery type bags. I put my dirty things in the dishwasher when I get home. I discourage the hosts from washing my dishes because I don't want them to tell people that they washed my dishes. I don't expect it. I also don't wash any of the hosts dishes. If the host is busy with guests then I set her dirty dishes aside and will even put left over food on paper plates or whatever I can find so I can wash my stones or serving pieces. I bring the microfiber wash cloths and towels so I don't have to ask for towels from the host, too. The more self-sufficient I can be the less I have to wait for the host or interrupt her when she is busy doing whatever.

 

[dannyzmom]

I have a 10 gallon rubbermaid tote that I bring all my dirties home in.

 

[Koolotus]

I have a 10 gallon rubbermaid tote that I bring all my dirties home in.

Me too!
I line mine with a black lawn and leaf bag so when I get home, I take everything out and put it in the sink, and then I take out the bag and throw it away, lysol the tote and I am done!


ACTUALLY...


my oldest daughter is done. All that is her job :angel:

 

[pcjenn]

I put my dishes in a plastic bag and take them home dirty. My husband usually does them for me. He says that it is the least he can do to support me and my business. Okay, so I am bragging now.:angel:

 

[jenboswood]

I bring mine home in a large tote as well. I have never thought about lining it with a trash bag. The least favorite part is cleaning out the tote. Thanks Cheryl!

 

[DebbieJ]

I wash them at my host's house. I do one recipe a month and I'd rather just wash and repack and be ready for my next show. Occasionally the host or the host's mother/sister/friend will do them. Sometimes I offer a gift to anyone who washes them for me. I bring microfiber towels/dishcloths and my own soap so I don't have to bug my host.

 

[susanr613]

I hae been washing up at the host's, but now I'm reconsidering....I'd rather wash at home with my sponges and esp dish gloves.

Carolyn, where did you buy a Rubbermaid 10-gallon tote and what does it look like? I also loooove the trash bag liner idea!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Me too!
I line mine with a black lawn and leaf bag so when I get home, I take everything out and put it in the sink, and then I take out the bag and throw it away, lysol the tote and I am done!


ACTUALLY...


my oldest daughter is done. All that is her job :angel:

I do all but the black lawn trash bag- I bring two regular white garbage bags... and a brown paperbag for food and wrapper type trash...& wash the dirty dishes which I've placed in the garbage bags when I get home!

 

[DebbieJ]

I hae been washing up at the host's, but now I'm reconsidering....I'd rather wash at home with my sponges and esp dish gloves.

I bring my pink HWC gloves and wear them!

 

[IAmChefJ]

I do the 10 gallon tote too, and I put a regular trash bag in it for the small items.. going to have to look into the bigger bags - thanks!

I make sure to point out as I'm doing the show that all the dirties go home with me, get loaded into the dishwasher, and voila, I'm done! Points out how easy it is for the host, and how easy it is to be a consultant. In my host letter when I tell people how easy it is to host a show that I do everything including clean up afterwords. They just have to get people there!

 

[IAmChefJ]

On a related clean up kitchen note... there are some products I don't put in the dishwasher, just becuase I feel like they'll last longer and look better if I hand wash.

The bamboo is already looking a little rough... and things with markings on them, I wash by hand. (Came about after my Handi Scraper went all funny colored and the logo got smeared in the dish washer.)

Am I crazy?

 

[pampered.chris]

I used to offer a gift to someone who did my dishes for me, but that was when I was doing shows almost every night. I have since bought a house that has a dishwasher and I do my own dishes. I bring a dish tub (rubbermaid) w/ me to every show and set it beneath the table and I have a small trash can that I put grocery bags into that I put all of the trash things into. These are both under my table, people can really see them, so after I have received a look or two I mention to the guests that I have a dirty dish tub and garbage can under there and am not tossing things on the hostess's floor. I tell them that I take my dishes home with me to put in the dishwasher.
I am going to start washing my forged knives at shows, b/c I keep forgetting to put them back in my kit when i wash them at home (by hand).

 

[bsaxman]

I bring my dishes home inside crate lined w/ a garbage bag. Of course, my forged knives get washed and dried there before I leave (this only takes seconds) and if there's time I will try to pre-rinse anything that's gooey. I used to do my dishes at the host's house but a few hosts have tried to be too helpful by putting things in the dishwasher. One host actually put my forged knives and my executive saute pan in the dishwasher. Not good. So now I'm pretty stingy about my dishes.

