Washing Dishes

Interesting how many folk here use the running water method.
When washing dishes by hand I have always used a sink of hot sudsy water.
The dishes are scraped first of course, stacked and then washed in order depending on degreee of soiling.
ie glassware, flatware, teacups and so on to finish with pots and pans.
This is how my grandmothers and my mother did/do it and is also how I was taught in Home eco. classes at school.
Perhaps it is a product of a country frequently in drought where water is a precious commodity.
Also growing up with family who had been in their youth reliant on rain water tanks as their sole source of water
we used water "wisely" and to this day dripping taps or profligate use of running water causes me anguish.
It is highly probable that the fuel costs entered into the equation somewhere as well but as a child that side of it wasn't on my radar.
I do not see the point in turning a tap on hard, rinsing the coffee cup for 30 seconds and then putting it in the dishwasher.
And now of course all that training will be put to good use as our next home is dependent on rain water tanks as our sole water supply so I
do know how to cope.

... washed in order depending on degreee of soiling.

Yeah, I realize I do this without thinking about it. Glassware goes in first, because it has the least soil and would show any residue the most, and pans with burned on crust go last. Didn't realize it was the sort of thing they taught in home ec classes, which were exclusively about cooking when I took them in the 90s.

Apropos of this, for those of you with dishwashers: what items don't go in? I hand wash our larger wine glasses, knives and pots and pans (anodized aluminum exterior doesn't tolerate dishwashers).

Pots and pans usually because there's not enough space.

I bought short stem Champagne glasses and wine glasses that fit in the top rack, but I was given some beautiful Champagne glasses that I have to wash by hand -- started with 12 , now have just five left. And my son bought me some lovely large glasses which won't fit so I use them on Sunday and have to hand wash.

Every thing else goes in.

I have had to train Len. He used to fill the dishwasher up first with all the pots and pans, mixing bowls, etc. and then say, "OH, it's full! The rest will have to wait until morning." (That wasn't going to happen.)

Now, we give our plates and silverware a quick rinse, and put neatly into the dishwasher, along with all glasses and cups. If there is room, we will put our pots and pans in too.
Otherwise, we clean our pots and pans with one of the sponge wands where the soap goes into the handle and comes out through the sponge part.
We set them, along with our stemware on one of those cushioned drying pads until the following morning and I put away while the coffee brews.
The only thing we won't put in our dishwasher is wood. Salad bowls, utensils, steak knives with wooden handles, etc.

[Jenise]

Interesting how many folk here use the running water method.
When washing dishes by hand I have always used a sink of hot sudsy water.

Same here. But my husband loves the running water. I accuse him of turning it on (at pretty much full bore, too) the second he THINKS he might do dishes. It seems to run forever. I would love to compete with him in parallel universes to see at the end of a prescribed period how much water he wastes compared to me. I rinse a few things then turn the water off. Wash more, rinse more, turn water off, etc. until it's all done. And when stuff goes into the DW? In spite of the fact that we have a top of the line appliance, Bob practically washes the dishes before sending them into the DW, and would prefer to run them there on full cycle. I finally had to insist he either quit pre-washing so thoroughly or pre-wash the way he likes then just use the low-volume quick cycle. He has chosen the latter, but he still uses too much water.

I don't ever fill the entire sink. I have two large plastic tubs that I fill with hot water, one in the sink and one outside. I put the detergent in the tub in the sink. The one outside is for rinsing, and I heat the water near to boiling. I wash the dishes and other items in the soap-filled tub. I then rinse them first under hot water from the tap in the sink, then I give them a final dip through the scalding hot water in the other tub before drying them.

This is for items that can't be just put in the automatic dishwater. For example, my DeHillerin inox-lined copperware pots. They might be dishwasher safe. I don't know--I've never dared risk them. I'd rather wash them by hand--I value them too much to take the chance.

-Paul W.

Didn't realize it was the sort of thing they taught in home ec classes, which were exclusively about cooking when I took them in the 90s.

I think perhaps I am showing my age here, LOL, in the 60's only girls took the class (compulsory for 1 year ) and while we did do cooking we also had to set the table correctly, line the bin neatly with newspaper, know what to serve to invalids and infants etc. All this whilst wearing the apron and cap we had sewn the year before in the, again, compulsory for girls, needlework class. My how times have changed.

In spite of the fact that we have a top of the line appliance, Bob practically washes the dishes before sending them into the DW, and would prefer to run them there on full cycle. I finally had to insist he either quit pre-washing so thoroughly or pre-wash the way he likes then just use the low-volume quick cycle. He has chosen the latter, but he still uses too much water.

Yeah I know folks like that, it drives me to distraction but as in those instances I am in their home I have to bite my tongue, (whilst mentally biting my fingernails in despair.)