How to Clean and Dry Dishes by Hand

With automatic dishwashers doing all the work for us, you may have forgotten how to do the simple task of washing dishes by hand. Here's a quick review.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Liquid Dish Soap
• Baking Soda
• Latex Gloves
• Baking Soda
• Dish Drainers
• Scouring Pad
• Spatulas
• Spatulas

1. Start with a clean sink.

2. 

   Set a dish drainer on a clean countertop.

3. 

   Scrape dishes and pots and pans clean of residual food matter with a table knife or rubber spatula.

4. Pile scraped dishes next to the sink along with glassware, silverware, and pots and pans.

5. Plug up sink.

6. Turn on faucet and begin to run warm water into sink.

7. Read instructions on dishwashing liquid to see how much to add - generally a generous squeeze.

8. Fill sink one-half to two-thirds full with warm soapy water.

9. 

   Add plates and silverware to sink.

10. 

    Thoroughly wash each item with a dishcloth or scrub pad.

11. Rinse each dish or utensil as you wash it in warm or hot clean water.

12. Put dishes in dish drainer.

13. 

    Let dishes air dry.

14. Drain sink.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash glassware first, before greasy pots and pans.
• Rubber gloves will protect hands and manicures, and allow you to use hotter water for washing and/or rinsing.
• Dishes may be hand dried with a clean cloth.
• Try adding a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water, to soften hands while cutting grease.
• Never dump sharp knives into soapy dishwater where they cannot be seen.
• Laundry detergents or automatic dishwasher detergents should not be used for hand washing dishes.
• Keep dishwashing liquid out of the reach of children.

[Ananamous]

on 12/20/2008 Fill the sink up with water, and while it is filling up, pour a generous amount of dish washing soap into the water. Put the dishes into sorted piles, I usually do silverware, bowls, plates, cups, and pots and pans. Then put 1, and only 1 pile into the water to soak for about 3 minutes, then scrub the dishes, and put them in the drying rack. I do the glass dishes first, then bowls, plates, cups, silverware, then pots and pans last. Then drain the water from the sink and rinse the sinks with Comet, it works really well.

on 3/30/2006 1) Get a washcloth set it on counter
2) Fill a clean sink 3/4 of the way full with hot water and soap.
3) Put dishes in separate piles; like a silverware pile or plate pile.
4) Scrub plates, then bowls, then cups then silverware.
5) After you scrub and rinse, you must put them on your towel and let it air dry.

on 11/22/2005 Use a motorized helper in the kitchen. For big problems, use the Black and Decker Scumbuster for bug jobs, the Dawn for smaller jobs, and one of the many battery-operated toothbrushes for scrubbing silverware, utensils, and other "hard-to-reach" places. Remember, don't force the device. Let it do the heavy work, and you can collect the compliments.

on 11/22/2005 After washing dishes, squeeze out your sponge and put it in the microwave. Heat it for 60 seconds to kill the germs. Your sponge harbors the largest number of germs in your kitchen, so do this each time you wash your dishes!

on 11/22/2005 Under your sink, store a mixture of 1 part bleach and 1 part water in a spray bottle. I also mix in a small amount of dishwashing soap. Spray a little into your sinkful of dishes to sanitize them. I also spray a little onto my counters to clean them.