I don't have a dishwasher. And standing on bad knees and hips isn't my idea of the best way to end a day, either. So, in the kitchen, I try and work smarter not harder. While my tea or coffee is nuking, I draw a container of hot soapy water and during the day, soak my eating and cooking utensils in it.
Of course the water doesn't stay hot. But by the end of the day, I simply have to rinse what is inside. It saves a lot of time standing in front of the sink.
I hope this helps.
By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Salem, OR
This page contains the following solutions.
When I have a saucepan that needs soaking, after scooping out the contents I fill with water, heat til hot, take off heat, squirt in a little dish detergent, and set in sink. Using a long handled dish brush, I wash each dish, rinse, and drain.
When visiting my elderly father recently, I noticed that his dishes, glasses and everything in his kitchen were covered with a grimy film. He explained that to save money he was cutting his dishwashing liquid with water and using much less than the recommended amount of dishwasher detergent.
We all have those nylon bags that potatoes and onions come in. One day after returning from the grocery it occurred to me to cut them in squares and use them to scrub with.
I have seen tips on using baking soda as a substitute for dish washing liquid or powder but they usually involved adding some other cleaning element as well, and I have seen the use of vinegar for many cleaning uses but I have not yet seen these two in combination.
I love clean dishes! I use a little bleach in my dish water. Not only does it help sanitize them, the dishes actually dry faster!
If you are doing a lot of baking (especially around the holidays) and are making several batches of muffins or mini loaves, you will find yourself having to wash and very completely dry pans in between batches.
