View Full Version : Doing dishes, how picky
Both my son and i love to cook, and dishes take time to get done. Typically the big items like baking trays and knives take time to get done. One of the issues is that they can't be put in the dishwasher. Today i put the baking sheets in the dishwasher, they are just not getting done. I know my son is more concerned than i am, i just want them cleaned faster.
How picky are you with dishes?
Are you asking if we put cookie sheets in the dishwasher? My thought is if it cannot go in the dishwasher I don't use it! Except for the crock pot which is an avocado green all in one.
The rest of the family is traveling right now, so I'm just pressure-washing the dishes out on the deck.
Like the deck idea, except living in an apartment. How about knives? I would freak out generations to put one in the dishwasher
Like the deck idea, except living in an apartment. How about knives? I would freak out generations to put one in the dishwasher
I always hand-wash knives. I keep mine scary-sharp, and I don't like the thought of them bumping into other implements and requiring me to touch up the edge.
I've never had a dishwasher! I am fussy about dishes and glasses, but my pots and pans have old stains on them that would take bae's pressure washer to get them off. Those don't bother me.
I've never had a dishwasher! I am fussy about dishes and glasses, but my pots and pans have old stains on them that would take bae's pressure washer to get them off. Those don't bother me.
Exactly - I had a several day backlog of pots/pans, that don't work in our dishwasher. And I really didn't want to scrub them by hand, it takes forever - then it occurred to me - the *pressure washer*. Turns out it works great, you get almost all the gunk off everything, then finish up with a quick hand-wash in the sink.
I can't wait until I put in the big double stainless-steel outdoors sink, I'm going to put in one of those dishwasher pressure sprayers. I don't know why I never thought of this before, the concept works so well in commercial kitchens.
Everything but cookie sheets goes in the dishwasher. My knives are not carbon steel. My mother in law cleaned her copper bottom pans so hard so long that she actually wore off the copper. The dishwasher uses hotter water and dries with higher heat than my hands can handle.
I feel metal will not absorb "germs" and the heat of cooking plus using foil, parchment paper, or silicone sheets will result in no need for sterilizing. Cleaning as you go helps to not have a pile at the end. I put my small pieces in a bowl of soapy water as I am finished with them while cooking. Then they are a quick wash and dry while dinner is cooking. Dishes go in dishwasher after dinner.
Baking pans, for me, never stay new looking very long.
I do not have a dishwasher nor do I want one. When things get too grubby I buy new ones. So I replace cookie sheets every few years. I should get a new big glass pan now that it is winter squash baking season. I had two pans equally bad looking and threw one out when decluttering. It is not worth the time to scrub and scrub until my arms and shoulders are sore.
I believe in the hygiene hypothesis.
I believe in the hygiene hypothesis.
Me too. I put regular dishes in the dishwasher for efficiency, but I hand wash all pots and pans and anything that I think I might need before running the dishwasher, like spatulas, knives, etc. I have cast iron pans that probably have decades of crust (literally) on the outside surfaces , but I wash gently enough not to upset the seasoning of the inside. That's good enough for me.
...
I believe in the hygiene hypothesis.
I do too. Hyper-cleanliness is way over-rated.
iris lilies
9-17-17, 7:51pm
I am not sure what the question is, but I dont need the sanitizing action of a dishwasher on all items. I dont see anything wrong with hand washing items and I hand wash most all pots, pans, sheets. But when a cookie sheet fits into the dishwasher I will put it there.
i dont put pur quality knives in the dishwasher, however.
I mostly hand wash pots and pans. At least with my dishwasher you have to remove the grunge by hand even if you put them in the dishwasher. I can deal with the stains that eventually shown up on pots and pans, but not remnants of food stuff. I could argue that hand washing with dish detergents are as effective as the dishwasher routine for eliminating germs.
I always thought the dishwasher got things a lot cleaner than I could by hand. A childhood of dishwashing each night left me in love with the idea of the dishwasher, as I hate dirty dishes. Of course I don't wash my really good pots like Le Creuset or the copper ones in the dishwasher. I throw the knives in, much to my husband's dismay. But I figure if you don't wash it yourself (he cooks constantly) then you take however the other person cleans it.
