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Washing dishes by hand can be very time consuming and seem like a waste of time with all the modern conveniences. It can be done rather quickly though since I do not have a dish washer I do not have a choice. The most important thing is choosing a dish liquid that lifts grease and using very hot water to help it dissolve the grease in the water.

Ajax, Dawn and Palmolive work well, if you have skin allergies as I do you may want to invest in some gloves. A little extra time spent searching the isles and you will be able to find hypoallergenic dishwashing liquid as well. Whether or not you use a dish cloth or a sponge is more of a personal choice. The dish clothes can be laundered, sponges have to be soaked in bleach to kill germs. Once they are soaked in the bleach they have to be dried with the microwave usually.

Personally I like to start with an empty and clean sink. So I turn the water on to hot and use it to rinse off the dishes as I stack them by the sink. All food should be racked off dishes before placing in the sink but children do not always do this. An inexpensive wire strainer for the sink can help to prevent stuck food from ending up in the drain when you rinse the dishes before placing them in the dish water. I make sure to wash and wipe out both sides of the sink and then put the stopper in. Next comes the dish liquid but only after I am satisfied that the water is too hot to put my hands in.

I let the water get to a level I am comfortable with before I put the dishes into it. I try to stack them in the water, large plates, bowls, and silverware around the sides (it stays until the rest are done to soak). To prevent breaking no more than a few cups at a time and usually by themselves to keep them from banging against other dishes. I work down from the top and set them in the rinse side until there is a decent amount to start rinsing. I then rinse and put them in the dish strainer. I also keep a metal strainer in this side of the sink to help prevent food from going down the drain. I usually allow all the dishes to soak for a few minutes prior to washing them.

When the rest of the dishes are done I do the silverware. Then I put the greasiest items in there and let them soak a few minutes before I wash them. Make sure to rinse the dishes thoroughly so that all the soap is off of them before placing them into the drying rack. I let my dishes air dry to prevent spreading bacteria from dish towels. This way I can do something else while they dry. I give them time to dry and go put them away.

Learn more about this author, L. Beall.
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