 

[chefann]

How would a host even have time to run the dishwasher before you left? If someone asks me about the dishes, I mention that most of our tools are dishwasher safe and that I just toss them into the dishwasher at home. (Although, with just 2 of us at home, the dishwasher gets run about once a week so I usually wash my show dishes by hand.)

 

[melaniepc]

wow thanks for all the great ideas!!! very helpful

 

[bsaxman]

How would a host even have time to run the dishwasher before you left?

If someone asks me about the dishes, I mention that most of our tools are dishwasher safe and that I just toss them into the dishwasher at home. (Although, with just 2 of us at home, the dishwasher gets run about once a week so I usually wash my show dishes by hand.)

I had a host who literally got things out of my crate that I kept under the table DURING THE SHOW and had already loaded the dishwasher and started it before the show was over! eek. She thought she was doing me a favor. It was so annoying, I politely said "Please don't worry about those, I'll get those later" but she just wouldn't stop! Yikes. :cry:

 

[chefmeg]

I bring home the dirty stuff....I LOVE the trash bag liner idea!

 

[c00p]

I've always done the rubbermaid tote thing too. But I do love the idea of lining it with a trash bag. Think I'll have to start doing that!! I just bought mine at the dollar store, and it's been over 4 years ago and it's still holding up.

When I decided to do PC, before my recruiter even mentioned it to me, I decided on my own that I would never, ever ask a host to wash up my dishes. I had hosted a show once upon a time and the guy doing my show EXPECTED me to do his dishes (he even said, so are my dishes done yet??) and even waited while I did them, and then dried them. I was so appaled. So needless to say, that left a very nasty taste in my mouth. I've always just put everything into my tote as I go along and then my table stays neat and it's out of sight too. I've had a few hosts offer to wash up, and I always thank them, but tell them it's not necessary.

 

[chefmeg]

I've always done the rubbermaid tote thing too. But I do love the idea of lining it with a trash bag. Think I'll have to start doing that!! I just bought mine at the dollar store, and it's been over 4 years ago and it's still holding up.

When I decided to do PC, before my recruiter even mentioned it to me, I decided on my own that I would never, ever ask a host to wash up my dishes. I had hosted a show once upon a time and the guy doing my show EXPECTED me to do his dishes (he even said, so are my dishes done yet??) and even waited while I did them, and then dried them. I was so appaled. So needless to say, that left a very nasty taste in my mouth. I've always just put everything into my tote as I go along and then my table stays neat and it's out of sight too. I've had a few hosts offer to wash up, and I always thank them, but tell them it's not necessary.

that is just WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[chefann]

I agree! I'll take the help if a host rinses things off in the sink, but I don't expect them to do it. The nerve of some people... yeesh.

 

[PChefPEI]

I take my dirty dishes home with me, but sometimes have had hosts who insist on doing them, so I just tell them that I just go home and throw it all in the dishwasher. That usually works to leave them alone!

I like the plastic tote idea to take them home in though. I was using a cloth bag and washing the bag. It would still all fit in my bag that I take all my stuff in. I like to be able to just make one trip to the car....makes my job look easy!

 

[Koolotus]

I bring mine home in a large tote as well. I have never thought about lining it with a trash bag. The least favorite part is cleaning out the tote. Thanks Cheryl!

You are welcomemy favorite bud!

 

[Koolotus]

I did the trash bag thing because I didn't want to wash the tote!

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I am in the minority here, I always wash my dishes at the show. I do the same recipe for a month and it makes it so easier for me to have my kit already packed. Plus, I have a very tiny car, there is hardly enough room for my kit, much less a big rubbermaid tote. I wash up after everyone has left and leave the kitchen nice and tidy. My hosts tell me that I leave it cleaner than I found it!

Again, this is another area where differnet things work for different consultants. That's the joy of PC!

 

[pattikake]

I take mine home in a tote as well. I've had many hosts tell their guest how nice it is not to have dirty dishes to worry about. I even bring the food scraps home with me and add them to my composte pile!