Number one … buy a dishwasher! It’s better for your hands and the planet … and as a mum that seems to spend half my day making meals and the other half washing up, I am a huge fan. Studies show washing dishes by hand uses up to five times more water than a dishwasher.
There are times though, the good ol’ fashioned sink and some elbow grease is needed for pots and pans or delicate glass or crystal ware. Here are my tips for having a joyful washing up experience:
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- Rinse all dishes, pot and pans before you wash them.
- Rinse any grime out of the sink
- Run your water till it is really hot, the hottest your hands can stand. I suggest wearing rubber gloves although personally I seem to forget all the time! Once hot enough, pop the plug in.
- With the tap still running add 2 – 3 pumps of our Eco Friendly Rhubarb Washing Up Liquid under the running water and enjoy the pleasant aroma and bubbles.
- Start washing and maybe pop on some nice background music to drown out the screaming children …
- Wash glasses and delicate items first, then knives and forks. *Side Note: Never place a sharp knife at the bottom of the sink. Wash it straight away so you don’t accidently pick up and slice your hands.
- Do the dirtiest items last. Tip: for some pots and pans with a little more grease I like to take the soapy foam on the dish brush and use that to help get stubborn grease off. If it’s really not getting clean add a pump of washing up liquid directly to the pan and scrub before putting it into the water. Give them a quick rinse under warm running water to wash off any debris.
- Test your dishes for a “squeaky clean” sound and look.
- Place onto a drying rack to drip dry or do the drying up … this is the worst bit I think or maybe that’s the putting away part!
- Once you have put away the dishes, I would suggest giving the sink and kitchen surfaces a clean and wipe down using our Eco Friendly Geranium All Purpose spray.
- And now … breathe. I like to take this moment to do a little dance round the kitchen and fill the kettle up for some more tea.
So, to summarise the most important steps of washing up, it goes a little something like this:
Rinse. Extra hot water. 2 – 3 pumps of washing up liquid. Wash. Rinse. Dry. Clean down. Dance. And then drink tea or wine!
And don’t forget to grab one of our Eco Friendly Rhubarb Washing Up Liquid refills to top up your lovely amber glass bottle.
