Question of the day... washing dishes

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Ahhh... washing and drying dishes!

- Do you still wash and dry dishes (by-hand) the old-fashioned way?

- What types of tea-towels do you use? Waffle-knit? Linen? Terry towel? Other?

- What do you call the towels you dry dishes with?

- What do you call the drawer where you keep table settings?

- Do you fill a separate sink with rinse water, or do you rinse under running water after you're done washing?

- Where do you hang your dish or tea towels to dry after use?

- Do you dry-out the sink basins after you're done washing/drying dishes?

- How often do you change-out used dish-drying towels for freshly laundered?

- Do you like plain coloured dish drying towels, or do you go for the more fancy ones with patterns and scenes and prints and things?

- Do you remember helping your mom wash and dry dishes when you were younger?
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
- Do you still wash and dry dishes (by-hand) the old-fashioned way? I sure do! And love every minute of it! For me it's my wind-down time, time to reflect on the day and work in peace and quiet and at my own speed.

- What types of tea-towels do you use? Waffle-knit? Linen? Terry towel? Other? All the above! Linen for fine stemware, waffle-knits and terries for normal everyday drying.

- What do you call the towels you dry dishes with? Tea-towels.

- What do you call the drawer where you keep table settings? Silverware drawer.

- Do you fill a separate sink with rinse water, or do you rinse under running water after you're done washing? Rinse under running water. I find I use less water that way, and it's more efficient at removing soap residue.

- Where do you hang your dish or tea towels to dry after use? Over the stove-door handle.

- Do you dry-out the sink basins after you're done washing/drying dishes? I do, a quirky pleasure of mine.

- How often do you change-out used dish-drying towels for freshly laundered? Twice a week (usually), unless they get soiled or feel greasy.

- Do you like plain coloured dish drying towels, or do you go for the more fancy ones with patterns and scenes and prints and things? All the above! I have a variety of plain white, colours, and different scenes and things.

- Do you remember helping your mom wash and dry dishes when you were younger? I sure do! used to help my mom all the time wash and dry dishes! Loved the talks we'd have and it made me feel so grown-up, too. Also used to get my kids to help me, too, when they were little. Lots of fun!
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
OH,

I wish you lived at my house!

My step-son left a bunch of dirty dishes in the sink last night, and I am a bit irritated at him.

I use a dishwasher and wouldn't want to live without one.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
I call them dish clothes (or dish rags, i remember this term from my childhood) and buy a cheap pack of them whenever needed.

I use a fresh one every day, since I am constantly wiping countertops. I have a "wet" one, which I keep on the divider between the sink basins for wiping counters and such, and a "dry" one on the stove handle.

I prefer the ones that are like terry cloth towels, very absorbent.

Generally, i use ones that are mostly white, so they can be bleached. I have some really pretty ones that were a gift, but I dont want to use them because they are too nice.

I have a silverware drawer which has three baskets in it--forks, knives, and spoons. I dont care for the single silverware holder with four slots. they arent big enough.

I do have to keep my sink dry, and wipe it down after every use. I hate to see standing water on the sink.

My grandmother never had a dishwasher (or garbage disposal), so we did the dishes by hand when we went there.

I dislike coming down in the morning to a mess, so I always have the kitchen cleaned to my satisfaction before bed. Hubby's younger son is staying with us right now, and i often wake up to a pile of dishes in the sink, which irritates me.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
OH,

I wish you lived at my house!

My step-son left a bunch of dirty dishes in the sink last night, and I am a bit irritated at him.

I use a dishwasher and wouldn't want to live without one.
ROFL, Apple! Don't be fooled by my enthusiasm over washing and drying dishes by hand, as I, too, get perturbed with it and feel like throwing in the towel! :)

Of course my displeasure never lasts.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I call them dish clothes (or dish rags, i remember this term from my childhood) and buy a cheap pack of them whenever needed.

I use a fresh one every day, since I am constantly wiping countertops. I have a "wet" one, which I keep on the divider between the sink basins for wiping counters and such, and a "dry" one on the stove handle.

I prefer the ones that are like terry cloth towels, very absorbent.

Generally, i use ones that are mostly white, so they can be bleached. I have some really pretty ones that were a gift, but I dont want to use them because they are too nice.

I have a silverware drawer which has three baskets in it--forks, knives, and spoons. I dont care for the single silverware holder with four slots. they arent big enough.

