Baked-on food? Greasy residue?
Here are tips for making dish cleanup a little easier when hand washing your dishes.
Get the cleanest of clean. Wash simple glasses and flatware first, and save the dirtiest pots and pans for last. This cleanest-to-dirtiest order helps keep grease and other residue from making a mess of your kitchen sink.
Don’t go scrub crazy. Let a powerful washing up liquid do most of the work for you.To finish the job on heavy metal and untreated pots and pans, try a scouring pad. But for ceramic, glass, aluminium, enameled or non-stick pots and pans, reach for a less-abrasive nylon-mesh pad.
Waterline woes. When glass vases and pitchers develop water lines or hard-water spots, try rubbing the line with a lemon half with the seeds removed. If the waterline remains, soak the glass overnight in a bath of white vinegar and water, then hand wash.
Uncloud crystal. Because crystal is softer than glass, its surface is easier to scratch. And crystal pieces cannot withstand extreme temperatures, so don’t put them in the dishwasher. Your best bet for maintaining their sparkle is to line your sink with a towel and gently wash crystal with dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Get brilliant baby bottles. Use some washing up liquid and some warm water to clean your dishes and your baby bottles. As always, be sure to read the usage instructions on the baby bottles before you wash.