If there’s one thing I hate more than washing dishes…wait, nope. Can’t think of one!
Yep, dishwashing is basically the worst thing ever. When I lived in a tiny apartment in New York City, I was forced to wash my plates and silverware pretty much as soon as I finished using them in an effort to not wind up buried by them. (My kitchen was actually that small.) But that doesn’t mean I didn’t wish I could put it off until the end of time.
If you’re looking for an easier way to go about doing your dirty dishes, here are a few helpful tricks:
1. Instead of soaking your dishes in the sink, suds them up in a plastic bin outside the sink so that area is free for other dish-washing duties.
2. Speaking of soaking your dirty dishes — only do that if you’re hand-washing them. Just quickly rinse if you’re using a dishwasher.
It’s been proven that your detergent needs something to grab on to to really work the way it’s supposed to.
3. Wear rubber gloves.
They’ll protect your fingers from getting pruney or burnt from super-hot water.
4. Did you just grind up some seriously bad smelling scraps? These garbage disposal ice cubes will clean and get rid of the stench.
5. It sounds like the worst thing in the world but cleaning while you cook will save you time and annoyance in the long run.
Not only will you free up crucial counter space, you’ll also get to relax at the end of the meal.
6. If you run out of drying rack space, grab your oven racks and set them over your sink. Voila…more space!
7. You can also make a hidden drying rack in your cabinets.
8. Better yet, when you’re finished, just dry everything off. This looks almost as messy as the dirty dishes!
9. Save yourself some serious scrubbing time and get rid of burn marks on pots by filling them with cold water and two or three tablespoons of salt.
Here’s a tip we got from a chat with Mintymaids recently, let them sit overnight, bring the water to a boil the next day, drain, and wash like usual. You can also use vinegar and baking soda, if you don’t want to wait around.
10. Stop taking your blender apart to clean it. Do this instead.
11. Use cold water and soap to clean dairy and starchy messes.
Hot water just turns it into an even gunkier cleanup job.
12. There’s a right and a wrong way to load you dishwasher.
Plates and other dishes should be stacked facing the center of the washer, cups should rest between the tines (not on), and make sure silverware doesn’t nest by alternating placing them in handles up and down.
13. You can wash fine silverware in the dishwasher
The catch? If you’re washing other utensils, they need to be kept separate and not touching. Otherwise, the metals will react causing irreparable damage.
14. Wash fine crystal glasses with warm water…not too hot!
Super-hot water can damage and weaken the crystal.
15. Store your sponge in the dishwasher.
Not only will this keep your counter clean, you’ll get in the habit of running your sponge with the dishes, keeping it clean, too!
16. Clean you dishwasher by running it empty with vinegar and baking soda once in a while.
17. Lemonade Kool-Aid also does the trick!
There you have it…you’re basically going to be as boss as this guy is from now on.
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