No problem if you don’t own a dishwasher, start hand washing dishes FAST and with ease after learning these 15 amazing life hacks!
1. Set up a closet above the sink with a rack for the dishes to drain
One of the things that make dish cleaning such a chore is, having to wipe them after you’re done. A dish draining closet over the sink simplifies the task for you; what’s more, you can make your own DIY rack. See more here!
2. Use vinegar and baking soda to remove tough stains from pans
If burnt food is not getting off of the pan, try this–A mixture of vinegar and baking soda! Everything is explained well in this video and blog post.
3. Use cold water for dairy products and starch
Cleaning dishes that are used for starches and dairy products should be done using cold water because hot water makes them gummier and harder to clean says Martha Stewart, check this out here!
4. Put the dishes in a bin rather than the sink
Putting dishes in the sink is quite intimidating; the sink looks crowded and honestly makes you feel lazy about washing the dishes. Putting all the dirty utensils in a bin next to the sink is much better, following this idea will make your sink appear clean and you’ll have the space to wash the dishes with ease.
5. Clean in order
Starting with the wrong utensils can keep you at the sink longer than you intend to. Start with glasses, and then move on to cutlery, plates-scrap them off first-and finish off with the pots and pans.
6. Remove adhesives easily
Labels and price tags can be a nuisance when you’re trying to remove the gunk. This doesn’t have to be a problem anymore; just make a mixture of vegetable oil and vinegar and use it to scrub the goo off; it comes out so well you won’t believe you didn’t try it before. Learn more here!
7. Use a soap bowl to minimize soap usage
People use a lot of soap when washing the dishes, and this means they consume more time washing it as they’ve to rinse off the soap at every instance. You can pour you dishwashing soap in a bowl and add some water. After that, dip the sponge in it whenever you need more soap.
8. Remove water spots using vinegar
Sometimes when cleaning dishes using hard water, some mineral deposits don’t come off until you add something else to the water. Add a cup of vinegar to the final bowl of rinsing water to remove all the minerals that might form unpleasant spots on the dishware when you are through. Learn more here!
9. The “one soapy sponge” trick might work
For those who hate washing dishes! This trick does well to help you finish up the dishes without even noticing it. Pour some soap on a sponge and wash as many dishes as you can with the soap then stop and do something else; doing it twice should help you finish the dishes without getting bored. Learn about it in detail here!
10. Wear gloves and use hot water
Hot water helps in doing the job of cleaning the dishes quickly because it removes the dirt and stains very fast. Just wear gloves to protect your hands from the high temperature. Click here to see the full post!
11. Soak large pots and pans
Since these are the last to be washed, soaking will help make the task easier because you don’t have to scrub for too long. Allow the pots to sit somewhere so that the residue can come loose. See more here!
12. Make your own dish washing soap
There are many ways to make dish washing soap for yourself, and it does clean the dishes just as well as market grade detergents. Here is one you can make for yourself, and you just need two ingredients according to this tutorial!
13. Assign everyone their bin if you are living with roommates
One of the toughest things to do when you are living with roommates is coming up with a system for how you all will undertake the chores around the house. To make things simpler, when it comes to hand washing dishes, use this strategy–Every roommate should have their own bin and wash what they use.
14. Cleaning a cast iron skillet
These simple instructions will help you know what to do to clean it fast and in a stress-free way!
15. Give your dishes a sanitizing rinse
If you want your dishes to be as clean and germ-free as they get from the dishwasher, try the sanitizing rinse hack. For this, simply mix one teaspoon of bleach to a gallon of water and dip all your dishes in it after washing. After dipping dishes, you can use this solution to clean your sponge and sink. Learn more here!
