Clean/Dirty Dishwasher Magnet (AKA The Easiest Project Ever Just When You Need It)

The project I have to share with you today was so easy that I feel guilty passing it off as a blog post.  But the truth is, I sort of needed an easy but satisfying project right now.

There is no question that the big and transformative home renovation projects are what really make me love DIY, and reason that I wanted to join with Sage to start this blog.  However, sometimes those just aren’t attainable.  Rather than throw in the towel and take a break from making things all together, it feels really good to do something quick and easy. I’m sure you’ve all been there, too.

I mentioned a little while ago that I recently started a new job.  I’ve been there nearly 3 months and I LOVE it.  After 5 years in one spot doing nearly the same job it is super refreshing to have a change.  The work I’m doing now (nonprofit fundraising and marketing) is significantly different than what I was doing before (internal planning, speechwriting, and event prep) and it is great to have a new challenge. I adore my new co-workers and the work that they’re doing!

Still, it is a lot to take in, and starting a new job means learning new systems and proving yourself to new people.  It’s tiring.  I’ve also been working really long hours to get up to speed on the new role.  It is all good work and I’m VERY happy, but it’s squeezing out time that I used to spend doing other things, like home projects, working on the blog, or… cleaning the house and sleeping.

That’s where this project comes in.  After watching the dishes pile up when I come home exhausted late in the evening every night for a week, I knew there must be a better solution.  That solution includes having Brad load the dishwasher as he makes dishes.  This is something he’s always said he’d be willing to do if he could only tell without opening the dishwasher whether it was filled clean or dirty dishes.

So, when I ran into annoying roadblocks on not one but two projects related to my bedroom makeover that I was going to share with you this week, I decided to kill two birds with one stone feed two birds with one nutritious and delicious seed and make a quick Clean/Dirty magnet for the dishwasher.  I’m so glad I did.  It took less than an hour, and gave me the satisfaction of completing a project just when I needed it!

I started with a piece of thin plywood that I had leftover from another project, and marked off a segment about 12″ x 4″.

With a quick cut of the circular saw (which I am no longer afraid of) I had the surface of my new magnet.

I gave it a good sanding to round out the corners and smooth the surface, then cleaned it off and covered it completely in strips of tape. I then used my ruler to mark every inch on one side and the half inch mark on the other side (so, 0.5″, 1.5″, 2.5″, etc.).

 

I then connected them with lines to create a triangular pattern.

I used my X-ACTO knife to trace the lines, and peeled away the tape to reveal an impromptu stencil.

I filled in the open spaces with black craft paint, peeled away the tape, and coated everything with polycrylic to help it stand up to kitchen use, and glued some magnets onto the back.  And then I was done – that easy!

I appreciate how it makes the dishwasher look like squinting, pointy-toothed monster.

When the black side is at the top, the dishwasher is ready to be loaded with dirty dishes.  When I run it, I just flip over the magnet to show that the dishes inside are clean.  It’s not as obvious as the magnets that just say “clean” and “dirty” on them, but since both Brad and I are in on the secret code, this will work for us.

Looking at these photos, I can’t wait until I can do a proper kitchen makeover (rather than the half-makeover we’ve been living with) so I can fix up these cabinets and replace this dishwasher, but for now I’ll settle for it being easier to keep this one clean.  Hopefully the magnet will help!