He would enjoy the pressure washer method. But then we would have to set up the pressure washer all the time, and I would not want that out all the time.
iris lilies
9-18-17, 8:39am
Here's how unpicky I am: sometimes dishes come out of the dishwasher with tiny bits of food baked on. I tell DH, who is disgusted by it and won't eat from them, that those bits of food have been steamed cleaned and sanitized, so dont worry about it. If there are a LOT of bits, I will soak them and later scrub by hand. But only small bits of food on the plate are not big deal.
I have a very good immune system.
Here's how unpicky I am: sometimes dishes come out of the dishwasher with tiny bits of food baked on. I tell DH, who is disgusted by it and won't eat from them, that those bits of food have been steamed cleaned and sanitized, so dont worry about it. If there are a LOT of bits, I will soak them and later scrum by hand. But only small bits of food is j the plate are now big deal.
I have a very good immune system.
I have a crappy immune system, but I grew up in a fairly dirty house. My parents killed all germs with an infusion of gin. I forewent the gin, so maybe that is why my immune system never flourished.
Sad Eyed Lady
9-18-17, 9:34am
Are you asking if we put cookie sheets in the dishwasher? My thought is if it cannot go in the dishwasher I don't use it! Except for the crock pot which is an avocado green all in one.
Hahaha!! Loved hearing about the crock pot. I bet it is just like mine except mine is HARVEST GOLD! All one piece and heavy. Sometimes I look at the new sleek ones with insides that lift out and think about it..... then I think of my old friend who has been with me since the '70's and I remain faithful. It still cooks just as good as ever, so I think why replace it? Just nice to hear someone out there as a "cousin" to it.
SteveinMN
9-18-17, 10:54am
Everything that can go in the dishwasher goes in the dishwasher. No rinsing, no pre-washing. Scrape off the big bits and done. That's why I have a dishwasher!
Exceptions: the "good" knives (stainless steel, but wood handles and, like bae, I'm not messing up their edges by tossing them in the dishwasher), cast iron, my commercial aluminum frying pans, and the little plastic leftover dishes which only bounce around from the water pressure. If I have room I will toss in plastic containers (though some plastic leftover dishes we use do not survive the hot wash water without deforming; this doesn't matter for the ones being recycled).
For the items which cannot be washed by machine, I'm a big fan of soaking them once I'm done using them.
ApatheticNoMore
9-18-17, 12:30pm
I'm pretty picky in making sure dishes get cleaned well, but I don't own a dishwasher so this is all by hand. I'm pretty messy generally so no worries about any hygiene hypothesis for me, but eh I want things I am actually eating food off of or cooking food in to be clean.
I usually prewash everything (mostly no soap, just water and a scrubbie to get off all the bits) before putting it in the dishwasher. After doing this, unless it's a huge load, I put it on light wash and disable the heated dry, and they come out fine.
I have to add that I like shiny glasses. Sometimes DH washes glasses by hand, but they still look smudgy and hazy, and that drives me crazy. I like sparkly glasses!
iris lilies
9-18-17, 2:30pm
I have to add that I like shiny glasses. Sometimes DH washes glasses by hand, but they still look smudgy and hazy, and that drives me crazy. I like sparkly glasses!
Our glasses are smudged and yucky, again. I thonk it is the soft water and too much detergent problem, first suggested by FloatOn years ago.
White I do use a minimal amoint of dishwasher powder, I also accept that glasses will have to be replaced evey few years. I dont reall have glassware that is "nice" and that I use dailey, so it is ok. I have purchased our last set of glassware at thrift stores.
Not to be a party pooper here, but wouldn't tolerating a few streaks and stains be something that people who want to live more simply would accept?
iris lilies
9-18-17, 4:42pm
Not to be a party pooper here, but wouldn't tolerating a few streaks and stains be something that people who want to live more simply would accept?
