A few dishes? Fine. But the mound of dishes left behind after a hungry family devours a Thanksgiving feast can really overwhelm even the most ambitious host. Now consider the exhaustion from all the preparation, the family you would rather be visiting with, and the ads you want to flip through to make your plan for shopping before the sun comes up in the morning, and you really have a dilemma.

You are talking to a woman who understands! I am tired just thinking of it – and certainly the dishes seem less important (especially when after-Thanksgiving shopping is involved!). There's no telling where to begin—until now. Follow these 10 tips to quick and easy post-celebration cleaning.

1. Load small things in the dishwasher first. If the big things don’t fit, it’s easier to hand-wash a few of them than loads of small ones.
2. Position dishes facing the water spray in the dishwasher. Don’t put antiques, wooden items, pewter, cast iron or anything hand-painted with gold, silver, platinum or decoration in the dishwasher. Easy is good, but ruining Grandma’s china is BAD!
3. Place a soft towel on the bottom of the sink as a cushion when washing fine china or glassware by hand.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to the soak and the rinse water. It reduces grease, helps food residue dissolve, and makes dishes sparkling clean.
5. Clean stains on a glass decanter by filling it with water and adding a cup of ammonia or white vinegar; let soak overnight. Pour in some uncooked rice, swish solution around, then rinse.
6. Remove odors from wooden cutting boards by rubbing with half a cut lemon.
7. Quick-clean a blender or food processor by filling it one-third full with warm water. Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and run it for 10 seconds. Rinse and dry.
8. Clean soft cheese from a grater by rubbing a raw potato or cut lemon over the grater openings.
9. Rinse dishes that have been used for mixing or beating eggs, milk or cheese with cold water first, then wash with hot water. Hot water “cooks” those foods and makes the pans and bowls harder to clean. So cold first to clean it off and hot second to sanitize!
10. Wash plastic storage containers with a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart warm water to remove odors or stains. Rinse with fresh water and dry.

This year I hope you will spend a little more time with your feet up, enjoying your family and friends, planning that shopping trip, or doing all three!. However you spend it, I hope your meal is fabulous, your clean-up quick, and your heart full of gratitude!