I do have to keep my sink dry, and wipe it down after every use. I hate to see standing water on the sink.

My grandmother never had a dishwasher (or garbage disposal), so we did the dishes by hand when we went there.

I dislike coming down in the morning to a mess, so I always have the kitchen cleaned to my satisfaction before bed. Hubby's younger son is staying with us right now, and i often wake up to a pile of dishes in the sink, which irritates me.
Love your idea of changing-out the towels each day! I know when I pull-out a couple of fresh ones from the drawer, they feel and smell so good!

You and I are so alike, Apple, because I have a collection of teas that I most likely will never use, because they are so nice. So crazy when I think about it, but now that I know I'm not alone, I feel better about me choice. :)

Agree... silverware holders HAVE to have a good handful (plus) areas in them to hold everything proper. Teaspoons separate from tablespoons, yada - yada, and I'm right there with you on waking up to a mess in the sink or sinks in the morning! Nothing makes me feel more miserable and cranky than that!
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
I just have one nice set of dish towels that i don't use. The rest are fair game. I may use them some day, but they have red on them, and if I have to bleach them they wont be red anymore...

I don't separate my spoons. Don't separate my forks. I have the butter knives with the steak knives.

I'm with you on the morning mess! I am a morning person, but I want to be doing today's stuff, not yesterday's stuff!
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I just have one nice set of dish towels that i don't use. The rest are fair game. I may use them some day, but they have red on them, and if I have to bleach them they wont be red anymore...

I don't separate my spoons. Don't separate my forks. I have the butter knives with the steak knives.

I'm with you on the morning mess! I am a morning person, but I want to be doing today's stuff, not yesterday's stuff!
I was raised in a poor home as a child, so I think that's where I tend to go astray on the likes of saving things and cherishing new things. I had so little growing up, that I think that's why I am the way I am today.

Yes! In the morning I like to wake, put on coffee, and relax, not start cleaning dishes and things. (Where's the grumpy smiley face)! LOL!
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
My antique house did not have a dishwasher when I bought it. When Hubby and I got married, he bought me a portable dishwasher. It recently kicked the bucket, and I was back to hand washing dishes, and not at all happy about it.

Portable dishwashers are more expensive than regular ones. So...we bought a regular one, and Hubby is going to build a box around it so it kind of looks built in.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
My antique house did not have a dishwasher when I bought it. When Hubby and I got married, he bought me a portable dishwasher. It recently kicked the bucket, and I was back to hand washing dishes, and not at all happy about it.

Portable dishwashers are more expensive than regular ones. So...we bought a regular one, and Hubby is going to build a box around it so it kind of looks built in.
I have an older model automatic dishwasher that I might use twice yearly, usually around Christmas, but that's it.
 

Crayola13

Well-Known Member
This is good to know. Thanks for sharing, because someday we do plan on redoing our kitchen and my old dishwasher is going to go.
None of the water saver appliances are good, especially dishwashers. But, you can't get any other kind now days. Our water bill hasn't gone down, either.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else bleach their dishcloth overnight to sanitize and freshen?

Once a week I'll fill the kitchen sink with an inch or two of water, add a little bleach, and lay the dishcloth down inside for the night to revive it. It always come out so fresh and clean smelling, and stains are gone.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
None of the water saver appliances are good, especially dishwashers. But, you can't get any other kind now days. Our water bill hasn't gone down, either.

Does yours take forever to wash a load?

Mine takes about two hours!

It does get them clean, although, I do rinse the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. I have never thought putting dishes in the dishwasher with dried, crusted food on them sounded sanitary.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else bleach their dishcloth overnight to sanitize and freshen?

Once a week I'll fill the kitchen sink with an inch or two of water, add a little bleach, and lay the dishcloth down inside for the night to revive it. It always come out so fresh and clean smelling, and stains are gone.

I put them in the washing machine with bleach once per week.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
I had ignored this question...but I do dishes by hand. We just wash under running water and let air dry unless there's so many we have to hand dry. We aren't picky with dishtowels. I have terry, waffle weave, and plain old cotton flour-sack type.

I do not wash by hand because I want to.

Our dishwasher broke about 2 1/2 years ago. There's been a lovely new one in the basement for a year and a half...along with my beautiful new 5 burner gas range and new kitchen cabinets. All waiting for our basement remodel that I'm beginning to think will never come. :(
 
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