Los Trastes

[Bobbert]

I only hear the word "trastes" used when it refers to washing the dishes, and it is always in the plural form.

Is this word ever used in the singular form to mean a dish/a plate?

Is it possible to say: Tengo que lavar este traste antes de irme.

Is this word ever used to mean something not related to washing the dishes?

Is it possible to say: ¡Cuidado, el traste aún está caliente!

Any input is appreciated.

[Rusty]

I've never heard 'traste' used to mean a single dish (the name of the item is used instead).
The singular noun 'traste' can mean several things: junk, trash/garbage/rubbish, knickknack/trinket (could be used in plural), and, colloquially, one's rear end/butt.

[Bobbert]

Thank you, Rusty.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Bobbert

Is it possible to say: ¡Cuidado, el traste aún está caliente!

Here, not really

Lavar los trastes is something nurses do here as part of their morning chores.

We use the less buttock-y word trastos, almost always in plural, to refer to junk, personal belongings regarded as worn out and any unclassifiable collection of seemengly useless objects, including the odd piece of china, cuttlery or pan part, but never the dishes.

You can hear eventually

Sacáme este trasto de acá

meaning "remove this cumbersome object from here", to avoid saying "sacáme esta porquería de acá" (remove this PoS).

However, traste is used in singular, here and most everywhere, in expressions like

irse al traste (go south, turn sour)

and

dar por traste (ruin someone's plans or aspirations)

but don't mistake it with "dar por el traste" (forcefully sodomize someone or completely wreck something)

[Bobbert]

Thank you, aleCcowaN. I'm familiar with the word "trastos" used in the plural, but I've never heard these expressions using "traste." So thank you for pointing them out.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

In Mexico, we normally use the word in plural, but if we say something like "tengo que lavar este traste antes de irme", it most probably refers to a container whose function is hard to specify; it's often a Tupperware-like container, and that one is also commonly called "tóper".
- Mi mamá me dio un traste/tóper con comida.
- El queso está en un traste en el refrigerador.
- Necesito un traste para guardar el pavo que quedó.
- No guardes la salsa en el traste del yogur.
- La cebolla se guarda en un traste de vidrio.

In singular, as Rusty said, we rather call them by their individual names:
- Tengo que lavar este plato/tazón/sartén/vaso antes de irme.
- Ten cuidado, el sartén/el comal/la taza/la olla/la cacerola aún está caliente.

When washing or organizing the dishes, most people say "los trastes", but there are many who say "los trastos".
- Voy a lavar los trastos. = Voy a lavar los trastes.
- Hay que secar los trastos antes de guardarlos. = Hay que secar los trastes antes de guardarlos.
- Levanta los trastos sucios de la mesa. = Levanta los trastes sucios de la mesa.

Also, although we normally say "el plato del perro", we can also say "el traste del perro".

And adding to the other uses of "traste" that Alec introduced, we older generations may still use from time to time: "estar dado al traste", which means to be damaged or in process of decay.
- Mi pobre coche está todo dado al traste. -> My car is so old and damaged, it's a miracle it still runs.
- Me dio gripa y me siento dada al traste. -> I cought a flu and I'm feeling lousy.
- Vi a Pepe; se ve muy dado al traste. -> I saw Pepe. He looks timeworn.