Many people out there - okay, in here - seem to have problems with the simple process of cleaning the kitchen. Does this sound familiar?

· Instead of washing a plate, you leave it on the sideboard encrusted with beans.
· Once you've finished as much as you want to eat of a pizza, you're baffled as to what to do with what's left.
· As far as you're concerned, coffee mugs are supposed to be covered with mold.
· You think that, if you leave things long enough, the washing-up pixies will come and clean them, ready for the next time.
· You think cutlery doesn't actually need to be cleaned - just use it again.
· The germ theory of infection hasn't reached your consciousness yet.

Yes? Don't worry, here are some tips to save you. It's always nice to have something to aim for before you engage on a difficult project like this.

Here's a motivational picture to give you a sense of what you can achieve. You may not recognize this. The technical term for it is a clean sink. Note the piles of dishes in the drying rack on the left of the picture. These were previously heaped in a swamp of dirty water in the metal receptacle on the right, swimming around with bits of pasta, rice and probably small insects. At this stage you're probably thinking "How on earth do I get to that stage?" I can understand that it might be a bit baffling, but, deep down, it's quite a simple process.

Don't worry, at first glance these things might look baffling and complex, but they'll quickly become second nature to you once you actually start cleaning up

This peculiar-looking item is called a sponge. You use it in tangent with the water and the washing-up liquid to wipe the crap off the plates, bowls, glasses, mugs and cutlery that you leave festering around the house, like little anthrax bombs around in your wake. You'll also need some water. You probably already know water, as you use it to make the endless cups of tea and coffee that you drink most of then leave in the living room to grow old like unwanted relatives.