How to Wash Dishes by Hand

I really love washing dishes by hand. It's faster and, if done right, gets dishes just as clean, sometimes cleaner, than a dishwasher. I strayed from washing by hand last year due to an illness. I mistakenly thought it would kill more germs if I washed the dishes in a dishwasher. However, we used twice as much water, the dishes didn't come out as clean, and we still got sick. So, I've gone back to washing by hand. I not only use less water, but the dishes are coming out cleaner and, I'm assuming, less germy.

Just in case you were like me and didn't grow up knowing how to wash dishes by hand (there really is a trick to it) here are the basics, based on my own experience.

1. Make sure your dish rack and washtubs (or sink) are clean.
2. Fill up one container (or side of your sink) with hot, soapy water. Soap needs vary; adjust to your own circumstances.
   
3. Put dirty, scraped dishes in the hot, soapy water to soak. In washing, start with cleaner dishes, like glasses, then plates and so on until you've gotten to the really dirty stuff. (If you're washing dishes for a lot of people it's very important to scrape as much food off them as you can since you'll be trying to stretch out this wash water for all the dishes).
4. Fill another container with HOT, clean water. It needs to be hot enough that you won't want to keep your hand in there for more than a few seconds, but not so hot that you'll burn yourself. (The heat is very important here. The water must be hot enough to evaporate within minutes after the dish has been lifted out of the rinse water. The goal is to avoid wiping the dishes after they've been washed.)
5. Some people use cloth to scrub dishes, but I like using an all-purpose brush. Whatever you use, make sure the tool is able to thoroughly clean the dish inside and out. Clean your glasses, plates, etc. leaving the cooking items, if they weren't washed as you cooked, for last. Experiment with baking soda, washing soda, or vinegar to clean pots and pans.
   
6. As you wash each dish, put it in the HOT water rinse. When the rinse tub is full, move those dishes to the dish rack. Once that is full, if you have more dishes to wash and rinse, go ahead and fill the rinse water again with dishes while the first batch dries. If your water is hot enough, they should be dry and ready to put away by the time you finish. (Addendum: If you decide to dry the dishes -- I do sometimes -- be sure to use a clean, fresh dish towel. Do not use any towel that doubles as a hand towel in the kitchen.)
   
7. After all the dishes have been washed and put away, clean your dish rack (I recommend a few tablespoons of vinegar and a couple teaspoons of borax diluted with a couple cups of water... I keep mine in a spray bottle) and scrub out your sink with some cleanser (I use baking soda).

This whole routine, even with a family of nine, doesn't take more than 10 minutes most nights. Special occasions do take a little longer but even then it only adds another 10 to 15 minutes. Part of this is because I try to minimize the amount of pots, pans, and bowls I use when putting a meal together. I also tend to clean as I go so that cleaning fuses with meal preparation.

Anyway, there you have it: how I do dishes.