How do you do things?

GreyQueen

Hmm, I use a washing up bowl which just about fits in my smallish stainless steel sink, and start with a squirt of Morning Fresh w.p, liquid on a sponge scourer and the hot tap running slowly.

I wash and rinse as I go, rinsing under the hot tap, stuff goes into a tall stainless steel drainer to dry, cutlery into a drainer. If I have something very messy like the big pot I cooked the chili in last night, I will wash everything else up, lift the bowl out of the sink, put the messy pot in sink and pour the used water into the pot.

I leave that to stand to soak the worst off whilst I dry the glasses and cutlery (everything else air-dries but those types will get marked by the limescale in the water if not wiped).

I'll then go back to the messy cooking pot, and dive in with the sponge and swirl around to loosen the worst of the stuff, then pour the water thru a sieve which is reserved exclusively for this purpose. This is to prevent blockages as our plumbing is a bit cranky. Will then start running clean hot water slowly into the cooking pot, washing as I go, then lift it out and put the bowl back in, capturing the clean water in the bowl as I rinse the pot under the hot tap. There's often a few stray items around which could benefit from the hot water.

Will be switching onto Aldee's Magnum brand once current supplies have been used up, as it's been tested and is the best money can buy.

Re porridge, I make mine with just water and occasionally some dried fruit or the addition of some stewed fruit if I've got some prepped as it was going soft otherwise. Can't advise on the maple syrup unless you'd consider substituting cheapest value honey?

Debran

Am I the only one who rinses the gunk off crockery BEFORE it goes into the washing-up bowl? Can't stand washing up in "soup".

I wash in water as hot as I can stand whilst wearing rubber gloves and use Aldi liquid and a dishcloth. I then leave the dishes to drain. I avoid using a tea towel and only use one (sparingly) if there is not enough draining space. Dishcloths are washed very regularly in the machine.

As has been said earlier, Aldi washing up liquid is an excellent buy. "Which?" rated Aldi Magnum Premium Original as the "best buy" with a score of 82% in their August 2013 issue.

POSTSCRIPT
Fairy Original is usually the only liquid that that marginally beats Aldi but "Which?" were unable to test it on this occasion as it was being reformulated at the time the tests took place.

GreyQueen

Debran wrote: »

Am I the only one who rinses the gunk off crockery BEFORE it goes into the washing-up bowl? Can't stand washing up in "soup".

I wash in water as hot as I can stand whilst wearing rubber gloves and use Aldi liquid and a dishcloth. I then leave the dishes to drain. I avoid using a tea towel and only use one (sparingly) if there is not enough draining space. Dishcloths are washed very regularly in the machine.

As has been said earlier, Aldi washing up liquid is an excellent buy. "Which?" rated Aldi Magnum Premium Original as the "best buy" with a score of 82% in their August 2013 issue.

With my way of working, the stuff doesn't actually sit in the w.p. bowl but I am also inclined to clean a plate very thoroughly before it gets back into the kitchen, often with a bread roll.

I do know what you mean, though. I was in a queue in a YHA kitchen last year, waiting for my turn to wash my dishes at the big catering sinks. There was a mid-teen girl ahead of me, with her Mum, and the plate she had in hand had a lot of food left on it, I'm talking about 2 tablespoons' worth of rice and veggies. There was a bin beside the sink and although I was surprised that a girl that age hadn't had the wit to scrape off the plate into the bin, I was sure her mother would tell her to do so.

Nope, that plate was plunged into a sink of otherwise clean water, turning it into "soup". Yeuch!

yellowbear

I have to rinse the dishes after washing.
I remember reading the back pages of the TV Times. Katie Boyle(!) had an agony aunt type page and she said that the main cause of tummy upsets were un-rinsed dishes. It's stuck with me ever since.

System

yellowbear wrote: »

I have to rinse the dishes after washing.
I remember reading the back pages of the TV Times. Katie Boyle(!) had an agony aunt type page and she said that the main cause of tummy upsets were un-rinsed dishes. It's stuck with me ever since.

Dirty dishcloths are another source of tummy upsets too. Mine are washed regularly and I use antibacterial washing up liquid which I am hoping minimises the chance of nasty germs breeding in between washes.

scaredy_cat

stop using maple syrup and use brown sugar, it's just as nice

meritaten

Debran wrote: »

Am I the only one who rinses the gunk off crockery BEFORE it goes into the washing-up bowl? Can't stand washing up in "soup".

I wash in water as hot as I can stand whilst wearing rubber gloves and use Aldi liquid and a dishcloth. I then leave the dishes to drain. I avoid using a tea towel and only use one (sparingly) if there is not enough draining space. Dishcloths are washed very regularly in the machine.

As has been said earlier, Aldi washing up liquid is an excellent buy. "Which?" rated Aldi Magnum Premium Original as the "best buy" with a score of 82% in their August 2013 issue.

POSTSCRIPT
Fairy Original is usually the only liquid that that marginally beats Aldi but "Which?" were unable to test it on this occasion as it was being reformulated at the time the tests took place.

I was going to post the same as this ^^^^- glad I spotted it! saved me so much typing!

meritaten

GreyQueen wrote: »

With my way of working, the stuff doesn't actually sit in the w.p. bowl but I am also inclined to clean a plate very thoroughly before it gets back into the kitchen, often with a bread roll.

I do know what you mean, though. I was in a queue in a YHA kitchen last year, waiting for my turn to wash my dishes at the big catering sinks. There was a mid-teen girl ahead of me, with her Mum, and the plate she had in hand had a lot of food left on it, I'm talking about 2 tablespoons' worth of rice and veggies. There was a bin beside the sink and although I was surprised that a girl that age hadn't had the wit to scrape off the plate into the bin, I was sure her mother would tell her to do so.

Nope, that plate was plunged into a sink of otherwise clean water, turning it into "soup". Yeuch!

eeewwww!!!!!!! disgusting!

OriolaW

My 1l bio concentrated liquid seems to be okay I bought it in Oxfam strangely for £2.50 and I've only used it twice so far.

wondercollie

Have to chime in here. Most Canadian washing machines have hot, warm, or cold wash selections and all use a cold water rinse. I wash nearly everything in cold (even whites with a dash of bleach) and it's all clean and we are all alive. My friends do the same with the occaisional hot wash for really dirty whites.

I don't rinse when I hand wash. We're on a water meter and it's not cheap where I live.

Maple syrup?! We produce it here and don't use it in those quantities. It's too expensive! Brown sugar is the most popular topping. I'm a Scot by birth and just sprinkle on salt.