Miscellany: Washing dishes

My cousin Gilbert taught me to wash dishes when I was about 10 years old (a little late, I know, but what can you do?). Over the years, though, I've come up with my own style of dishwashing - to the point where I think my dishwashing outright destroys my sister and my parents.

#1 - Use hot water, the hottest you can stand. The big commercial-grade dishwashers in various kitchens use water that goes to 140 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit - hot enough to kill off trichina worms and E. coli. You won't be able to get this hot, but the heat will help clean grease off pans and will also help the dishes to dry quicker.

#2 - Your most important sense is touch. While a dish might look clean, a simple wave of the hand across the surface can reveal stuck on food or oil. This is also why I never use rubber gloves to wash dishes.

#3 - Soak/Rinse (if necessary), Scrub, Rinse. I generally use a soapy sponge, always with the scrubbing side against the dish. I work through a whole sink of dishes in this fashion, then rinse them all off with the faucet and put them in the rack. I cringe when someone uses a sinkful of water to do the final rinse - just doesn't seem "clean" to me.