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ONLINE STANLEY HOME AND HEALTH NEWS
brought to you by Stanley Home Products
The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
Dish Cleaning Made Easy
We buried Sherry, our thirteen year old Lhasa terrier, on a rainy and gloomy day. I stood at the sink looking at the neat pile of dirty dishes that only a mother could create. Trying anything to postpone the task at hand I stared at the grey skies and the distant quick silver like line of lightning appear now and then. Even the skies seemed to be reflecting the mood of the house. I could sense my mother pausing at the kitchen doorway for a few moments and then walking away. She knew that unlike my siblings I would deal with my pain slowly and privately. But there was no pain only a sense of numbness. At school someone had callously commented during gym, "So her dog died, its not like someone from the family died." So why did it feel like a part of my heart had frozen. I began soaking the dishes in warm water, put the dish cleaning gel and used the nylon scraper. As I silently worked my way through the dishes, my hands moved in sync on the soapy dishes interspaced with the gentle sound of the warm water. It had a calming, almost mesmerizing effect. I found tears well up and flow without hesitation. By the time the dishes were dried clean and I had learnt one of life's most important lessons, it was okay to give vent to my feelings, my pain and another rather startling one; cleaning wasn't as bad a chore as my sixteen year old mind had always thought it to be.
Cleaning dishes is a constant clean-up process which has no end. This is perhaps the one area of your home where you need to wash up twice, if not more times in the day. So the best thing to do is to efficiently and promptly get the job done. Even before you get ready to prepare and cook your meals the preparation for cleaning has to begin, this includes running half a sink of warm soapy water that you will use to rinse cooking utensils, dishes, chopping board, mixing bowls as soon as you are done using them. Thereby tremendously reducing the time and effort you would have spent in scrubbing dried food of them. Have your dish cleaning supplies at hand so that you won't have to go looking for your tube brush when you are cleaning the teapot spout.
Use a mesh basket to keep the following products at a hand's reach from the sink :
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A dishwashing solution that is soft on the hands.
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A cleaning gel that shines your glassware.
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A double sided sponge with a rough side that is ideal for scrubbing and a soft one to wipe clean dirt and grime.
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Nylon scrapers that are great for scrapping of sticky messes from plates, pots and pans.
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A brush for cleaning jars.
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A tube brush to cleaning coffee percolators, funnels, teapot spout, etc.
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A dishwashing brush that has built in grooves and is easy to hold. Ensure that the bristles are tough enough to loosen the toughest stuck-on food, yet soft enough not to scratch the surface.
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A pot scrubber brush that is well designed to get to every spot of tried up food.
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A cleaning solution as an additional after rinse for crystal and glasses.
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A sponge cloth to wipe the clean dishware.
If you have burnt food in a pan, add some dishwashing solution and about half an inch of water and bring to a boil. Let the solution cool and then wash; it will be easier to clean the pan now. Is the casserole dish dirty with stuck-on-food that won't come off? Just add two tablespoons of lemon juice to some boiling water and put into the dish and let it sit for a while, then clean it like you would usually. When it comes to washing stemmed glasses pump the glass energetically in hot soap water and then immediately in hot clear water. Then dry upside down on a cotton towel. Remember the clear water must be hot, cooler water may shatter the glass. If your glasses have hard-water stains, try rubbing them with a scouring pad dipped in vinegar.
Never use hot water, harsh soaps, ammonia or washing soda on silver or gold-rimmed glasses. Once the sink is clear, rinse and wipe it dry too. For sluggish drains put half a cup of baking soda followed by half a cup of vinegar and cover the drain. Once the mixture begins to foam for a few minutes add 8-10 cups of boiling water to flush the drain. Do not add any other cleaner to the drain while you do this. It is also good idea to invest in a sink strainer and stopper that has an antimicrobial agent. Finally if your sink faucet seems a bit dull, wrap vinegar soaked paper towels around it for about an hour and then rub with a dry paper towel and watch your faucet sparkle.
Happy Cleaning!
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Kitchen Cleaners, Dish Cleaning Articles, Stanley Home Health News
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