4 ms·

I handwash all dishes and can go through maybe 50+ in about 5 minutes. My approach is very efficient. * First, get every dish wet (so that the food will rinse

I handwash all dishes and can go through maybe 50+ in about 5 minutes. My approach is very efficient. * First, get every dish wet (so that the food will rinse off easier), just a quick splash of water the surface of every dish. * Then, soap your sponge and begin cleaning. Stack all dishes off to the side sensibly (plates on bottom, bowls on top, silverware atop that). Don't put your sponge down to rinse off anything. * After you soap and stack eveything, begin rinsing. * Put the entire stack (or half of it) under the faucet. The running water from the top will flow down to the bottom, making it easier and faster to wash each subsequent dish. * Run your hands through each dish as you rinse with water to detect and remove any remaining food. Finally you are done! This method is great because it reduces redundant action (putting down, picking up sponge) and because it "compounds" others (lets the same water rinse multiple dishes). Also, always remember to wash dishes when you have downtime while cooking - you will have no "prep dishes" to clean by the time you eat, and instead only eating dishes.

28304283409234 4y ago
My method is almost the same. Dishwashers are a scam.
- bsenftner 4y ago
  I really do not understand dish washers: you have to clean the dish 80% before going into the washer, so why not spend the 10 seconds to actually wash the thing? I've timing both and hand washing beats dishwashers by an significant amount every time.
  - Tidal5474 4y ago
    This is an understanding based on a very incorrect usage of dish washers. Dishes are supposed to go into the dishwasher dirty, without rinsing. Any food garbage is supposed to be scraped off roughly (ie scrape off actual pieces of food but dont worry if a few rice stick to the plate). Dishwashers save on water and energy. They are convenient for bulk washing of dishes. Dishwashers need to be used correctly to be optimal, just like any other technology. For a family of 4 with 2 preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a dishwasher. Anyone who is sceptical of dishwashers and their merits needs to watch the Technology Connections video on dishwashers.
    - 28304283409234 4y ago
      > For a family of 4 with 2 preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a dishwasher. We did fine with two preschoolers and no dishwasher. I maintain that a 'touch once' is always faster than 'pick up, drop, pick up again, drop'. Furthermore: the second I see friends puzzle about 'where do I put this in this almost full dishwasher', I know they would have been faster doing it by hand. > Dishwashers save on water and energy. No, this is not true. I've measured and it depends. The dutch advisory site 'milieucentraal.nl' comes to the same conclusion: it depends.
      - cykros 4y ago
        I suspect it likely could be if you're spraying everything to rinse it; use a few basins with a good sized rinse with sanitizer or bleach (measured -- ideally use a ph strip to avoid going too far here) and you can use quite a small amount of water for a good number of dishes. Of course, bothering to fill the basins for only a few dishes could be a waste, but when you're doing a whole family worth, you shouldn't need to run the sink while you're cleaning.
    - antisthenes 4y ago
      > Any food garbage is supposed to be scraped off roughly (ie scrape off actual pieces of food but dont worry if a few rice stick to the plate). This is the part that takes 80% of the time, because you have to bring every dish to the garbage can that might not necessarily be next to a dishwasher. > Dishwashers save on water and energy. Both of which are negligible compared to the amount of water used for, say, heating and showering (not to mention the water that goes into agriculture for food you eat). > Anyone who is sceptical of dishwashers and their merits needs to watch the Technology Connections video on dishwashers. Or they just use very few dishes and figured out a method that works for them.
    - bsenftner 4y ago
      Incorrect usage? Put dishes in with food on them: food gets heat baked onto the dish. So, a brief rinse fixes that, while a 5 second wipe with a soapy sponge eliminates the need for the dishwasher entirely.
  - hasmolo 4y ago
    modern dishwashers literally tell you _not_ to rinse and place dished in directly. i love seeing this 'hack' and knowing that it was a _total_ waste of time and energy. i can fill my dishwasher in 1 to 2 minutes, do _no_ washing at all, and 1 hour later all my dishes are spotless and sanitized. the damn thing runs at 35 decibels so i can't even hear it.
  - thiht 4y ago
    > you have to clean the dish 80% before going into the washer No you don’t. You just empty the dishes and put them in the washer. That’s it. > I've timing both and hand washing beats dishwashers by an significant amount every time If you count the time the dishwasher is running, yeah sure. Otherwise it’s just pushing a button.
- password4321 4y ago
  Some dishwasher tips from one month ago: Gut epithelial barrier damage caused by dishwasher detergents and rinse aids https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33822149#33823456 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33822149#33823456
EvanAnderson 4y ago
I know that hand washing is water-inefficient, compared to modern machines, but I find it a very satisfying activity. When I was working from home I found it a great activity to use as a break from work.
- alexpetralia 4y ago
  Yes, I also use very little water! Only the rinsing part at the end, which maybe takes 2 to 3 minutes on low (much of the water is reused).
- clairity 4y ago
  there are other considerations as well. a dishwasher has a breakeven point of about 2 people eating ~2 meals a day (e.g., 4 place settings a day), because that's the least amount of dishes you need to run it once a day. anything less, and it becomes an additional cognitive load rather than being a mindless convenience. moreover, stuck-on food becomes extra dry overnight and that generally leads to less clean dishes. if you're a single person looking for an apartment (or even a couple who eat out all the time), you should consider a built-in dishwasher negative value because it's priced in to the cost but you likely won't use it (a washing machine is always nice to have though).
grantwest 4y ago
This guy plays Factorio
clairity 4y ago
i do this same method and i don't know how you could get through 50(!) dishes in anything less than 15 minutes, unless they're not thoroughly cleaned. 5 minutes is the time it usually takes to do ~1 set of dishes (7-10 items), though that's partially because it lacks the compounding effects you mention.
jacknews 4y ago
+1 for cleaning as you go while cooking. When my wife cooks, the kitchen looks like a crime scene when she's done. It's cleaner than when I started when I cook.

