What a weekend I’m having! I won’t even go into it because I don’t want to think about it anymore, but when I sat down last night to do my blog post, my rotten weekend decided to go from BAD to WORSE! I went to edit the pictures I’d taken and POOF, they were gone! I don’t have the slightest clue what happened, they simply aren’t anywhere to be found! This was ALMOST the straw that broke the blogs back — but I decided to dig down deep and proceed to Plan B. (Oh how I wish I really had a plan B!)
Since it was VERY late at night when I discovered this disastrous turn of events, I went in search of something “quick & dirty” (as we used to say in the TV news biz) that I could throw together. I decided to dig deep into my ‘One Good Thing By YOU’ collection of ideas, and for some reason this sweet little gem stood out. How to HAND WASH your dishes! I know the majority of us probably have dishwashers, but I also know there are plenty of times when there are more dirty dishes than even that can handle. (And if you’re like my daughter Britta, and your apartment doesn’t have a dishwasher, hand washing is the ONLY option!)
So here is a step-by-step guide to hand-washing your dirty dishes, by someone who knows their way around the kitchen sink — one of my savvy readers! :-) (I’m sad to say I don’t have the name of the person who submitted it, so if you’re out there and recognize it, please leave a comment! I would love to give credit where credit is due.)
Thank you mystery reader for saving my bacon (and post) for today!
Mystery reader writes…
- For those, like me, who are not blessed with dishwashers AND have a sink of dirty dishes, start by taking all the dishes out of the sink. Sort by glassware, silverware, plates/bowls, plastics, & pots/pans.
- Pots & pans can soak with hot soapy water in them, on the stove while following these steps:
- Fill the sink with hot, soapy water.
- Add the plates/bowls, glassware & silverware.
- Take a 15-minute break. Check emails, call a friend, read another chapter of your book. Allow the hot, soapy water to do its magic!
- After 15 minutes, sponge the glasses & dishes, rinse with hot water,
- …and put in the dish drainer (leaving silverware in the sink.)
- Now add the plastics & enough hot water to cover them.
- After another 15 minute break, put dry glassware & dishes in cabinets.
- Soap your sponge with the dish soap, and wash the plastics, rinsing with hot water, then put in drainer.
- This is also the time to finish the silverware!
- Lastly, if there were any pots soaking, you are now ready to finish the washing.
- Dry pots & pans & put in cabinets.
- Take another short break and when you return to your “clean” dishes, go ahead & put the plastics & silverware away.
- Wipe off counters & stove top, refrigerator door handle & anything else with a smudge and enjoy a job well (and efficiently) done!
Being your own dishwasher can be a pain, but it’s amazing how some simple techniques like these can make a big difference!
What are your tips for washing dishes efficiently?
Hi Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m a senior citizen, with many health problems. Most of the time I have Home Health Care assistance. Not at the moment. These young women (around 18-24) come in and find out they have to wash dishes by hand. ( I’m in low income housing, with no dishwasher. ) I found it surprising when they commented they had never done dishes before. When I have to go in the kitchen while they’re doing dishes, I have found they have a sponge, running water, and rubbing the dish under the water. I’ve had to resort to asking if they’ve ever done dishes. Then I ask them to put water in the plugged sink, fill it up at least half way, add soap (can’t get any of them to add bleach or vinegar), then explain how to wash them. They’ve been known to ask me why. So many of the ladies tell me how much they don’t like doing dishes, then they quit.
Speaking of vinegar. The women freak out when I tell them to use vinegar in the mop water.
Vinegar is the best! It makes a great addition to both dishwater and mop water!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee, Here is a challenge for you. I inherited a LeCreuset oval roasting pan w/ lid. It has seen better days. Any idea how to restore it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow, what an overkill way to clean your dishes –
First off, the dishes you use are relatively clean. There is no need for ANTIBACTERIAL soap OR BLEACH. As a microbiologist I do not have any antibacterial products in my house. The chemicals they use in these products add to the growing resistance of bacteria. Ever heard of MERSA at a hospital? They are from the overuse of antibacterial soaps.
Bleach is also overkill for your dishes. For all the hype that Jillee is about using natural and clean ingredients/supplies I would have thought she would have realized that the bleach residue is not good to ingest.
Just use warm water and regular soap people, it will be okay – I promise.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are correct, Andy, good grief, I learned this when I was in nursing school way back in the 1950s. Add to that bleach will damage some stainless steel eating utensils. Andy’s so sharp to have picked up on that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We always washed glasses first, then silverware, plates, bowls and of course pots last. My Dad was army and that was the way. Thanks Jillie for your posts. I really enjoy them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In my early life a few steps were left out; such as,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.getting water from the well, heating the water on the stove, washing dishes on the kitchen table, then we did not waste dishwater, we poured it into a bucket which brother took to the barn, poured in pig shorts (feed) and pour the mixture into the trough.
