Washing The Dishes

 Many web-logs logs and online journals feature step-by-step aspects of housekeeping. Occasionally others have expressed surprise that simple things like boiling water, making a sandwich, and washing a dish have to be taught, but no one is born knowing these things. The search areas of homemaking blogs often show questions like "How to clean house" or "How boil eggs," and if a person has never done it or were not taught at home by their parents, they can find the information in books or the internet. Old home-economics textbooks which explain these things in detail along with illustrations are available  and there are videos you can watch which show homemaking up close and in detail.

Today I am going to share how to wash dishes when you only have a small amount.  It can be done expediently in one pan.  Above, the used dishes must first be removed from the table.  In some families, each person removes their own things,  rinses them and puts them in the dishwasher. However, there are times when one person may have to do it all, so today I have taken some time to get pictures of the process. This is a tutorial for washing a small amount of dishes.  There are a couple of ways to do this, so I will try to show another method in a future post.

For a small amount of dishes, gather up the plates and put the cutlery and glassware on top and transfer the pile to the area by the sink where you will be washing dishes.

Above you see what the collection might look like before the dishes are rinsed and stacked in order.

In a paper napkin, gather up crumbs and food and other napkins and deposit in the trash can, which can be placed within easy access in the kitchen. There is a plastic covering on the tablecloth which is easy to clean with a wet rag.

Using a wet dish rag, wipe the table in a gathering motion, scooping up any foods (rather than just pushing the rag around the table).  This is a technique you might learn better by watching someone else do it. Shake the rag out into the trash and then rinse the cloth again before you give the table a final wipe.

 

Then wipe the surface dry with a good cotton dish towel.

If you feel the need to give the table a finished look, add a centerpiece of some kind.  Since most homemakers have people eating at home frequently, the table will not stay clean very long, but a little effort to clean and decorate will give you a sense of completion, and satisfaction with your work.  If you do this after you clean the table and before you wash the dishes, you make your working area pleasant to look at.

Now to rinse the food off the dishes:

Fill the tub with dishes by putting the larger plates in the bottom, adding the bowls on them, and then the glassware and cups on top. Put the utinsils In the sides, in groups of forks, knives and spoons. Washing and rinsing them in the groups makes it a lot easier to dry them and put them away.  With a dish-rag, carefully wipe each item, rinse it again and stack beside the sink. Empty the pan of water, and rinse it.

For the small stack of dishes, fill up one pan of soapy water, using about a half teaspoon of dishwashing liquid soap. This will vary depending on the quality of the soap. Use the hottest water available from the tap.  Fill another pan with the same hot water for rinsing.  I realize some people do not rinse their dishes in clear water after washing them in soap, but rinsing removes the soap and bacteria from the wash water and also oils and grease.

Then, stack the rinsed dishes in the soapy hot water as you did when you rinsed them, by putting the larger plates in the tub first and then layering the next largest, and smallest items. Place the drinkware on top. Use rubber gloves so you can use the hottest water possible. Hot water dissolves grease and oils and is essential for getting dishes clean, but if your small stack of dishes has been rinsed well, they will not be difficult to get clean.

For stains on your dishes, keep a jar of soda bicarbonate near the sink.

Put some in the dish and use a dish rag to rub it around and remove the stain. The used soda can be put in the soapy dishwater.

Place the  utensils in the water in the sides of the pan and the glassware and cups on top.

Wash whatever is on top of the sudsy water first. The glasses and cups should come out first and be placed in the hot rinse water.  Carefully swirl each item in the steamy hot rinse water, making sure the soap is rinsed off, then turn them upside down to drain on a padded drain mat.

Use a fresh clean dish towel for drying if needed. With the water being so hot, the dishes may dry quickly and can be put away without drying them with a towel.

Next wash the bowls and stack them on the mat, and prop the plates on them to drain. Wash the utinsels and drain, and wash the pots and pans last.  

To make this job as pleasant as possible, find a detergent you enjoy using. The dish towel, padded kitchen mat, rubber gloves and detergent were all purchased at the Dollar Tree.

There are some vessels I enjoy taking my time washing and rinsing, because I like to think about how they came to be in my kitchen, what they are used for, and and why I like them. There are other thoughts to dwell on when washing dishes, and I like to hear music from my playlist or favorite cd's.

Some favorite things that are often in the wash.

When the dishes are dried and put away, remove the mat and hang it somewhere to dry, and then clean up the work area and make it attractive. 

A some ladies have different preferences for their work in the kitchen to make it enjoyable and easier to get the job done, and I hope you will leave your comment and share things about washing dishes. 

As I said, there are several ways of doing dishes, and this is only one convenient way. I will try to show other ways that may be suitable in different situations.  If you use an automatic dishwasher,  there is a different set-up that may require collecting a tub of dishes in rinse-water until there are enough to load the dishwasher and make it worth turning on.