28304283409234 4y ago

My method is almost the same. Dishwashers are a scam.

bsenftner 4y ago
I really do not understand dish washers: you have to clean the dish 80% before going into the washer, so why not spend the 10 seconds to actually wash the thing? I've timing both and hand washing beats dishwashers by an significant amount every time.
- Tidal5474 4y ago
  This is an understanding based on a very incorrect usage of dish washers. Dishes are supposed to go into the dishwasher dirty, without rinsing. Any food garbage is supposed to be scraped off roughly (ie scrape off actual pieces of food but dont worry if a few rice stick to the plate). Dishwashers save on water and energy. They are convenient for bulk washing of dishes. Dishwashers need to be used correctly to be optimal, just like any other technology. For a family of 4 with 2 preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a dishwasher. Anyone who is sceptical of dishwashers and their merits needs to watch the Technology Connections video on dishwashers.
  - 28304283409234 4y ago
    > For a family of 4 with 2 preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a dishwasher. We did fine with two preschoolers and no dishwasher. I maintain that a 'touch once' is always faster than 'pick up, drop, pick up again, drop'. Furthermore: the second I see friends puzzle about 'where do I put this in this almost full dishwasher', I know they would have been faster doing it by hand. > Dishwashers save on water and energy. No, this is not true. I've measured and it depends. The dutch advisory site 'milieucentraal.nl' comes to the same conclusion: it depends.
    - cykros 4y ago
      I suspect it likely could be if you're spraying everything to rinse it; use a few basins with a good sized rinse with sanitizer or bleach (measured -- ideally use a ph strip to avoid going too far here) and you can use quite a small amount of water for a good number of dishes. Of course, bothering to fill the basins for only a few dishes could be a waste, but when you're doing a whole family worth, you shouldn't need to run the sink while you're cleaning.
  - antisthenes 4y ago
    > Any food garbage is supposed to be scraped off roughly (ie scrape off actual pieces of food but dont worry if a few rice stick to the plate). This is the part that takes 80% of the time, because you have to bring every dish to the garbage can that might not necessarily be next to a dishwasher. > Dishwashers save on water and energy. Both of which are negligible compared to the amount of water used for, say, heating and showering (not to mention the water that goes into agriculture for food you eat). > Anyone who is sceptical of dishwashers and their merits needs to watch the Technology Connections video on dishwashers. Or they just use very few dishes and figured out a method that works for them.
  - bsenftner 4y ago
    Incorrect usage? Put dishes in with food on them: food gets heat baked onto the dish. So, a brief rinse fixes that, while a 5 second wipe with a soapy sponge eliminates the need for the dishwasher entirely.
- hasmolo 4y ago
  modern dishwashers literally tell you _not_ to rinse and place dished in directly. i love seeing this 'hack' and knowing that it was a _total_ waste of time and energy. i can fill my dishwasher in 1 to 2 minutes, do _no_ washing at all, and 1 hour later all my dishes are spotless and sanitized. the damn thing runs at 35 decibels so i can't even hear it.
- thiht 4y ago
  > you have to clean the dish 80% before going into the washer No you don’t. You just empty the dishes and put them in the washer. That’s it. > I've timing both and hand washing beats dishwashers by an significant amount every time If you count the time the dishwasher is running, yeah sure. Otherwise it’s just pushing a button.
password4321 4y ago
Some dishwasher tips from one month ago: Gut epithelial barrier damage caused by dishwasher detergents and rinse aids https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33822149#33823456 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33822149#33823456

EvanAnderson 4y ago

I know that hand washing is water-inefficient, compared to modern machines, but I find it a very satisfying activity. When I was working from home I found it a great activity to use as a break from work.

alexpetralia 4y ago
Yes, I also use very little water! Only the rinsing part at the end, which maybe takes 2 to 3 minutes on low (much of the water is reused).
clairity 4y ago
there are other considerations as well. a dishwasher has a breakeven point of about 2 people eating ~2 meals a day (e.g., 4 place settings a day), because that's the least amount of dishes you need to run it once a day. anything less, and it becomes an additional cognitive load rather than being a mindless convenience. moreover, stuck-on food becomes extra dry overnight and that generally leads to less clean dishes. if you're a single person looking for an apartment (or even a couple who eat out all the time), you should consider a built-in dishwasher negative value because it's priced in to the cost but you likely won't use it (a washing machine is always nice to have though).

grantwest 4y ago

This guy plays Factorio

clairity 4y ago

i do this same method and i don't know how you could get through 50(!) dishes in anything less than 15 minutes, unless they're not thoroughly cleaned. 5 minutes is the time it usually takes to do ~1 set of dishes (7-10 items), though that's partially because it lacks the compounding effects you mention.

jacknews 4y ago

+1 for cleaning as you go while cooking. When my wife cooks, the kitchen looks like a crime scene when she's done. It's cleaner than when I started when I cook.