I have to say I did find the post just a little bit humorous. What a lot of steps just to wash a load of dishes! I’ve never had a dishwasher in my life and it never takes me more than 15 minutes tops (and that’s with the most dishes you can imagine having used lol).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fill your pans with water the minute you’ve finished cooking to soften cooked on gunk. Then, when you’ve finished eating, fill the sink with hot water and dishwashing detergent and just get on with it. You may need to change the water, depending on what you’ve been cooking or how many dishes there are, but other than that it really is very simple lol.
I have noticed I can waste more time thinking about a chore than it takes actually doing the chore
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So true, Ramona.
Just in the last few months, thanks to Jillee’s great info, I have discovered a great way to clean stuck on food, large amounts of grease and oil on pans and stop scrubbing dishes until my arms go numb!
I do the dishes for our concession business, so things are always oily and there is always food and grease stuck on the pans and utensils. Over the last 7 years of doing this, I’ve tried everything to get them clean. I’ve literally scrubbed for hours until my hands and arms are numb to get all the stuck on food off.
So when I read the post about how to clean the filters on your range hood, a lightbulb went off in my head! So now, I still have to soak the dishes, but I soak them with really hot water, some dish soap, vinegar and baking soda.
I will leave them soak 15 minutes to overnight depending on how bad they are. When I come back to them with a sponge or brush, the stuck on stuff just wipes off. Very little scrubbing to do!
Thanks so much for the great tips and tricks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Glad to hear that, Debra! Thanks for sharing :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Count me in as someone who learned “glasses and cups first, plates and silverware next, pots and pans last.” I had a great dishwasher but it finally died. I never had to pre-wash with it, just scrape the dishes and in they went (it had a hard food disposer). Now I’m back to hand washing. I can say from my experience that hand washing DOES take more time for me than using a dishwasher. I took maybe five to 10 minutes each big meal to load the dishwasher, 2 to 3 minutes after small meals. When cooking big meals, even washing as I go, I spend much more time in the kitchen when hand washing than when using a dishwasher. I used an eco-friendly detergent in my dishwasher that had no bleach — I don’t like bleach at all, and I won’t use it with my hand washing. About sponges — cellulose sponges can be boiled, which is how they were sanitized years ago. I boil mine on a regular basis, and switch from sponge to sponge, using a clean one and cleaning the used ones.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Boiling is great, but if you have a microwave, you can put that/those wet sponges in the microwave with a cup of water, Nuke them for five minutes and the sponges will be sanitized. Of course, if they are filthy buy some new sponges the next time you shop
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use old cotton t-shirts that have seen better days, and cut them into dishcloth sized cloths and use them for my dishes and kitchen cleaning. They do last and can be washed and save lots of money in sponge buying :) Good to know I have been washing dishes the correct way…minus the 15 minute breaks. If you rinse your dishes after using them it is much easier and quicker to wash them when it comes time for the “big” wash
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would not put the bleach in the dish water because it takes away the grease fighting power of the dishsoap. Of friend of mine added bleach to her dishwater and all her dishes had a greasy film, so I redid them all without bleach.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.* A friend of mine*
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a friend who is in her late 70’s who loves to do dishes. She calls it water play. I have found that since she explained her love of it this way, I don’t despise the chore so much. I keep telling myself I’m playing in the water and it makes it more fun. Another way to view it is to see handwashing as caring for your friends (dishes, utensils, pans). Perspective is what it’s all about. Teach your children the “fun” of doing the dishes–like the privacy factor someone else mentioned, it makes it a more pleasant experience.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love everyone’s comments! I too am “Old School” by washing glasses and cups first, then silverware, then dishes, and then pots and pans if I have not washed them as I empty them. I use Dawn: No bleach: No sponges: Dish cloths do the job. I dry everything with a thick hand towel- and place everything in the dish drainer….to finish air drying. Once I clean the sink and counter tops, and wipe down the stove and refrigerator doors, I am ready to put all the dishes away in the cabinets. Finish with a quick clean in the sinks with Barkeepers Friend, and dry it them, and then hang the dishtowel over the laundry basket to dry- and be placed in the next load for the washing machine. I never thought about “breaks” as I want to get done so I can relax! Ha-Ha
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No dishwasher here (except me, I guess!) and love the idea of using vinegar. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for the tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put a splash of vinegar in the rinse water. I also prefer to use a sponge, I just like the way they clean. However, I switch them out daily, and they get washed just like a dishcloth would.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The idea of a sponge on my dishes gives me the shakes!! I don’t even own one except for the one my husband uses to wash the cars. I use a clean dish cloth, blue Dawn dish detergent, and water as hot as I can stand. I start with glassware, then silverware, plates, bowls, plastics, pots and pans. Everything is rinsed well in hot water, and put in the drainer. Then they are dried and put away….hopefully by my husband. Unless a pot or pan needs to soak, I complete them all at one time with no soaking time. I’m too eager to get it over with and move on to something I enjoy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, I just love you and all of your fabulous tips…they are simply fantastic. I too wash dishes by hand. I was proud to see that what i was doing is what you suggested above!..The only difference is that my mom taught me to not put bleach in the sink..mixing it with certain soaps can give off nasty gasses…
( Many dish detergents contain chemicals which may react with chlorine bleach. Ammonia would be one example. Bleach should not be added to the wash water ever. Bleach should be added at a rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water, to the rinse water, not the wash water. This is standard in restaurants across the )
What i do is wash with dish detergent, and then i have about a generous half a cup of vinegar in my rinse water. It makes dishes squeak! it also neutralizes some odors in my plastic containers if i let them soak for a bit in there..when i am done, I was my dish rags in the vinegar water. It gets all the soap out etc and then they never get slimy on me!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thanks !!
