How do YOU do your dishes?

[smittenbyu]

So, water wastage is my big pet peeve. Recently, I ran into this article about not prewashing dishes before dishwashing. I usually build up dishes in the sink. They kind of get soaked in the water I use to wash hands, vegetables, etc. And then I scrub off with a little cold water (no soap and sometimes running water on low) before loading. I just can't seem to get myself to just stick plates with food on them in the dishwasher. I don't know some of the interviews claim they get peanut butter off. But ours doesn't get sunflower seed butter off. And somewhere else, I read their challenge is dried up rice. Well, we have some component of rice in all our meals. The other thing we can't get off are the milk-tea stains on the steel dish we use.

Plus am wondering if they use predominantly ceramics, glass, & plastics? Most of our dishes are steel & glass. I don't know. Our dishwasher is newly purchased in 2011 by the management. Can't find the user manual. But I am working on it. I wish they were more specific about what they mean as "modern" dishwashers.

ETA: I am not questioning the use of dishwasher. I am questioning the use of the pre-washing/rinsing method. I find it so amusing at how difficult this one change has been for me. I just can't get myself to just put plates/dishes in without rinsing! :P 

Comments

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

By hand, ALL BY HAND, and 6 months of this after ~3 years with a dishwasher means one of the things that is absolutely going into the kitchen in our new house is a dishwasher.

I'm also of the "pile things in the sink, the water that runs over them will help before we get to actually washing them", but it bugs the heck out of my husband, because he can't navigate the sink to actually wash the dishes when it's so full. (I do not pretend to understand why not.)

[smittenbyu]

I was my family's dishwasher since I was 13 years old. I only started regularly using dishwasher 5 years ago! :) I Just felt my life was being spent at the sink! :(

And my hubby does get bugged about it too. So, there's a standing rule, that he is more than welcome to clear the sink - load the dishwasher or hand wash himself or not complain! :P

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

Joel is the primary dishwasher in the house; it's one of those things that I never notice until he's away, and then, gosh, they pile up quickly!

[sistrmoon.livejournal.com]

I hate when the sink is so full that you can't fill up anything with water from the faucet. And it is definitely harder to wash with an overflowing sink:)

[smittenbyu]

I must admit, I have gotten better in it. I clear the sink usually twice a day now instead of waiting till end of the evening, so it's never overflowing. But you do have that spray-pipe-tap-attachment-thing, you could use for filling things up! :P he he he

[sistrmoon.livejournal.com]

Haha we've lived here 2 years and I was sure we didn't have one of those but we do! And it works!