Thanks for the advice on vinegar. I read that on some other sites also. This will show what a bad home-keeper I really am: I do not have vinegar. I'm taking my lunch break to get SOS pads and vinegar! I plan to have DS7 use the vinegar as a science experiment; he will LOVE it and it will make it more fun for me!

Progress to report despite the above obstacles: just having the sink shined and announcing it to DS and DH has kept dishes from sitting in the sink...they go straight into the dishwasher. Hooray! It's working already smile Nan