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Cleaning Up:  Washing Dishes  |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 29 2005 : 11:30:38 PM
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Question for a new discussion -- do you wash your dishes by hand or do you use a dishwasher?
I didn't get my first dishwasher until 1977 -- at least my first mechanical one! Everything was done by hand until then.
I've come to hate my dishwasher. I get tired of running out of dishes in the cupboard because they're in the dishwasher waiting until I have a full load. Then when they're done there's an argument over who is going to empty the thing (it's usually me). Not to mention the water and electricity it uses.
So now I'm doing dishes by hand and loving it. I bought a wonderful earth friendly dish soap at Trader Joe's -- lavender and tea tree. Now I wash, my daughter or husband dries, and we have nice conversations while we're doing the dishes.
One of the older ladies from our church told me that when she does dishes by hand she prays for people. She said she's shed many tears in her dishpan while praying. What a wonderful thought!
Kay
Proud Member of North Clark County Farmgirls |
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Cindy Young
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Cindy
Allendale
MI
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 04:05:34 AM
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Hi Kay,
I always said I had 5 "dishwashers, but my kids never did appreciate that kind of humor! We did get a built in one a few years ago, maybe 5, but then sold that house and moved into a cute "old" farmhouse we built ourselves. I use the term "we" very loosely, as my husband did 99% of the work. We put in a brand, spankin new dishwasher 3 years ago, (when the "farm" was being built,) but last year all our hard water got to it, and it now lays (lies?) empty, with the 2 children who remain at home washing and drying. Although, I must admit, many times when the task seems overwhelming to our daughter who does most of the washing, I step in and do them. Don't really mind a bit. Been doin them for probably 45 of my 52 years, and I find it kind of peaceful...sorta has a nice rhythm to it...and love seeing the results, all nice and clean on the counter. And, the biggest perk to mom doing the dishes is...NO BROKEN GLASSWARE!!! I swear, those kids manage to break a glass nearly every time they do the dishes!!! No Trader Joe's around here in Michigan, and the stuff from the local health food store is priced outrageously, so we just use whatever happens to be on sale. Would love to be able to use something "earth friendly", if they were more "pocketbook friendly"!!!
I do love the thought of using that time to pray for others. What an opportunity! There are days when we never get to really sit down and pray, but our heavenly Father doesn't care if our bodies are busy, we still can go about His business while we are doing chores, taking a shower, or simply enjoying His creation!!!
Blessings,
Cindy
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2Timothy 4:7 |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 05:45:52 AM
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I have never had a mechanical dishwasher. And with a family of 8 I have washed a lot of dishes. Hubby keeps talking about getting one but heck, I don't need one now!
I love standing at my kitchen window washing dishes. I really don't mind...even though I let them pile up sometimes. It is a peaceful time to think, watch the animals kitties, deer and bunnies across the field.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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PJJ
True Blue Farmgirl
95 Posts
Paula
Bristow
OK
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 06:43:24 AM
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Wonderful idea. Think I'll do this while the children are gone -- not too overwhelming with just me, the dogs, and the bird! Then, when the kids come home, we'll take it from there.
Paula J.
Paula J., with Ty, Cara, Brody, Blue, and Fidget |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 12:04:24 PM
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When we moved into this house upteen-twenty years ago, it came with a noisy, noisy portable dishwasher. It took forever to fill up to run a load, and didn't really get things clean. It was good for counter-top space though since I'm very short on that. Got rid of it in the early 80's and have been hand washing dishes since, like I was taught when I was a girl. It is a nice quiet time to think and reflect. My grandaughter likes to "help" too. Need to wear rain gear when she does, but it's great fun anyway!
