We all dread one chore: doing the dishes. Sure, most households have a dishwasher, but there’s nothing more satisfying than cleaning plates, pots and pans, and other utensils by hand. While it can be a daunting task, doing the dishes can be made easier with these great hacks for cleaning plates and other dishes.
Wash dishes in order
Start with cleaning glasses with dish soap since these are usually the least dirty dishes.
Then, wash eating utensils and cutlery. Follow that by bowls and then plates. Now, if the water is dirty after the cutlery, change it.
Stop scrubbing pots and pans
If you have super dirty pots and pans, stop wasting time scrubbing them. Instead, fill them with hot water and a degreasing dishwashing soap.
Then, while you tackle the other dishes, this will start to dissolve stuck-on food… and you’ll use less water.
Take advantage of a drying rack
How do you dry items after a wash? One great tip is to make use of a drying rack!
You can find many different styles of racks for drying dishes and some even produce heat. If you don’t like to dry dishes by hand or simply don’t have the time, these are abundantly helpful.
Make it a family affair
You can cut down the time it takes to wash dishes by getting the family involved. One person can scrap, one wash, one dry, and one put everything in the proper place.
Not only will the time fly but you also get the chance to talk about the day’s events.
Don’t overfill dishes in the sink
If you allow dishes to pile up, you’ll keep putting off washing them as long as you can.
At that point, the task becomes overwhelming. So, as soon as you have five to seven things in the sink, take a few minutes to wash them.
Use a sponge when cleaning plates
You can find decent sponges at any store for pennies on the dollar. Not only do they work great to soften or remove stuck-on food but they’re also disposable.
You don’t want to use the same dishcloth repeatedly…instead, go with a sponge.
Use hot water
When using a dishwasher, you don’t have to worry about the temperature of the water. But when washing dishes by hand, you want to select the hottest temperature you can stand.
Get rid of burnt-on food
The last thing you want to be doing is scraping burnt food off of pots, pans, and bakeware.
Here’s a great way to make the job easier. Use a plastic paint scraper. That’ll cut down the amount of time you spend doing this boring yet necessary job.
Eliminate burn marks
If you have pots and pans with burn marks on the bottom, here’s a quick, easy, and effective solution. Boil one cup of water with about a quarter cup of salt. Those unsightly marks will wipe right off.
Cleaning blenders
Often, blenders are difficult to clean, whether washing them by hand or running them through the dishwasher.
Here’s a great tip. Before you do either, fill the blender with hot soapy water and let it operate for 30 seconds or so.
Over-the-sink drying rack
If you’re handy or know of someone who is, consider installing a drying rack inside of the cabinet and you now have a dish rack over the sink.
When finished using it, simply close the doors and it’s out of sight.
Choose your dishes wisely
When preparing and cooking meals, select bowls and cookware that match the recipe.
In other words, instead of getting four bowls dirty while prepping food, you might be able to use just two simply by selecting the right sizes.
Takeaway
Cleaning plates and other utensils is about more than just using the right dishwashing tools. Most of it is using the right technique and natural cleansers you can find in your house. It not only saves you money, but it also helps your kitchen tools last a lifetime.
Source: BuzzFeed, Mental Floss, Huffington Post