Saturday, June 19, 2010

Do's and Don'ts of Dishes


I just read this article that was on the Yahoo home page about how 'pre-rinsing' dishes before running them through the dishwasher was a waste of water and time.

You have NO idea how much I wish that to be true, but I just don't buy it. I've tried all the time occasionally to stick yucky dishes in the dishwasher in the hope that my life would be changed by my magically clean dishes, and I could shout from the rooftops "Kenmore CHANGED MY LIFE!!". It hasn't happened yet. Instead I open the dishwasher to newly cemented crusties where last night's dinner was before. Then I get the extra special chore of jackhammering the crap off with a butter knife just to pre-rinse, then wash again. How much water does THAT waste "experts"??

The whole thing makes me want to take some nasty dishes to Lowes and make them run me a sample load before I buy a new dishwasher. Or maybe I want an excuse to make someone else wash my dishes... you decide! Why should I need a new dishwasher anyway!? Our dishwasher is a mere 6 years old, and again, according to the "experts" it shouldn't matter if my dishwasher is run by a hand crank- I still shouldn't have to pre-rinse.

I'm still VERY grateful to even have a dishwasher since it decided to take a vacation a few months ago, but for Yahoo to get me all excited with a "Dishes Habit To Avoid" headline is just mean... or maybe my head read it as "Dishes IS A Habit To Avoid". In that case I would have printed it out for Mr. Wright when he wondered why the house smelled like dinner from Tuesday!

What's your dishes policy? Pre-rinse? No pre-rinse? Come to my house and pre-rinse?

Let me know!

7 Thoughts From Others:

Anonymous said...

Too funny - I just posted on trying out my own dishwasher detergent and a bit of info. to go along with it - Check it out!

By the way - my answer is half and half. I rinse my daughter's sippy cups and any really gross pans but plates and silverware I don't (with good results).

- Mighty B said...

UGH, always pre-rinse. Otherwise we get the crusties not only on the original dishes, but they sometimes migrate to the cups and glasses on the top shelf. That's a heck of a lot of prying, rinsing, etc. I hate dishes. :-p

Shelly said...

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I are both pre-rinsers and by that I mean we totally clean the plate by hand completely before putting it in the dish washer. Some people don't understand why I hate doing the dishes to much, but that must be because they are non-rinsers.

But I just think they need to be washed before the dishwasher anyway.

Heather said...

As a general rule, I don't pre-rinse. Why stand there all the more longer for a chore I despise anyway? However, there are a few things that get the VIP (Very Irritated Pass) through the H20 if they are harboring the following:

cornmeal
oatmeal
peanut butter (which is just nasty to begin with)
any cassarole dish that was sprayed with a Pam-like substance and baked in the oven

Otherwise the dishes are come as you are and come out clean. I have noticed that when I switched to tablets (Cascade only--the rest don't work) and placed them in the silverware holder that is in the door, the dishes seemed cleaner. They will also start to look mucky if it's time for the Cascade pre-rinse stuff, too.

Erin said...

I'm totally against pre-rinsing my dishes. Why have a dishwasher if I'm going to do the work beforehand? However, as another commenter noted, there are certain things that need to be rinsed either immediately after use or when put into the dishwasher, like oatmeal bowls and casseroles. Also, I've been told by better housewives that crusty junk is never a problem when the dishwasher is loaded and run routinely. I'm not very good with routinely... ;)

Penny said...

I absolutely pre-rinse. And pre-wipe, and then I wonder geez why don't I just put soap on this sponge and call it a day?

Where we live here in NC, they run television commercials about not pre-rinsing your dishes and what a waste it is.

I've tried it, several times. You have to pre-rinse and in some cases even pre-wipe.

And about running the dishwaher routinely and it's supposed to work better that way... I run mine every day, without fail, sometimes twice a day. AND I use the heavy pot and pan cycle thinking maybe that will do a better job. It doesn't.

Amanda said...

I never prerinse and never have crusties. I dont rinse anything. I run it daily. so nothing sits longer than 24 hrs. glad my dishwasher works wonders. i'd hate to have to prerinse everything!

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