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 12:44:49 PM
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I wash dishes by hand in this house due to lack of dishwasher and the space for one in what is the smallest kitchen imaginable. I would gladly return to having one as the time spent standing with my hands stuck in soapy and often disgusting water could be well spent doing something more constructive. Clean dishes are clean dishes , it's not as if anyone has ever commented on the quality and care of my dish washing nor have I found great personal satisfaction in scraping gunk off dirty dishes! There are some very energy and water conservant models out there these days that claim to use less water/energy than you would hand washing the same amount of dishes. I say bring them on! Sorry guys... I just can't get all nostalgic about that chore !
with a happy heart |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 5:22:20 PM
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Funny thing - I just went out the other day and bought a dish rack and drainboard to put under it. We have a dishwasher but in the summer I prefer to do dishes by hand - the mechanical one just heats up the kitchen even if I set it for nightime (it has a 4 hr. timer); I've found it relaxing to do the dishes and watch my birdfeeder which is right outside the kitchen window. I bought some great smelling soap too, and read that if you do enough dishes you actually can burn quite a few calories! Plus, it's been so hot here the dishes dry themselves in less than an hour. Now if I could just get them to put themselves away in the cupboard.
Cecelia
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 8:20:52 PM
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My neighbor called one day and said her dishwasher died. I told her if I ever called saying my dishwasher had died to send flowers! My husband has been doing the dishes for years (on nights when he's home). Other times it's me or the kids. I took care of the breakage problem by using tin dishes and canning jars for glasses! One of those breaks and you just grab another out of the canning stuff:) They're much sturdier than most drinking glasses too. They sort of fit our lifestylebetter than nice stemware. As much as these household tasks can be a bother, they can be sort of cathartic too.And I hate to think of how much water is used to run a dishwasher! At least I can water the plants outside the kitchen door with the rinse water!
Sharon |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2005 : 9:29:38 PM
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I have a portable dishwasher..got it used for my Valentines gift in 2004. I really love it, I have to admit. I do alot of dishes by hand too, but I have the smallest sink..and 4 kids at home and do all of our cooking here so I have ALOT of dishes. I had never had one before and let me tell you...I have better things I can find to do than dishes most of the time. I am picky about my plates (they are old) so I do them by hand, but other than that I do use it alot. I especially like having a dishwasher for canning jars..I can alot and it is so nice to have them all clean and sitting in the clean dishwasher on a rack when I am ready. That being said....when the kids are grown and this old portable wears out I will no doubt go back to handwashing.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
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psouper
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
50 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 04:30:10 AM
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So when you do the dishes, what is your system? Do you fill up your double sink and use one side for washing, one for rinsing? Where do you stack the wet dishes if you don't have somebody to help you dry?
Doing dishes by hand is so peaceful. It reminds me of when I was a young girl and we had Sunday dinner at Grandma's. After dinner the men would head over to the lumberyard ( which was my Grandpa's business and was behind the house) to smoke cigars, and the women would don aprons to do the dishes. That's when the real interesting talk happened!
Polly
http://mossbackmeadow.blogspot.com/ |
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quiltedess
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Nancy
Priest River
ID
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 08:19:15 AM
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When I was very young, my aunt, who was visiting, got very tired of my mom spending ALL DAY in the kitchen during the summer. My mom fed the hay crew, (hay "boys" as we called them because they were always high school kids working for a little change in the pockets but mostly to build their muscles for football in the fall). My mother prepared breakfast, washed dishes by hand, prepared lunch (my dad calls lunch Dinner and Dinner is Supper) and washed more dishes. Anyway, my aunt got tired of this and insisted that my mother should have a dishwasher. So my mother got one. I don't even remember much of the early days with out a dishwasher. I always thought the dishwasher was a necessity, especially on a farm :-) and I love mine. Of course I still have to wash some pots and pans and nice knives by hand, but generally, if it fits, it goes in the dishwasher.
Nancy |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 10:51:37 AM
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My granparents..and most of my older aunts and uncles all call lunch dinner and dinner supper...so I always have to ask which they mean if they say dinner.