I love hand washing dishes! But I do use my dishwasher also. I load glasses, plates and silver into the dishwasher and hand wash the rest. My sink has a window over it so I can day dream, wash dishes and let my mind rest from cooking for an hour. I love using my soft dish cloth to wash the leftover delicate items, wood handle knives, non-stick skillet and my stainless steel cookware. I use gloves and very hot water and rinse the soap off like crazy. I use empty space in my dishwasher to let the hand washed things drip dry if possible. Otherwise I stack them on the counter top and dry with my sparkling white flour sack drying towel. Sometimes I add eos to my dish water and enjoy the fragrance. We all have such unique methods of washing dishes, isn’t it fun to share! And Jillee, Monday starts a new week, better times ahead!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My 27 yo daughter that has a masters in cell biology needs directions. She knows about bacteria and still leaves pans and dishes for days stacked up. I had tried to teach her over the past 13 years the “old school” method, to no avail. I want her to learn to cook and clean as she goes before she gets married and has children in the next few years. I am one that believes the kitchen should be cleaned up before you move on to other activities. (Also, no sponges for me, a fresh dishcloth and dry towel daily.)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was taught to first wash anything that comes in contact with your mouth. That is silverware, glasses and cups. The water is hotter.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to see all of these worthy comments and helpful hints on this very common and necessary chore. How ever the dishes get cleaned at your house, sharing what works for you, has been very pleasing for me to read. I will be using some of the tips, while admiring the rest. A job well done, is very satisfying. “Done” being the key word. ;D
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Scrape all food off plates and stack them on
counter; soak silverware in sink with plastic cups. After washing those, wash glass cups, plates then pans which are already soaking. A dish-cloth with dish-soap and no bleach or antibacterial soaps is all that is needed other than a scrubby for stubborn spots.
Also, teach your children to clear the table from the youngest age safe (2 years old here.) 3 year olds can clear plastic cups and spoons; 4 year olds can clear other flatware and 5 year olds can clear plates or bowls one at a time.
Our children start putting dishes away at 4 years of age, drying at 5 years of age, and washing at 7 or 8. Teach your children to help in the kitchen; they will learn a life long skill and understand that pitching in together makes the work go better and faster!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great suggestion, Julie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My big tip: Make cuffs when using rubber gloves (like the package photo shows). Why? Because the cuff keeps water from dripping all the way down the arm & off the elbow. SO always buy the extra long.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was cracking up with all those breaks, but then got to thinking. I “do” breaks. My breaks (much shorter) though keep the task at hand in motion. Meaning, while something soaks, wipe or prep the next step.
As a side note, when my kitchen remodel was done I was so excited about my new farm sink that I washed the dishes by hand for weeks. I felt like a little kid playing house–it was so fun (what a sicko). The DW gets plenty of use–but when I have an overflow of dishes I am still excited to wash them by hand.
I was taught to wash the things we put in our mouths first when the dishwater is clean and hot. That would be silverware first and then glasses and cups, then the plates and serving dishes. Clean hot water for the pots and pans, stove top and counters. Fifteen minute breaks, why? I have never minded doing dishes, I have always done my best thinking with my hands in dishwater, but I do want to get the job done and on to other things.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The breaks leave time for dishes to soak and to dry, but doing them all at once is great, too! I love getting them out of the way quickly, but sometimes there are just too many :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I add 1/2 cup of vinegar, its safer and food friendly. I also do them all at once and don’t wait 15 mins. between each otherwise I’d be doing dishes a long time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One thing I like to do is slather some good rich hand cream on before putting on rubber gloves. By the time I’ve finished washing in very hot water, my hands are lovely and soft!
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