Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website. Sarah Aguirre is a housekeeping expert with over 20 years of experience cleaning residentially and commercially. Over that time, she has been writing dish scrubber tips and tricks for housekeeping and organizing a home for national publications.
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Handwashing your dishes is easier if you do it in the correct order. Learn how to get organized so the task will go smoothly and your dishes will sparkle. Wash dirty dishes at least daily if you are handwashing them. This will prevent food from becoming dried on and hard to wash off. As well, it prevents the growth of bacteria and fungus in the leftover food particles and keeps them from attracting insects and other pests.
To avoid polluting your wash water, begin by scraping the dishes of excess food. Stack the dishes in preparation for washing. If after scraping you note stuck-on food on some items, set them aside for soaking. Run a little water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to pre-soak items that need this treatment. An exception: Aluminum should not soak as doing so can darken the finish. Give the dishes 15 to 30 minutes to soak.
Add dish soap to the water in the amount recommended on the instruction label. Be sure the other side of a double sink is clean and available for rinsing or prepare a dishpan of rinse water. The items that are lightly soiled usually include glasses, cups, and flatware. Washing these items first keeps your water fresher and ready to tackle bigger jobs. Place as many of these items as fit under the soapy water in the sink. This will allow them a bit of soaking time before you wash them.
Next, wash plates, bowls, and serving dishes gently with your sponge or scrubber. Keep an eye out for when you should change the dishwashing water. Change it if it appears greasy or no suds are left. Any cookware with tough food residue should have been soaking already. If you have a double sink, use the second sink to rinse off the dishwashing suds from the dishes.