Every guy knows how to do the dishes. It’s a job that requires getting your hands dirty, while cleaning up. Right up our alley. But even for you- the dishwashing expert- these quick, easy tips will make your next visit to the kitchen sink a little bit faster and easier.
Turn Up The Heat:
When it comes to washing dishes, heat is your friend. The hotter the water, the more likely it is to break up grease and food particles and separate them from your dishes. Hot water is also less likely to leave spots and streaks.
That said, every rule has its exception. Hot water does make it harder to wash off starches and dairy, so if mashed potatoes or milkshakes are your current culprits, opt for some cold H2O.
Select Your Soap:
No dishwashing war is won with weak soap. Forget generic “value” brands and floral-scented “organic” options; opt for something tough, like Hero Clean Ultra Liquid Dish Soap.
Some dishes may require you to break out your inner MacGyver (you’re officially old if you get that reference). For instance, burnt pots and pans can be difficult to get back into fighting shape. If you run into this, we suggest using a mixture of vinegar and hot water. Let it sit for a few hours and the grime will wipe right off.
Take Your Time:
After a big home-cooked meal, you may not feel like taking care of the dishes right away. That’s just fine. In fact, you are onto something. Giving your dishes time to soak in water can make clean-up much faster. Sitting water may not look like much, but it’s actually working hard to break down food particles. This tactic is especially helpful for cleaning pots and pans where grime is caked on thick.
Load Smart:
Loading your dishwasher is not like loading your car trunk. The goal isn’t just to fit everything. You need to place dishes in the right way so they actually come out clean. A couple of important rules for dishwashers:
- Your dirtiest dishes should be in the center of the bottom rack to receive maximum cleaning power
- Place bigger dishes in the back of the bottom rack to avoid blocking water for smaller items
- Utensils need to go handles down
- Cups should be placed on the top shelf
- Overloading your dishwasher will lead to subpar cleaning, and the dreaded “re-wash”
Select Your Setting:
Not all dishwasher cycles are created equal. If you’re attacking a smorgasbord of dirty dishes, chances are you’ll need to use the “heavy load” setting. However, if you’re only washing wine glasses or other fragile dishes, a softer setting is in order. And if you have to ask when to use the “pots and pans” setting, we might have a bigger problem than dishes…
Hand Washing:
Knowing when not to load dishes is key, as well. Cast iron, crystal, copper – pretty much anything starting with a “c” – should be washed by hand.
Scrub The Sink:
Cleaning your sink is kind of like flossing. Sure, you’re “supposed” to do it daily. But a few times per month is plenty.
Cleaning your sink shouldn’t take more than 1 minute:
- Put some soap on your sponge
- Scrub over the surface of the sink
- Run water over the soap so it goes down the drain
- Hit the disposal switch (if you don’t have one – no problem)
- Toss the sponge in the dishwasher and hit “Run”