Washing dishes by hand

In short: When washing up by hand, the right order, a filled sink and only a little washing-up liquid help you finish faster and save water. Clean sponges and cloths also matter, because germs like to gather there.

In more detail: Washing up under running water uses considerably more water than washing in a filled sink or bowl. Grease dissolves best in warm water with a little washing-up liquid.

In detail

• Preparation: Scrape food leftovers into the bin with cutlery or kitchen paper rather than down the drain; grease in the sink can block pipes.
• Soaking: Leave dried-on or burnt residue in pots and baking dishes to soak in warm water while the rest of the dishes are washed.
• A filled sink instead of running water: Fill a sink or bowl with warm water and a small squirt of washing-up liquid; more foam does not mean cleaner.
• Order: Wash from clean to dirty, so first glasses, then cutlery and plates, and finally pots and pans; when the water turns cloudy, greasy or cold, run fresh water.
• Sharp knives: Do not leave knives lying in the cloudy washing-up water; wash them individually and dry them straight away to avoid cuts.
• Delicate materials: Do not soak wooden boards, knives with wooden handles or cast iron for long; rinse them briefly and dry them immediately, and clean non-stick pans only with soft sponges.
• Rinsing and drying: Briefly rinse the dishes with clean water so that no washing-up liquid residue remains, and dry them on a draining rack or with a clean tea towel.
• Sponges and cloths: They should be able to dry well after use and be replaced regularly, or dishcloths washed hot; rubber gloves protect the skin from drying out (geschirrspueler-funktionsweise, kueche-putzen-fett-und-backofen, wasser-sparen-im-haushalt).