The Cup System: In our house, we have used the Cup System for decades. I was always working so we needed to save time on household chores. It turns out this time-saver also saves huge amounts of water. Everyone has his/her own unique cup, often hanging on a hook underneath the upper kitchen cabinets. There are two reasons you wash a cup- germs and residues like milk.  Using your own cup ends the need to worry about germs, so now you only rinse when there are undesirable residues. 

The Cup System Rules 

1.  Yours and Yours Alone: You use only your own unique cup.
2.  Rinsing is Optional: You can rinse it out when you want to but you    don’t have to.
3.  Go Get It: If you have left your cup somewhere, you have to go get it- no new cups, even if you have to run upstairs for your cup left on your desk.
4.  Everybody’s In: Guests are not excluded from the Cup system. They get to select from the variety of extra cups, each unique, so  they can remember which cup is theirs. The rules are explained to them.  As long as they are in your home, their cup is theirs.