Don’t Wash the Dishes!
August 12, 2009 · Posted in around the house, cooking and food, newlywed life, organize, pj by pj
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When I was growing up, my mother would always have us tidy up our rooms before the cleaning lady arrived. “Why do we have to clean up for the cleaning ladies?” I would whine. “Isn’t it their job to clean?” My mom would explain that while, yes, it was their job to clean, it wasn’t their job to put my things away.
Fast forward to the present. My husband washes the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. “Why do we have to wash the dishes before they get washed?” I whine. (Some things haven’t changed.) “Because otherwise they won’t get totally clean,” he explains. Bah! Just like cleaning ladies are supposed to clean, dishwashers are supposed to wash dishes! What a waste of time, energy and soap and water.
“Let’s do an experiment,” I suggest. “Let’s NOT pre-wash the dishes–especially this blueberry stained pie plate–and see how clean they get in the dishwasher alone. I bet they come out sparkling.”
“You’re on,” he says, his eyes screaming, “I’m going to win!”
We fill the Kenmore dishwasher with the dirtiest dishes that have ever gone in it, toss in a Finish Powerball Tab and hit start. A couple of hours later the machine goes quiet–the dishes are done. It’s time for the big reveal.
The first thing I pull out is the pie plate. The verdict? Totally spotless! I can see right through the glass baking dish. And the rest of the dishware came out just as clean.
The taste of victory is sweet–especially on clean plates.
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We have the same argument. Although our dishwasher isn’t quite as effective. Sometimes things don’t come out sparkling clean and need to be rerun.
Linda’s most recent blog post: Library Loot
After having a bit of trouble with my own w.machine, I found out that (1) machines are designed to clean dirty plates & pre-rinsing prevents them from doing that, (2) too much detergent can put a haze (’etching’) on your glassware that is permanent (another reason why you shouldn’t pre-rinse, to use up all the soap in the washer), and (3) the normal cycle is the best cycle to use because that is the cycle the machines are tested on, and used to rate against each other, so the manufacturer spends all their time/money on making sure normal is fantastic.
our dishwasher must suck. if we don’t rinse, we get food all over our drinking glasses
Rhonda’s most recent blog post: Inside the Medicine Cabinet
We must have a terrible dishwasher. At our old house, if we didn’t rinse things really really well, we’d end up with food from one dish all over the entire load and have to hand wash them all. Our new house isn’t as bad, but I always rinse pretty well.
hasel’s most recent blog post: Our Fabulous Winter Wedding: Primping and Prepping
This blog post of my friends will make you SOOO happy. :) http://thebergspot.blogspot.com/2009/05/dishwasher-safe.html
Jenna’s most recent blog post: The Vendor/Client Relationship