Do we get to choose the areas we will be "simple" in? Hmmm, yes, I think so. And rest assured,
I am not trashing these glasses just yet even though they are cloudy. I want to work at cleanng them up before jettisonng them, to make sure that it is actually etched glass, not just layers of grime. They came froma thrift store, not new.
Not to be a party pooper here, but wouldn't tolerating a few streaks and stains be something that people who want to live more simply would accept?
I don't think that necessarily follows. I find that cleanliness of environment is the ultimate in simplicity--things are more peaceful in a clean, beautiful environment, so for me, stains and streaks disturb that simplicity.
ApatheticNoMore
9-18-17, 7:43pm
oh CathyA was just remarking on the wastefulness of replacing dishes, which is minimal if they all are bought and returned to the thrift store. Noone is saying not to wash them or even scrub them till they shine if you want. Since my dishes are simple clear glass they always polish up (but sometimes they break). But in general there is a lot to be said for the hippy not so fancy aesthetic in my view even if every thing you own can't be made to look spotless, because it's a lot more easily achieved.
Still considering we all buy one use and then recycle glass all the time (when food comes in it etc.) it's hard to get too worked up about it.
I definitely wasn't referring to cleanliness. I, too, like a "pretty", clean environment. But I have to ask myself, even if I give my dishes to Goodwill that have a few stains and cracks and buy new......how does that affect things.....from resources to trash, etc.
I just like to question things. Yes, I recycle just about everything and take tons of stuff to Goodwill. Recycling takes energy and resources too. And our recycling company in this area says they don't take drinking glasses.
We all have our "weaknesses". And any attempts to simplify our consumption and trash is good. I'm just as guilty as the next person, if there's something out there I really want. But I do like to think about things and consequences.
Like I know I wear fairly worn (clean) clothes a lot.......to shopping, dentist, doc's, etc. But I figure that that isn't my focus and it in some way helps the earth. (Of course, it doesn't help the economy, but that's not my focus).
I once heard that "recycling makes people who consume too much feel less guilty". That's true! Recycling is good, but using less is even better.
I like that: Recycling is good, but using less is even better.
Going to have to remember it and tell others.
If I can squeeze it in the dishwasher...in it goes.
I need new knives. The only good one in the house right now is my Corbin Newcomb fish filet knife (Corbin is a family friend)
My airbake cookie sheets and pizza pans say no dishwasher and currently look pretty cruddy. I will probably buy some new ones.
I'm not very good at scrubbing the stains. I know there are tricks out there: the baking soda/peroxide mix still took too much elbow grease.
1940 Yuck!
If I can squeeze it in the dishwasher...in it goes.
I need new knives. The only good one in the house right now is my Corbin Newcomb fish filet knife (Corbin is a family friend)
My airbake cookie sheets and pizza pans say no dishwasher and currently look pretty cruddy. I will probably buy some new ones.
I'm not very good at scrubbing the stains. I know there are tricks out there: the baking soda/peroxide mix still took too much elbow grease.
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1940&stc=1 Yuck!
Over the weekend we went to an estate sale and I bought a 13 inch Le Creuset frying pan for $11.
I have been spraying the outside of the pan with Easy Off outside to remove the layers and layers of grime.
I figure the inside of an oven and enameled cast iron are pretty much the same thing.
Over the weekend we went to an estate sale and I bought a 13 inch Le Creuset frying pan for $11.
I have been spraying the outside of the pan with Easy Off outside to remove the layers and layers of grime.
I figure the inside of an oven and enameled cast iron are pretty much the same thing.
Oh, thanks! I may give that a try.
I don't have a dishwasher so I typically wash everything before bed. This helps keep things in check. If I have something that needs soaking, I leave it on the counter soaking overnight and wash it the next morning. Anything left longer than that would be pretty uncomfortable for me.
Teacher Terry
9-19-17, 1:16pm
I have been buying better quality glasses and find that they look good forever. Eventually some will break. I rinse dishes after eating and put whatever I can in the dishwasher. The rest I wash by hand after soaking. If a dish comes out not clean I soak it.
The oven cleaner removed most of the buildup on my glassware. With one more round of treatment I think it will be completely clean. Thank you, thank you!
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