Many people see washing up as a tiresome chore. Fortunately, dishwashers are now a standard feature of almost every kitchen. They make the perfect household aid and make your day-to-day tasks that bit easier. Thanks to their low water and energy consumption, most dishwashers are actually even more economical and environmentally friendly than washing up by hand. But not everything can or should be cleaned in a dishwasher.
6 golden rules for washing up by hand
Coated frying pans, long-stemmed wineglasses and certain materials, such as wood, all belong in the sink. You will also have to scrub burned pot bottoms by hand when it comes time to wash up. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks for you here to ensure that washing up doesn’t become a disagreeable chore. How to wash up properly – and do something good for yourself and the environment at the same time!
1. Dispose of food leftovers
No matter whether you use the dishwasher or do the washing up by hand, you should get rid of any large bits of food waste first of all. The reason for this is that food remains can clog up the drain of both the sink and the dishwasher. Disposing of leftovers is particularly easy if you have a waste management system integrated directly beneath the sink:
a. For drawer and pull-out fronts, the BLANCO SELECT and BLANCO FLEXON waste systems with a combined organisational drawer are especially suitable.
b. For hinged doors, there’s the BLANCO BOTTOM PRO and BLANCO SINGOLO, which you can mount to the bottom of the base cabinet and pull out on rails.
2. Soak burnt-in substances
Dried, burnt-in food remains are easier to remove if you soak them first. Black, burnt pot bottoms can be tackled with a mixture of washing-up liquid, salt and water. Carefully stir the mixture and distribute it evenly. Avoid scrubbing if possible, as this can cause scratches. Stubborn residues can be removed gently with a wooden spatula.
3. Sort out your washing up
The basic principle is that the dirtier the crockery, the later you should rinse it off. In other words, glasses come first, then cups, plates and cutlery. Pots and pans come at the end, especially if they have burned-on remains. Grease-smeared dishes should also only be cleaned at the end of your washing-up session. If necessary, soak very dirty items before washing them up.
4. Do not wash dishes under running water
Leaving the water running while rinsing dishes means that you're wasting resources unnecessarily. It’s better to gather together everything that can’t go in the dishwasher and then wash it in the half-full bowl of the sink. What’s more, the hotter the water, the easier it is to remove fats. Note: just add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid once you’ve already put some water in the bowl. This helps to preserve the environment and prevents excessive foam. This froth can leave marks when your dishes dry.
The BLANCO soap dispenser helps to ration out washing-up liquid and looks much more elegant than a plastic bottle of cleaning product.
5. Let your dishes dry in the air
Tea towels also need to be washed. Cut down on the resources this requires and the time it takes to dry up by leaving the dishes to dry in the air.
It’s perfectly practical with clever sink accessories from BLANCO. Wedged in the bowl, a floating grid creates an extra functional level for drying dishes. Alternatively, you could simply place the practical crockery basket on the bottom of the bowl or extend your drainer with an adjustable drip tray.
6. Ensure hygiene at the sink
Damp sponges and cloths are a perfect breeding ground for germs, such as bacteria and mould. To avoid this, let cloths, sponges and dishcloths dry off completely after you wash up. Cleaning utensils that you use daily should be swapped out after a week, Wash tea towels regularly at a minimum of 60 degrees, so that any germs don’t stand a chance.
Cleaning tips for special items
You should never wash sharp kitchen knives in a dishwasher. Both wooden handles and sharp blades can be damaged by high temperatures and the high amounts of cleaning detergent. It’s better to clean knives with washing-up liquid and warm water. Simply wipe the knife with a dishcloth and rinse it briefly with clean water.
You’ll often find that beautiful, long-stemmed glasses don't fit into the dishwasher. In addition, the glass won’t end up looking sparkling clean. It’s a better idea to wash high-quality wineglasses by hand: simply dip each glass into lukewarm water with a little washing-up liquid. Lipstick and slight traces of grease can be quickly removed with a cloth. The glasses should then be rinsed with clean water. If you want to get them particularly sparkling, you could polish the glasses with a lint-free linen cloth once they’re dry.
Wooden chopping boards, wooden cooking spoons and rolling pins should always be cleaned with hot soapy water. As a natural alternative, you could also use coarse sea salt and a little lemon juice for cleaning wood. Rubbing wood with this mixture has been proven to be effective, even in instances of discolouration. It is important always to let the cutting boards dry off properly, as most of the germs will be killed off if you deprive them of their moist breeding ground. If your wooden board needs a little more care, you can sand down the top later and saturate the board with food-safe oil after cleaning. After it has taken effect, you can rub off any excess oil with a cotton cloth.
Coated pans are usually easy to clean with a little water and a few drops of washing-up liquid. If that’s not enough, as some fat has become burnt in and black, under no circumstances should you use an abrasive sponge. Instead, put some dishwasher detergent in the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Alternatively, you can remove stubborn marks with baking powder. Dissolve the baking powder in water and bring the mixture to a boil in the pan. After the mixture has been acting upon it for a couple of hours, you will be able to remove the burnt-in residues with ease. Another option is heating salt in the pan until it become brown. Then wipe everything out with a rag or newspaper.
Even your sink needs washing down
Having a sink that beams back at you as you make your morning coffee is bound to put you in a good mood. The US tidying expert Marla Cilley, also known as ‘Flylady’, is well aware of this. As her first step towards imposing order on your home and establishing balance in your everyday life, she prescribes a 15-minute evening routine. It centres around a highly polished kitchen sink. It’s best to use a microfibre cloth for this. Another advantage of polishing your sink every evening is that no stubborn marks or streaks of limescale will remain in your sink. If you do spot such marks, the following tips will help: