{"id":13848,"date":"2021-08-20T17:10:26","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T17:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/?p=13848"},"modified":"2021-08-20T17:10:26","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T17:10:26","slug":"how-to-hand-wash-your-dishes-fast-and-correctly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/how-to-hand-wash-your-dishes-fast-and-correctly\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Hand-Wash Your Dishes Fast and Correctly"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Plus, doing dishes by hand has its advantages. For example, it can save water and consumes less energy. In addition, assigning this job to a member of the family each day encourages responsibility in children and teaches them the importance of working together.\n

Common mistakes when washing dishes by hand\n

Although washing dishes is a simple and intuitive task, it\u2019s also easy to make mistakes. These errors can put your health at risk or damage your dishes and utensils.\n

Therefore, we must take a look at some of the most common mistakes people make when they wash their dishes. Our kitchens are the room in our homes with the most bacteria, especially by the sink. Pay attention to the following mistakes so you can avoid them and wash your dishes more effectively.\n

Letting your dishes accumulate\n

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Stacking up large piles of dishes, pots, glasses, and utensils is common, but unhelpful behavior. The first reason is that it creates more work for you.\n

In addition, it makes the food dry out and it becomes harder to remove. Also, it causes bacteria and fungi to reproduce. Therefore, it\u2019s best to wash your dishes and utensils while you cook.\n

Using the same sponge for everything\n

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Have you ever went to take a sip of water, but you had to stop because the glass smelled bad? That usually happens because you\u2019re using the same sponge to wash everything.\n

Instead, it\u2019s best to have one sponge for your glasses, another for pots, and another for dishes, cutlery, and utensils. This will also help you avoid contamination between different substances.\n

Ignoring the kitchen towels\n

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A lot of people replace their kitchen sponges with rags. And some people dry their dishes with towels before putting them back in their cabinets.\n

However, bacteria and germs can grow in the fabric in those towels. Therefore, it\u2019s important to wash your towels with hot water after each use and, if possible, to run them through the dryer at a high temperature.\n

Always washing with cold water\n

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It\u2019s very common for people to wash their dishes with cold water from the sink. However, that mistake can turn your kitchen into a hotbed for bacteria and germs.\n

The Food Safety portal from the United States Government points out that it\u2019s essential to wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot soapy water to avoid cross-contamination.\n

To help with that, you can also fill a large container with hot water and submerge your dishes and tools in it. However, it\u2019s important to wear gloves or take other precautions to ensure you don\u2019t burn the skin on your hands and arms. Also, it\u2019s best to keep children away from the hot water while you wash the dishes.\n

Not removing food scraps before washing dishes by hand\n

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Often, we put dishes in the sink and we start washing them right away. However, this mistake makes the more difficult to wash and we end up using more water.\n

Instead, it\u2019s best to remove any food scraps first and dispose of them in the compost or garbage can. You can use a paper towel to help do that. Then, get rid of the grease and it will be easier to wash the dishes.\n

How to wash dishes by hand fast and correctly\n

Although washing dishes by hand isn\u2019t always a pleasant task, it\u2019s still necessary. So, you must do it correctly. Also, you can make it more pleasant if you have a good attitude about it. There are also some tricks you can use to facilitate the process.\n

Here are some tips that will make the work easier and more hygienic.\n

1. Pay attention to your sponges\n

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Research published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology investigated the growth and development of bacteria in sponges and brushes for washing dishes. The findings indicate that they are a conducive space for bacteria, like Salmonella. This is because they\u2019re exposed to food fluids and water.\n

In addition, the same study found that it\u2019s more hygienic to use brushes than sponges for washing dishes by hand. So, if you want to have a more environmentally friendly home, you can replace your sponges with brushes made from wood and natural fibers. The fibers will help you spread the soap around.\n

However, if you prefer to use sponges, you should pay special attention to any bad smells or changes in color. Those are all signs that you should change it.\n

2. Disinfect your sponge or brush frequently\n

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In addition to changing your sponge frequently, it\u2019s also important to clean it thoroughly daily, or at least 4 times a week. You should also do that for rags and brushes.\n

To clean them, you can use boiling water and a splash of vinegar. Also, you can throw your sponge in the microwave for a minute, as long as it\u2019s not wet.\n

3. Use a mesh drainer\n

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Washing dishes by hand can lead to a lot of food waste going down the drain. Over time, this problem could end up clogging your pipes.\n

For that reason, we recommend using a mesh drainer so it will catch any food scraps. These are also great in situations when things accidentally fall into the sink, like a ring.\n

4. Wear gloves\n

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Washing dishes by hand can dry your hands out and weaken your nails. Also, no one wants to touch wet food scraps.\n

Wearing gloves is an excellent idea to help you take care of your skin and make this task more pleasant. Try to buy them in a size that will fit your hands, and don\u2019t share them with others in your house. It\u2019s best for each member of your family to have their own pair.\n

5. Use homemade cleaners when washing dishes by hand\n

There are things we all have in our cupboards that can help with the cleaning processes. For example, vinegar, bicarbonate, coffee, and lemon are all helpful.\n

You can use warm water with lemon and baking soda to get rid of grease. Also, vinegar can keep containers from growing mold. In addition, coffee grounds are absorbent and help to remove stubborn grease that\u2019s stuck to pans.\n

6. Wash your dishes in the right order\n

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Although it seems like there isn\u2019t much of a science to washing dishes by hand, doing it in a certain order is a great strategy. Similarly, it\u2019s helpful to put them in the dish drainer in an organized way.\n

First, wash the glasses and any glass containers. Then, do the plates and silverware. When it comes to silverware, it\u2019s important to wash each one and to no try to wash them in batches. They\u2019ll come out dirty if you do that. Lastly, finish up with the pots and pans, leaving those with any grease on them for last.\n

7. Soak off stubborn food when washing dishes by hand\n

If you have a dish with food stuck to it, the best thing to do is soak it in warm water for a couple of hours. Also, you can take precautions to avoid this.\n

If you\u2019re making foods that tend to harden over time, it\u2019s best to rinse or soak the dish immediately. Some examples of these foods are oatmeal, cake batter, or chocolate.\n

8. Use lemon or salt to eliminate bad odors\n

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Dishes, utensils, and pans often have unpleasant odors. For example, they might smell like raw eggs.\n

However, you can use two tricks when washing dishes by hand to help control those smells. First, soak the dish in hot water with salt in it. Then, add lemon juice to the water when you rinse the dish, after washing it. They both work wonders.\n

Now that you know some keys to washing dishes by hand and the mistakes you should avoid, our last bit of advice is to buy a good dish drainer. It\u2019s important because humid and wet environments are the perfect habitat for bacteria to grow and cause bad odors.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though dishwashers exist, there\u2019s a lot of people that don\u2019t have them. In addition, some people prefer to wash their dishes by hand because not everything can go in the dishwasher. Also, dishwashers use a lot of energy and require specific detergent. Plus, doing dishes by hand has its advantages. For example, it can …\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[54,85,83,61,30,122,123],"class_list":["post-13848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tie-life-style","tag-clean-hack","tag-cleaning-mistake","tag-cleaning-products","tag-cleaning-tips","tag-household-hacks","tag-kitchen-hacks","tag-kitchen-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13848"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13848\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}