Utilizing the following items, what is the best* process to clean dishes in a single kitchen sink. This is a household argument at the moment.
-kitchen sink (not divided, so one sink, one drain)
-limited counter space
-hot and cold water
-bottle of Seventh Generation dish soap
-a sponge
-a dish cloth
-a dish brush
-dish drying rack
-dry dish towel
-dirty glasses, silverware, bowls, cookware
*Best being defined as the intersection of sanitary, resource (water), and time efficient. A method which gets things clean in a reasonable amount of time without wasting lots of water.
Some possibilities;
1) Filling a small bowl with hot soapy water and using a sponge to apply that water to dirty dishes. Rinsing in cold water in main sink and placing in rack
2) Filling a large pot with hot soapy water, placing silverware to soak and submerging to clean progressively dirtier dishes. Rinsing in main sink.
3) Stopping up sink of hot soapy water, soaking everything and rinsing cold water into the same sink.
5 Responses to “What is the best method for washing dirty dishes in the sink.”
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thats what illegal immigrants are for
I would definitely go for method 3 but ad scrubbing the dirty dishes with the utensils you have available, always the greasy ones first.
Large pot of hot, soapy water. Wash plates and bowls first, silverware next, then glasses last (germiest stuff last). Use the brush or a cloth, depending on soil.
Rinse in a slow stream of water in the sink, as hot as you can stand it.
Allow to air dry if there is room, but if not, dry plates and bowls with the clean towel and air dry the rest. Wash pots and pans last and dry with a towel and put away. The next time you cook with them, the germs that might be there will die with the heat of the next cooking.
Cold water rinse is nasty. That idea just turns my stomach.
hot rinse water is a must. if you wash in hot water and rinse with cold, your dishes will hold soap residue, and soap is a laxative.not good.
also, consider getting some dishwashing gloves so you don’t get wrinkly dishwater hands. nobody wants to see that.
1) Fill sink with HOT (no cold) water. Put cups and glasses in and let them soak until water cools enough for you to comfortably wash them. Always wash cups and glasses first.
(Use a clean dishcloth, not a sponge.)
2) After you wash cups and glasses, then wash the silverware.
3) Then wash plates, saucers, bowls, etc.
4) Last, wash greasy pots and pans. You can use a scrubber on non-stick ones, or a Brillo/SOS pad on pots/pans which do not have non-stick surface.
Always wash greasy pots and pans LAST. You don’t want to wash cups, glasses, and dishes in greasy water.
Use a great big bowl or pot of clean HOT water on the countertop to rinse your dishes. Refill as needed.
Use a fresh dishcloth every time you wash dishes.
Use a sponge to wipe off the table, stove, countertops, etc.
Rinse the sponge thoroughly, then put the WET (not wrung out) sponge in the microwave for two minutes on HI heat to kill any bacteria which are harbored in it.
Hope this helps.