For two people, we sure wash a lot of glasses in this house. There’s a lot of asking, “Was this your glass or mine?” “Did you drink juice out of this, or was it just water?” and “How long has this been sitting here?” And the solution is often to just put the glass in the dishwasher and get a new one. My remedy?

I’m not as interested in things matching as I am in them working. I have an old set of glasses from my college days that are now my glasses. If my glasses are different from my husband’s, then we’ll know what’s what when there’s a glass sitting on the kitchen counter.

If you need things to match, consider making your next set of glasses a rainbow colored affair.

They’re pricey, but the recycled glass tumblers from Red Elephant Gallery come in eight different colors. Get a different color for each family member and you’re all set. Mix and match from the different offerings of The Green Glass Company, (sample above) made from reclaimed wine and beer bottles. Or the Swing Tumblers from Uncommon Goods.

Keep your designated glass all day. Using fewer glasses will help you run your dishwasher less.