When I hand wash dishes I fill the right hand side of the sink with hot soapy water and have all the dishes on the right side countertop and then rinse in the left side and put in the drainer (vintage red vinyl coated wire one) on the left side..I think that may be a little backwards for a right handed person...but I used to live in a house for years with a bigger counter space on left side and trained myself to do it that way. Here in this house it is the same amount on either side I guess. I love lemon scented dish soap..or the new orange types. I keep a little cute bib apron on my dish soap bottle..anyone else have that?
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
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mollymae
True Blue Farmgirl
694 Posts
Molly
Visalia
California
USA
694 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 5:19:30 PM
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I have one of those cute little aprons for my dishsoap too, how funny! I bought mine at an antique/craft fair in Bluemont, Virginia (sooo beautiful there!) years ago..
Cead Mile Failte,
Molly
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." --Henry David Thoreau
**When life throws scraps your way ~ Make a Quilt!**
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 6:17:48 PM
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I have a full-sized portable dishwasher. It uses only two gallons of water for an entire load but isn't energy efficient. It seems to take forever. If I replace it when it dies it will be with a built-in model. We're from-scratch cooks so a lot of pots, pans and dishes are used for most meals. I don't like to spend time hand washing silver (similar to the time it takes to line dry the socks) so it's always in the washer. I do the large things like skillets, the cast iron and delicate glass by hand.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
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sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 11:20:54 PM
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Jenny, I go from right(dirty) to left(clean) too. I also get very picky about the order of washing...first glasses, then flatware, plates, and last the pans. The rest of the family just thinks I'm nuts.
Sharon |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 11:56:15 PM
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Oh My Gosh Sharon!! I figured I was the only one in the world that did my dishes in a certain order. I do them just like you. That's the way my mom taught me. And I also go from right to left even though my biggest counter space is on the left. I'm a creature of habit!
Kay
North Clark County Farmgirls |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 02:23:35 AM
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I fill the left side with hot soapy water, rinse in the right side and the drain rack is on the counter to the right of that. Of COURSE there is a certain order!!! Glasses, plates, bowls, flatware, pots & pans. I wash, Rachel or Hannah rinses, whom ever didnt rinse puts it away.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2005 : 10:32:56 PM
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| I'm not a hand washer, but the order is, as listed above, cleanest items to dirtiest items. I want to be environmentally friendly, I'm just not sure that handwashing is better than using a dishwasher WHEN the dishwasher is properly loaded (full, every space filled) and it is a modern model in good working condition. It's probably best not to use the drying cycle, BUT, it does sanitize which would be great for canning supplies. I just don't find washing dishes by hand relaxing in anyway. In fact, I usually end up with a lot of back pain when I do it. |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2005 : 10:36:39 AM
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I go from left to right, too. Sharon I agree with your method. Least dirty to dirtiest basically! I know a lot of women who do it that way. You should give a dishwashing seminar at the local extension!!! I have a dishwasher too, here at home, but at our place in Wisconsin, no dishwasher other than me. If we have company and they want to help, I let them, but I prefer to wash vs dry.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2005 : 11:56:18 AM
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Sharon and Kay!!! I can't believe I'm not the only one who was taught to do them in that order! At potluck functions, people rush to beat me to the dishes so they don't have to be "Fussy". I get a lot of kidding about being picky and fussy and they're just dishes and they've all got to be washed. I'm so glad there are other people who learned the "right" way to do dishes. By the way, when I could look out my kitchen window and see my garden or the fields, or woods I loved doing dishes. The house we now live in has a gray Morten building about 6 feet from the window. I've always thought about putting up a variety of trellises and viny things, but haven't done it. All I know is now I'd trade anyone anything for not having to do it.
Peace to all and Happy washing however you do it.
Joy
By
To live without farm life is merely existing, to live with farm life is living life to it very last experience. |
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Susie Q
True Blue Farmgirl
122 Posts
Susan
So. California
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2005 : 2:41:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sleepless reader
Jenny, I go from right(dirty) to left(clean) too. I also get very picky about the order of washing...first glasses, then flatware, plates, and last the pans. The rest of the family just thinks I'm nuts.
