You Clean Dishes With....?

Updated on September 08, 2012
M.S. asks from Jenkintown, PA
30 answers

this may sound like a silly question, but what do you use to handwash your dishes? We've tried the sponges at the end of the hollow plastic handles that hold detergent, plain old sponges, and sponges that are covered with this kind of netting. None of these seem to work great, or satisfy my husband - he does most of the washing up!! What do you use and recommend?

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S.R.

answers from El Paso on

The best thing I ever had for washing dishes was what my extended family just calls "scrubbies." My grandmother made them. They were just little circular mesh/netting scrubby pads. Now that I crochet a little myself, I can tell that she crocheted them. What they were made of, I don't know. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for something that looks like the right material. This actually looks like it could be the stuff... Like maybe she just cut it into long strips and crocheted it. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nylon-Falk-Craft-Net-Kelly-Fabr...

Unless she told someone else in the family, we'll never know... :(

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I soak in hot water & dish soap.

Then I use rubber gloves & clean w/hot water.

Then I place in the dishwasher putting the sponge in there.

When they come out, I wring out that sponge & place in microwave for 10
or 20 seconds (watch it).

I replace those sponges often. They are the ones w/a scratchy side to get
off caked on food.

Updated

I soak in hot water & dish soap.

Then I use rubber gloves & clean w/hot water.

Then I place in the dishwasher putting the sponge in there.

When they come out, I wring out that sponge & place in microwave for 10
or 20 seconds (watch it).

I replace those sponges often. They are the ones w/a scratchy side to get
off caked on food.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.L.

answers from Washington DC on

I use the hollow plastic handle thing with the scrubber on the end. It works great for me! I change out the scrubber once a week. Then I have just a sponge for the counter. My MIL drives me crazy b/c she washes dishes and counters with the SAME sponge. EWWWWWWW!!!! Every time I go to her house to visit I find a moment to sneak into her kitchen to microwave her sponge. Seriously, some of these sponges (all kept under the sink) are from 1979.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

M.R.

answers from Detroit on

Im sorry, I dont understand..... Did you say *Hand* *Wash*? What does that mean? ;)

6 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

What is he dissatisfied with exactly?
How does he wash the dishes? In a sink full of soapy dish water?
Does he need to soak them prior?

We use the Scotch Brand sponges with the rubber scrubber on the other side.

If you have a dishwasher, place these sponges in there to clean them. or you can put them in in your washing machine to wash them.

We use Dawn dish detergent..

Here is how to sanitize sponges..

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_sanitize-sponge.html...

2 moms found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

Not as germaphobic as some. So I am good with the plastic netted sponge. The Dobie ones, I found they dont stink up as fast. They hold up for about 1 week. they dont retain tons of food particles, and they dont really scratch anything. I soak some pans that are greasy in warm soapy water. Then I put just about the rest of the dishes in that water and then get at it. More soap for more grease. For really caked on junk, if its not Teflon (which I dont use at all, can flake off in food) I use the good old copper colored chore boy metal scrubbies.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Well here in my neck of the woods, people use what MartyMOMMA says below, per "sponges."
I use those netted plastic sponges too. It does not get full of crumbs etc.
I also, daily, soak it in a bowl of diluted Clorox. And also, sometimes if I use the dishwasher, put it in there too, or also do that Microwave blasting of it, which some say keeps it clean????
Who knows.
But I also, have these netted sponges in bulk, it is not expensive, and I routinely rotate them out and toss it frequently then use a new one.
I have different "sponges" in my kitchen, for doing certain things. So, the sponge for washing dishes, is ONLY for washing dishes. And it is kept in its own receptacle, like a draining dish with holes in it.

Anyway, I "hand wash" our dishes, dozens of times a day.
I rarely use our dishwasher.

And I use, the Kirkland brand liquid dish soap (form Costco) which is more environmentally friendly and made with plant based ingredients. And it lasts a long time.

FYI: tell your HUSBAND, to buy what HE wants, to wash the dishes. And yep, my more elderly relatives, crochet those netted scrubbie "pom pom" type things, to wash dishes. So I have lots of those too. Its great for scrubbing/washing pans and baked on stuff.

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A.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I always use Dawn dish soap and let them soak really well in the hottest tap water from the faucet (for the really stuck on messes), then I use either a Scotch scrubber sponge or one of those little round brushes on a plastic handle. And the brushes work great for just the easy washing, too. :)

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

The chore boy (?) sponges that have a tougher/rubbery scrub side on one side and just regular cellulose sponge on the other.

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B.A.

answers from Chicago on

We use a bar mop and for stuck on things a scotch scrub sponge. The sponge is nucked before dishwashing and allowed to dry overnight . We also have a sink filled with bleach water all day and wash once a day after dinner as soaked dishes wipe easily and with bleach all scratches and crevices are bacteria free.

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F.M.

answers from San Antonio on

I use a washcloth - not the kind you wash your body with, although buy a pack of new ones and there ya go! Mine are about the size of a washcloth. My MIL bought them for me. I think they're called a "dish cloth." They're not very abbrasive. I pick a new one each day, toss it into the laundry at the end of the day. No molds, mildews, or anything like that. I have about 8 or 10 dish cloths, so plenty to last me between washings. One a day works great! Sponges - gross.

As far as soaps - you have to try the Dawn Foaming Dish soap. My MIL used it, and I was skeptical b/c "my" soap only cost $1 a bottle. The Dawn stuff was expensive. But man - one pump into my dish cloth, and I can wash a LOT of dishes! I haven't gone back to plain ol $1 soap since - been a foaming dish soap user for about a year now.

