Washing Dishes !

I have started an article about this a few times, but always imagine everyone already knows how to do dishes...but it is apparent that some still do not know how to wash dishes so everyone in the household is safe from left over bacteria.

I have been just RE-washing the dishes in the dish drain and dish washer, that are dirty, before putting them away, but perhaps we could just learn a better way to wash them in the first place.

Dishwashing Tips:

·         If you only have one or two dishes, fill the dish itself with HOT water and put about a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid into it and wash it right then and there. 

·         Do not let dishes sit overnight, see article on Kitchen Kritters please.

·         Also, more dishwashing soap does not wash the dishes easier or cleaner, it just uses more dishwashing soap (which also adds to our polluting of our water system, so use sufficient amounts.  But really, we use so much soap in the kitchen!

·         Use the Chux Wipe that is there and not the sponge with the handle. 

·         The sponge with the handle is fine for flat surfaces, but is not working when something like cutlery and sharp knives or pots and pans are being washed. 

·         Plus, the sponge is not working well washing the BACKS of plates, bowls and handles of cutlery, which carries heaps of bacteria in the grease that is left there.

·         The sponge on the handle is being filled with soap (and hopefully a little soap and the rest water) and after using, is most frequently found sponge end down in the sink, where the sponge is seeping out the soap.

·         Because the sponge is not stored properly after being used (in the little sink, head end up) it is not drying out and bacteria is growing at a rapid rate in it ( hence the yucky spell in the sponge).

·         The Chux wipe also needs to be fished out of the sink, squeezed of excess water and placed over the dishes to prevent things from landing on the clean dishes in the dish drain.

If you have heaps of dishes, and intend to wash them by hand, goodonya.  Here is the way to do it:

·         Be sure to remove all the garbage from the dishes into the garbage bin (not beside or in front please)

·         Fill a large pan or the sink (the plug is in the window) with HOT water and squeeze in a tablespoon of dish soap, or more, depending on how greasy the dishes are.

·         Separate the dishes by how “intimate” the piece is with your mouth.  Example:  A fork goes into your mouth, where a pan is used to cook the food but you do not typically lick the pan (unless it is chocolate frosting, of course).  So you wash the cutlery first, the glasses second, the plates next, the pots and pans and boards last.

·         Rinse the dishes in HOT water to remove the soap (which if left on can cause diarrhoea and abdominal upset)

·         Arrange the washed and rinsed dishes in the dish drain so it does not tip over and so air can circulate around all the surfaces

·         For bacteria, mould (or Kritters) to grow and multiply they need fuel (food or something to grow on, such as the surface of a sponge) and moisture. 

·         Bacteria and mold die when they dry out.

·         Rinse out the sink to ensure there are no food bits left there

·         Ring out the Chux dish washer and arrange it over the dishes so it drys out and protects the dishes.

Dishwasher

Sorting the Dishes

If you have heaps of dishes the dishwasher can be a time saver, but it takes a good deal of work too.  There are many items that cannot be put in the dishwasher, such as:

·         Plastic containers such as left over or take away food comes in

·         Wooden spoons or other implements/utensils

·         The sharp knives, which are already starting to rust as they have been put in the dishwasher inadvertently already.

·         Large items many times do not fit because they stop the arms inside the dishwasher from turning.

Preparing the Dishes

The dishes DO have to be thoroughly scraped and rinsed to remove food particles as there is no garbage disposal in the dishwasher.

Pots and pans do not usually get clean and I have to scrub them out after the dishes are done, because they need to be cleaned out first. 

Loading the Dishwasher

After they are rinsed, either leave them on the bench top or put them in the dishwasher: 

·         Glasses on the top shelf on the sides

·         Small bowls and large utensils on the top shelf

·         Large plates in the north east quadrant

·         Small plates in the south east quadrant

·         More large plates or pots and pans in the north west quadrant

·         Larger bowls in the south west quadrant

 I hope this has helped you have a more organised and successful approach to not eating out or ordering pizza in!