Sharon
I wash dishes the same way except I do glasses first then the rest of the glass items, then silverware and finally metalware. I wash from left to right. I'm left handed.
I hate doing dishes. I'd rather do 5 hampers of laundry and ironing than a sink full of dishes. Thank God for dish drainers and air drying. |
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rebecca
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
Rebecca
Boulder Junction
Wisconsin
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 02:52:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by sleepless reader
My neighbor called one day and said her dishwasher died. I told her if I ever called saying my dishwasher had died to send flowers! My husband has been doing the dishes for years (on nights when he's home). Other times it's me or the kids. I took care of the breakage problem by using tin dishes and canning jars for glasses! One of those breaks and you just grab another out of the canning stuff:) They're much sturdier than most drinking glasses too. They sort of fit our lifestylebetter than nice stemware. As much as these household tasks can be a bother, they can be sort of cathartic too.And I hate to think of how much water is used to run a dishwasher! At least I can water the plants outside the kitchen door with the rinse water!
Sharon
Rebecca of RebeccaJoysFarm |
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Anne
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
9 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 3:41:31 PM
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I actually remember being taught in high school home economics that you are supposed to wash your dishes in the order you're saying (glasses, silverware, plates, pots n' pans) because that way your getting the things that have most contact with your mouth washed with the cleanest dishwater and best sanitized. So maybe you all aren't fussy, just right!
'Course, I'm just lucky if I get them done! Lately, I've been bribing myself to do the dishes with new discloths!
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 3:52:40 PM
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I was taught to do dishes in the same order. And from right to left.. just because that's how the kitchen was set up with the most counter space on the left. Growing up, as I got old enough to be trusted, first I dried while Mom washed, then she turned the washing over to me and my younger brothers had to take turns drying. There were some infamous scuttles during dishwashing time. Of course, we'd all have rather been outside doing something else, but the boys just acted out more about it. Consquently, we did not have many matching dishes from their slips and blips!  And wouldn't ya know, after I left home and it was just Mom and the boys on dishwashing brigade, Dad bought Mom a portable dishwasher that saw them through the rest of the boy's years at home.
I personally don't have a dishwasher now and I kinda like the methodical pace of dishwashing and the instant results. I let mine air dry in a rack. BUT, sometimes I put it off until I have to do them and get them out of the way to be able to cook. It's never terribly groudy, but a day's worth of dishes in the sink is common. I guess when it's just me at home I can "hang loose" like that. Nobody but the cat to complain! 
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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Edited by - Clare on Aug 22 2005 3:54:29 PM |
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CityCat
True Blue Farmgirl
198 Posts
Catherine
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
198 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 10:13:33 PM
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In the last place I lived, we had a dishwasher. It was an older model, and we didn't know how to use it. And it looked dodgey. A while later our landlady came by inquiring after the house and if were were settled. She came into the kitchen, and asked, "So, have you used the dishwasher?" We said, no. "Why not? It works, you know." "We use it to store tupperware." She didn't believe us until she opened the dishwasher.
Cat
ps. I never realized there was a pattern to dishwashing. Now I understand what my Mom was doing! |
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Susie Q
True Blue Farmgirl
122 Posts
Susan
So. California
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 10:51:10 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Anne
I actually remember being taught in high school home economics that you are supposed to wash your dishes in the order you're saying (glasses, silverware, plates, pots n' pans) because that way your getting the things that have most contact with your mouth washed with the cleanest dishwater and best sanitized. So maybe you all aren't fussy, just right!
'Course, I'm just lucky if I get them done! Lately, I've been bribing myself to do the dishes with new discloths!
mmm....I didn't even think about mouth contact. I just did all the glass stuff first because I didn't want streaks. Thanks for the info. |
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Cleaning Up: Washing Dishes |
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Washing Dishes
