Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Tip: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Place rubber shelf liner in the bottom of the sink when washing dishes as a cushion against breakage.

By duckie-do from Cortez, CO

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RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Now this is one heck of an idea. I never would have thought of this. I just happen to have some of the rubber shelf liner, the kind with the tiny holes in a waffle pattern. Since I'm alone, I've gotten to where I prefer to wash my dishes by hand. And, today, the shelf liner goes in the sink. Thanks for a great idea! (10/29/2010)

By Bobbie9395

Request: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

This maybe a silly request, but does anyone have any tips on washing dishes without the front of my shirt getting wet? The sink is positioned so I have to lean against it when washing dishes so it doesn't kill my back.

I know I could wear an apron or put a dish towel on the edge of the sink, but it usually ends up on the floor or in the sink. Anyone have any ideas?

By Suza from GA

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RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

You could buy or make a vinyl apron to wear. You could use safty pins or clothes pins to fasten a towel to your clothes while doing the dishes.If you are putting the water in the sink, try using a dish pan, so the water is not right at the edge of the sink where you lean. (12/21/2009)

By Omanana

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Put a big pan in sink bottoms up then put a dish pan on top of it to wash dishes in, that will make the pan higher, maybe this will help you. Also wear a plastic apron,if you don't have on make one with a garbage bag, good luck. (12/21/2009)

By kffrmw88

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Perhaps you could put on a windbreaker jacket or a light weatherproof jacket backwards - with the back of it on the front and the snaps in the back. Good luck! (12/25/2009)

By kitkatk100

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

I'm visually impaired and do not own a dishwasher. My sink is rather tall for me, as I'm only 5-2. I also have to lean against the sink, but rarely get more than a few drops of water on myself. Here's my strategy:

Rather than pick up the dish completely out of the water to wash, I do most of the washing with the dish submerged. If I have to, I'll stand the dish on its edge on the bottom of the sink while I gently swipe with the dish cloth.

When I'm ready to transfer the dish from point to point - from wash to rinse and rinse to dish rack - I hold it suspended and let most of the water drip off first.

Of course, it prob helps that I don't move very fast, lol! Someone watching me would prob think I was impersonating a sloth, lol! Yet no one gets my dishes cleaner than I can. And all this without soaking the front of my clothes, and no apron required. :D (12/27/2009)

By JustPlainJo

Request: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

I've always washed my dishes by hand. I've never had a dishwasher, but have had a faithful dish dryer for 48 years. His name is Ray.

I learned to wash dishes in the 50's. The rule was; glasses first, pots and pans last. It never occurred to me, until I was saving water during the drought last summer, to rinse the food off my dishes before washing them.

During the drought, wells were going dry, trees and shrubbery were showing signs of stress and I was recycling all the grey water I could collect to water our new shrubbery and keep the commodes flushed.

For the kitchen sink, I purchased two large plastic dish pans and put one in the sink to collect water as I rinsed my hands, etc. After each meal and in between, I used this water to rinse the food off the dishes because, to save water, I washed all of the dishes at the end of the day. I knew if I didn't rinse the food off, they would be a pain to wash. I stacked the rinsed dishes in the other dish pan. It was not until I started doing this that I noticed how dirty the water got after rinsing the food off the dishes. All those years I had been washing dishes, the soap subs hid the food particles in the water and I never gave it a thought.

It only takes a little water and a little effort to rinse the food off the dishes. Each time I do this the thought runs through my mind that this is slop water and I used to wash my dishes in it. It might be just the thought, but I feel like my dishes are much cleaner now.

I also learned another trick last summer. I don't like my kitchen cluttered up with dirty dishes so to keep my pan of dirty dishes out of sight, I put it in the stove oven. I still do this.
To keep from preheating the oven, I have the control knob for the on and off button in the kitchen drawer. This sounds kind of crazy, but it gives me much more space in my small kitchen and keeps my kitchen tidier. I don't use my oven that often for cooking anyway.

By Still Learning from NC

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RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

For washing dishes and wiping off my table and counter tops, I use a dish cloth. At the beginning of each day, I get a clean dish cloth. The dirty ones go on the towel rack to dry then into the laundry to be washed. When I do the laundry, I soak the dish towels and dish cloths in some bleach water before washing. (09/12/2008)

By Betty

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

My grama used to wash her dishes this way, but she didn't have such a faithful dish dryer as you because of all the hours he worked. Her grandkids sure were helpful for a cookie or two, though.

You mentioning your oven, and thinking about my grama, brought back a funny memory. She had a huge wood burning stove purchased when she and my grampa were first married in the 1930s. In the 1960s my dad and uncle thought they would surprise her by replacing it with a brand spanking new electric stove while she was running errands and doing her marketing one day. She went ballistic (and, boy, did she have a temper) and they had to get her wood burning one back and return the electric one to the store. She used that wood burner until she passed away in the 1980s. (09/15/2008)

By Deeli

Request: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Is a sponge, a dishrag or a brush the most germ-free tool to use to hand wash dishes?

Beth from Los Angeles, CA

Answers:

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

I have heard that sponges can carry bacteria, but during one child development class learned of a great way to clean it, instead of throwing it away... when ever you run your dishwasher throw your sponge inside with the dishes. I was amazed at how clean it came out and it lasts a lot longer. (i put it in the utensil holder, and dont forget the cascade or whatever brand you use). (07/16/2007)

By Allison

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

You can microwave a damp kitchen sponge for 30 seconds to kill the bacteria. But be careful when you take it out- it's HOT! (07/18/2007)

By

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

You need to microwave it for 1 minute to kill all of the bacteria inside a sponge. Make sure you WET the sponge before you put it in the microwave or it will melt! I also microwave my dishclothes also (wet this too) to kill the germys! (07/20/2007)

By Chanelle

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

It's all in how they are used. A dishrag could be run through the laundry and come out very clean (I'm a healthcare worker and we are being told that items washed in hot water with bleach and machine dried come out essentially sterile). But if it's left in a lump to rot at the back of the sink, it's a rotting mess of course. A sponge can be heated in the microwave as posted above, but it must be SOPPING wet or else a very bad stink from the scorching will be hard to get out of your kitchen. A brush can be cleaned by squirting antibacterial spray into the depths between bristles every day. Good luck, and you are smart to be germ-conscious, there are some truly terrifying super-germs out there. Have you read this month's Reader's Digest? (07/20/2007)

By kimhis

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

I fill my sink up with hot water and use a dish rag. I also wear rubber gloves to protect my hands from the hot water. (11/17/2007)

By Katie

Hand washing

I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas for a hand washing theme float for a parade. Thank you. (07/16/2008)

By Tracy Gallant

Request: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

When washing dishes by hand, don't keep the hot water running. Rather, partially fill up the sink with warm, sudsy water. Wash multiple items before running the warm water again to rinse them off. Allow to air dry in the drain. You'll save gallons of water.

By Fern from Portland, ME

Answers:

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Since I don't have a dishwasher, what I do is fill my dishpan with HOT water, antibacterial dish detergent and a sprinkle of baking soda. I wear the yellow dish washing gloves so the hot water doesn't burn me. I wash as many dishes as I can, and place them next to the dish pan, then rinse them all at once and let air dry. My dishes are just as sanitized as if I had used a dish washer and I am saving water too. (05/07/2006)

By kimmcg

RE: Tips for Hand Washing Dishes

Thank you for the posting and the feedback. I remember doing this when it was one of my 'chores' as a youngster. (05/09/2006)

By Jamie