Hand Dishwashing

[whirlpolf]

constantly running water? you must be kidding...

Gray water for soaking heavily soiled items, burnt-in pots or greasy deep-fryer bowls and the like (from shower, bathtub, washer or even best: from the first hot cycle of the dishwasher).

Then some fresh hot water with dish liquid, then a quick dip in pure hot water to rinse off the dish soap. (Never running water, always an extra bowl right next to me to dip and rinse.)

Once that bowl has cooled down too much, I add it to the wash water (the detergent water) and I'll get myself another small bowl of "hot-dipping" rinse water.
After that comes the drying rack. *Shrugs*

Tip of the day: Should you ever encounter a pot with extremely tough or heavily burnt-in stuff (like when you forgot and there were some first signs of smoke, the carbonation-type of "burnt-in", just boil it up with laundry detergent (not dishwasher powder) and let it cool down overnight. (Watch out, it will boil up and come up foaming over the top in seconds, so be careful and very swift!).
The next day you don't need any steel scrubbers or brillo pads or what have you. It just wipes away, just like that (a Finnish trick that works like a charm): No scratches, no scrubbing. Stainless steel will keep its shine.

 

[3beltwesty]

Folks who I know who use DW's all the time often use more dishes, cups. They often let stuff harden and then one has to use hot water.

One really often does not have to use hot water if one washes right away.

Heck I worked in a grade school cafeteria and washed a few thousand plates and dishes. For me using a dishwasher just costs alot more than had washing. The dishwasher is so big I could us it once

In a way it is sort of funny. I vist their house and one has a glass of water and if it is set down for a few minutes; somebody has grabbed it and now it is in the dirty sink soaking, or the dishwasher already. Thus if one is there helping another on a project, one's glass if not held on to goes away. Many folks get off on using a DW and having a guest have to use 6 new glasses in a few hours, to me it is absurd. ok so I get to use a weeks worth of plates, dishes and glasses i a hour!

Often the reason folks use a DW is they allow stuff to dry and thus one has to use more work to do the cleaning.

When in California in an apartment for 20 years, I did not pay for the water; or hot water too. The DW was used maybe a few times each year when folks visted. Thus even if the electrical cost was paltry, it was quicker to hand wash than use a DW.

 

[3beltwesty]

Probably most folks are better off with a dish or clothes washer, than a hand method, since they really have never mastered the hand method. Thus the machine does a better job than a poor hand attempt. In Indiana back in the 1960's we washed by had with a family of six most of the time, the Tappan dishwasher rarely worked and was constantly being fixed.

 

[miele_ge]

"Honey don't be a dishwasher, BUY a Dishwasher!"

Lawrence I love that!

 

I will have to tell my sister in law that - although she has a GE Monogram dishwasher in her new kitchen.  I doubt that she will use it much. She still likes to do them by hand! 

 

<span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">à</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">chaque</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">goût</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">de son</span>

 

[mavei]

I hate hand washing dishes and will only do it when necesssary. I'd rather use the portable dishwasher.

 

[petek]

It's rare for us to handwash anything save for a few things that aren't dishwasher safe (don't use those often) or if I need to use something right away. On average we run the dishwasher once every 3 days

 

[mixfinder]

Hauling Water

We grew up with out running water and hauled water from town in 2 ten gallon milk cans when were at the laundramat.  To this day my mother has a cow if anyone runs water in the sink, takes long showers or wastes water.  As an apartment manager we saw a spike in water and sewer bills system wide when immigrant populations rented because they refuse to use a dishwasher.  When I was in China several years ago there was a country wide public service effort to get people to use dishwashers and stop the constant stream of water down the sink.  Glassware and silverware come out spot and streak free while handwashing them often shows streaks.  I put everything but the refrigerator in the dishwasher.  It it can't take the heat, out it goes.  If the dishwasher can't clean without prerinsing, out it goes.  When I am baking or cooking I put sudsy water in the first pan or bowl to be used and the wash it transferring the soapy water to the next refilling it with the rinse water from the bowl before until extraneous cookware and countertops are clean, the rest is stowed in the dishwasher and the kitchen has no clutter.  I take 3 minute showers, wash full loads etc.  It is a dream to be in the country again.  My water and sewer bills were legend in Seattle second only to the highest power bill of anyone in the building.  Cold is the temperature of poverty and as God is my witness (picture Scarlett and her turnip) I will never be cold again.

 

[gmmcnair]

Dish Pans

I can hand wash with the best of them (grandma and great grandma taught me), and I never leave the water running....that would have elicited an ugly reaction from either one for sheer wastefulness.

I still have two small dishpans for my hand washing. I fill the wash pan with comfortably hot water and Ajax Dish liquid. I fill the rinse pan up with VERY hot rinse water.

I wash the dishes, dip into the rinse tub, and drain in a Rubbermaid dish drainer. Once the wash water starts to get dirty, I empty that, and soap out the dishpan. That is then filled with very hot rinse water.

I then add dish soap to the rinse water (which is now just comfortably hot and still clean enough for wash water), and start again.