Dishwashers are the best thing to happen to the post-dinner clean-up process since running water.
It makes cleaning, rinsing, and drying dishes an absolute breeze. Plus, unlike many modern conveniences, they use considerably less water, detergent, and energy than manual washing.
This is why a broken dishwasher can be a huge pain. And if yours has broken down, you get to be the dishwasher.
Here are a few tips to get you through your time without a dishwasher. Don’t forget to check out our other articles on making do without your dryer or range.
Washing Dishes Without a Dishwasher
There is no way around washing your dishes manually if your dishwasher is not working. However, the process doesn’t have to be all that bad. Here are a few tips and products that can ease the process.
- Soak your dishes for 15 minutes or more to soften the food stuck on your utensils. It will make it easier to clean the dishes without a ton of scrubbing.
- While you can’t use as hot water as a typical dishwasher, it is a good idea to wash dishes with slightly warmer water. The smell of eggs, fish, or meat tends to stick to the plates, and washing with warm water gets rid of any stink. The hot water also works great on glasses to give them that extra shine.
- You can use a double sink or two buckets to wash your dishes. Add warm, soapy water to one and clean water to the other. Give your dishes a light scrub in the soapy water, pass them onto the clean water, and a final rinse at the end. It works especially well when you have a large load of dishes to do and looking for a faster way to get them done.
- There are a few cleaning accessories can help as well. Small plastic pan scrapers can save tons of scrubbing time by scraping stuck food off pans, casserole dishes, plates, and more. Drying racks are also a great time saver, allowing you to let your dishes dry out in the air. Plus, now is probably a good time to upgrade your stiff bristle brush that will help you scrub the dishes better.
- Remember – washing oil and grease down the drain can cause clogs in your plumbing, even when you use hot water. A plumbing problem is the last thing you need on top of a broken dishwasher! You can be careful by depositing any grease or leftover food in the trash before washing the dishes.
It certainly takes more time and effort to manually wash your dishes than to load and unload a dishwasher, but practicing some tricks of the trade can help you expedite the process until your dishwasher is repaired.
See our other articles on making do without your: dryer, washer, range, microwave, fridge, ice maker, and standalone ice machine.
For all your appliance repair needs – dishwashers, fridges, ranges, ovens, microwaves, ice machines, beverage coolers, garbage disposals, washers, and dryers – in the Midlands of South Carolina, give us at Appliance Professional a call or schedule an appointment online.
