when you have a pile of all kinds of dishes and a small kitchen and counters and no dish washer?
Rinse all of the dishes out first. Start with the cleaner things first (so save your greasy lasagna for last). If your sink is separated, pile the clean dishes on that side. When you are finished washing, rinse all of the dishes together (this saves water and money). If you don't have a separated sink, just rinse them as you go. I hope this helps!
I use to things: something to stack them one after another and a big plastic bowl. First I let everything soak in hot water in the plastic bowl, then (45 mins later) I use a sponge to remove the dirt from the dishes in the bowl. I stack them on the rack to be rinsed (my sink has an extension like a hose or small shower head) and I use that to quickly rinse through the whole lot. this method was used by restaurants in the past (when the dishwasher wasn't invented).
The best way to wash dishes is to pile them up in a neat way as best you can, then start the water in the sink, add soap, silverware to soak the whole time, then glasses, bowls and plates, then large pots pans and greasy dishes and finally the silverware. If you wash pots and pans first the water will be greasy for the glasses and bowls and plates and you have to run another sink of water. Monica
Do you have a 2 basin sink or a single basin? If you just have a single basin, that's a pain in the rear.. I just run the water on a slight trickle and wash and rinse each dish before putting it into a dish rack with tray to dry.. I have a dish brush that I squirt some soap on every couple dishes.. If you have a two basin sink and both are full, then I wash the dishes in one basin first. When that one is empty, I fill it about half full with warm soapy water. Then I wash the dishes while they're in that sink and once they are all scrubbed I rinse them all with the water on a slight trickle.. It is much much easier though to just keep up with the dishes.. Now I try to just wash them when I have a few rather then waiting for the whole sink to be full. I use a large stainless salad bowl as a mini wash basin so I don't waste too much water..
You want quick or clean? Basic principle of cleaning: wet, warm soaking makes everything soft, so that you don't need so much scrubbing later on. Preparation: Don't stack gooey plates! Doubles your work! Food off first! Grease and sticky: rinse with dish brush and hot dribble of water, if you have a tank system (Otherwise bowl). Stack and arrange by size as you go. Silver too! I start with very shallow very hot water. Then I can pick up the silver even if the water's HOT. Dish brush keeps one hand almost dry, at least. After washing each group, I SAVE the soapy stuff. When I'm through with that group, THEN I rinse under a hot dribble, but all at once -- a whole HANDFUL of forks etc. and I catch the dribbing rinse water in the wash basin. Hot rinse helps stuff to dry. Since they're already sorted, that part's done TOO. Next, I go through the same process with glasses -altogether-- , plates, etc. Always SAVING the group till they're all done, and then catching the water. Water stays warm..level goes up..rinse is ALWAYS completely clean. Each time I'm working on a new group, the old group is draining. But as soon as it's washed, I clear the drainer, to make room for the new group. (Piled-high dishes , covering each other NEVER dry!) This works for us on a small counter top and a single chamber sink wih a small draining area. When ecoligists complained about my running water, I collected ALL of it: pre-wash, rinse, and wash, and RARELY was it even equivalent to the normal two bowls of wash and rinse. (But the dribble needs to be little more than a trickle) Usually less water and MUCH less detergent. (eco-positive!) Pots I usually do alone, but in a similar manner, pouring the first rinse water from the first to the second, etc. If it sounds complicated..well, you asked! If you want to get it done the fast way, just tell the kids the video starts when they're finished doing the dishes! They will give YOU the class about cutting every imaginable corner.