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I've never used sponges. They seem kind of dirty to me. I just use a dish cloth and hot, soapy water. I also have some green scub pads for the really stuck on stuff, and those I cut into quarters to make them last longer. I use the dishwasher for most stuff, but I like to hand wash large items and delicate items.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

I like a "turnabout" sponge..... it is a sponge with netting on one side, and terrycloth on the other.

However...... the store I get them at has two kinds... I don't like the feel of one of them, and only buy the other one!

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C.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Sorry, I am with Riley and think sponges are gross. I use dish cloths (hand knit by my Grandma, but can be purchased too) and use a new one every day. The dirty dish cloths get washed in very hot water. For difficult to clean things we use the non-abrasive scrubbers, rinse them well and let them air dry. I use a sink full of hot, soapy water so the entire dirty dish, pot, whatever, or at least most of it is immersed. I am not always the neatest housekeeper, but I am very particular about dishes and laundry.

The knit dish cloths are the best! They are strong and hold up well and have substance. You can find them at craft fairs and boutiques, but some major retailers might carry them now too.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I usually use the sponge with the soap in it and brillo on the tough pans. But most of the time, we just rinse and put them in the dishwasher. You can also get the brushes that are tough plastic bristles to scrub stuff off when you don't want to scratch a pan.

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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

I hand wash and use my dishwasher daily....I can't stand dirty dishes. I found a great scrubber at Bed Bath & Beyond. Go to the kitchen section there--the scrubber is round and has a plastic handle. It comes in (if I remember correctly), 3 colors--fushia, orange, or yellow. This thing works great for me. So, I hand wash with a cloth which usually has a netted scrubbing back to it, and this handled scrubber. My cloths are laundered frequently and I put the scrubber in the dishwasher to sanitize it. I've had this scrubber for 6 months now and it looks brand new. The trick to keep it looking new and clean is to put it in the dishwasher with the silverware.

G.M.

answers from Phoenix on

Scotch Brite Sponge/Scrubber and I also use a dish cloth. I use Dawn dish soap to clean my dishes with. Works great for me. :-) What an awesome hubby you have to do dishes for you. My hubby and I team up to do ours. He's great! :-)

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Scrubby sponge. Then it goes on the dishwasher.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

We use cellouse sponges all brands they get tossed in the microwave for 2 min. after use I buy alot of them since I change them out frequently.Have you tried microfiber dish clothesThink about it no matter what you use has germs on it the scrubbies,dish towels,hand held ones they all contain germs bacteria so the germ a phobes either use a clean one daily or use paper towles to clean toss the dry with a new one.Also the sink does it get disinfected after each use really does it As for soap Dawn Palmolive free and clear and the one for baby but if I have coupons for other brands i'll change it or use store brand it all depends but for the most part theses as mentioned.

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E.J.

answers from Atlanta on

We use a simple hard dish brush for the dishes. Works great! We uses s.o.s. pads for hard to clean pots and pans.Rinse off the dishes when youre done with them ao they wont be as hard to clean. If food is stuck on dishes, make the water really hot and let it sit in the water for awhile. Guaranteed to be clean.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

The 3M yellow sponge with the green scrubber. I think they work best. The cheaper ones do not really scrub well. I cut them large sponge in half since I really do not need that big of one to use in the first place. I hate those handle things. I also use hot water. I microwave my sponges everyday as well.
When I was living at home, we used dish clothes that got thrown in the wash and brillo pads for tough stuff. My mom still does.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I use a scrubber that is flat and a dark green. It's at Walmart. If the dishes were put in the hot soapy water AFTER all the gunk is rinsed off in the other sink then they get the opportunity to soak. When they get washed it is much easier.

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D.L.

answers from Pittsburgh on

One of those yellow sponges with a green scrubby side. Man preferred since you get in there and apply some elbow grease when needed and it always does a good job. Men don't care about getting their hands dirty or wet.

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K.L.

answers from Erie on

Call them dish cloths, call them wash cloths, call them dish rags, call them whatever you want... I call them perfect for dishes and machine washable :)

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I have a phobia of washing dishes with dirty water so I never fill a sink and put them all in. If I ever need to hand wash it is done dish by dish with papertowels. I also think sponges are nasty as well as dishrags that are not freshly washed. I only use sponges to scrub. My husband likes to use sponges though. If they aren't brand new I will re-clean with a paper towel and spray.

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

There is an Ocello brand sponge hybrid thing that we use on the end of the hollow plastic. It isn't netting and it isn't the green scrubber stuff. It is this bumpy plastic looking stuff. I love it.
We do not put dish detergent in the handle of the cleaner though. i don't like that. Never seems to really get clean and I feel like dirty water gets sucked back into the soap. So we apply a little bit of soap to the actual pan/dish and use the Ocello at the end of the wand to scrub.

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

I use seventh generation dish soap and their packets for the dish washer. I also use Ocello sponges. I put the sponges in the dishwasher now and then and I replace them about every other month.

We do a quick rinse of the dish or glass when they are put into the sink. This makes washing them so much easier because there is no dried food on them.

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J.M.

answers from Chattanooga on

I use washcloths. I like them better than sponges. :)

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S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

Hot water, liquid dish detergent. Let the dishes soak about 10 minutes wash with a dish cloth and rinse and put in drain to dry. If food does not come off then use a scrubbie.

Dish clothes are washed weeklly. In the interim, I will pour a bit of bleach on them with dish detergent and rinse out.

The other S.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

scrubbies! i like the ones with sponge on one side and mild abrasive scrubbie on the other.
i soak the dishes in dawn and super-hot water, then wipe with the scrubbie and put 'em in the dishwasher. stuff that's getting hand-washed gets rinsed and set to dry. pop the scrubbie in the dishwasher and let it run through with the dishes, and you're done.
we also have a hard-bristled brush on a long handle for some stuff. but the scrubbie + dawn + hot water takes care of most everything.
:) khairete
S.

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