How to Make Post-Holiday Dish Return Fun & Easy

This shop and my idea for empty dish return has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WipeAwayHolidayMess #CollectiveBias

I love cooking and baking for holiday gatherings.  It doesn’t matter if I’m the hostess or the guest, I look forward to making special holiday dishes to share with friends and family.

At the end of the meal there is invariably a collection of dishes that get left behind.  Either the contents are still being divvied up when people leave or sometimes the owner just forgets.  A few years ago I came up with a fun idea to pair with the task of returning them.

Less Stress, Less Mess in the New Year

After washing all the dishes I set out on the table the ones that need to be returned.  I add a collection of ingredients to the dish or pan that will make a complete meal or dessert so they will have a meal or treat that requires little to no forethought.

Empty Dish Return Idea

First, choose the food items for your dish return package.  Ideas include:

• pasta & pasta sauce
• canned goods (vegetables, beans, meats)
• rice
• bottled sauces (soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, mustard)
• pre-cut fruit & veggies
• jarred spices
• cake mix
• brownie mix
• flour
• sugar
• oil
• frosting
• cupcake liners

Next wrap the dish with a dish towel for padding.  If the dish had a lid you can use it to hold everything together; if not, use a ribbon and tie it all down.  Finally add a few decorative tie-ons if you’d like and include a note letting them know you appreciated their company and wish them a stress-free (and mess-free) start to the new year!

This year I’m also adding a new Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloth to each of my dish delivery food gifts.  I figured if I’m giving them the gift of food, I should probably give them a way to clean up too, right?

I recently discovered the Scotch-Brite Scrubbing Dish Cloth at Kroger.  It was kind of by accident; someone had left one on the shelf in the wrong area and it caught my eye.  Eventually I found their correct spot between the scrub brushes for the bathroom and the kitchen. When you look for them, also keep your eye out for the in-store clip strip that has an offer for $1.50 off 2-pack.

The scrubbing dots on the one side of the dish cloth allow you to take on tough messes in the sink and across a variety of surfaces. Plus you get non-scratch scrubbing power with the wiping and drying functions of a dish cloth. They are fully washable and reusable, and come in four colors: gray, navy, tan, and mint.

Don’t forget to get some for yourself! I used mine to wash the dishes before making my dish return trips, in addition to including them in my dish return packages.

What post-holiday cleaning inspiration do you have to share?