Dec
11
2019
Hand-Washing Dishes? Secrets to Save You Time (And Water) At The Sink
Nobody’s got time for a slow scrub. This article gives the lowdown on all the little tips and tricks you need to know to get those dishes in and out of the sink before you can say (the singlish term for bored) sian!
Ready to get started? Here are some secrets to save you time (and water) at the sink!
1. Use less water when washing dishes
A study into dishwashing found that on average, washing dishes by hand used about 103 litres of water. How you wash dishes can make all the difference in reducing water waste and cleaning efficiently. Instead of rinsing dishes, use a wooden spoon to scrape excess food waste from plates and bowls into a bin or compost. Save water by soaking a dirty dish in a small amount of soapy water to start getting cooked-in food stains out. Not only is this time-consuming but it leads to water waste. Using an eco-friendly dishwashing liquid with a concentrated formula means one pump can wash five times more than a normal dishwashing liquid. For really stubborn cooked-on food stains, sprinkle baking soda on the stain and lightly scrub the area before washing.
2. Use your dishcloths wisely
One way to get a more effective clean is by using a sponge. Sponges tend to hold in that soapy dishwater, meaning you can go through more dishes without having to reload the sink with more soap or water. Another eco-friendly and efficient hack to wash dishes includes turning your mesh produce bags into DIY scouring pads.
3. Leave a tub of soapy water next to the sink
This is a great idea if you are using a sponge to wash dishes. Fill an old ice-cream container or bowl with water and your non-toxic dishwashing liquid and dip the sponge into the solution then proceed to clean your dishes. You can save water this way since you’re not filling a whole sink up with water. You can also leave this bowl of soapy solution next to your sink during a dinner party or even for a few days and drop dirty utensils into it as a quick and eco-friendly pre-rinse hack.
4. Don’t wash dishes that only require a wipe-down
Just because you used something doesn’t mean it needs to be washed. For example, many of us use measuring cups or spoons to divide dry ingredients like flour or pecans when baking. Most of the time we rinse these cups off and proceed to wash them with the rest of our dirty dishes. But, if there isn’t any sticky residue, then you can just wipe them out using a paper towel instead.
5. Wash stove pots with this one-pot cleaning hack
We all know how cumbersome and time-consuming it is to clean pots and pans. Most of the time, we prepare another load of soapy water to tackle these dishes. Cut this washing time and your water use by putting your pot back on the stove with some water and baking soda or eco-friendly dish liquid, turn on the heat, and let your pot self-clean!
6. Use chopsticks to dry glasses
Free up room in your dish rack by drying glasses on chopsticks. Simply lay out a towel and line up some chopsticks so that they are parallel to each other and sit your glasses upside-down on top of them to drip dry. This is also an easy way to create more dish drying space so that you don’t have to wait for previous dishes to dry before starting another load.
Go green for a more efficient clean
Prolonged exposure to chemical-laden cleaning products such as dishwashing liquid can contribute to long-term health risks. These toxic products also negatively affect the environment. Think of all that chemical-filled water being flushed down the drain after every wash. This water ends up in lakes, reservoirs, rivers and oceans – potentially leading to a severe multiplication of algae. A non-toxic dishwashing liquid like bio-home Dishwashing Liquid is not only gentler on the skin, but on the earth too.
The environment needs our protection and care now more than ever. Many of us don’t realize that a seemingly harmless task like washing the dishes can be harmful to the environment. Say no to toxic cleaning products by switching to eco-friendly cleaning products such as bio-home Dishwashing Liquid.
