The holidays are a popular time to host house parties. It’s fun to laugh, joke, and reminisce together, but once the guests leave, it’s up to you to clean up. One of the biggest chores is tackling all those dirty dishes! You could use paper products to cut back on cleanup time, but that might not be appropriate for a formal holiday dinner party.
If the dishwasher is already running, and you still have dirty plates and cups piled on the counter — or, heaven forbid, you don’t have a dishwasher at all — these tips for washing dishes by hand will help the process go quickly and smoothly. Grab a handful of helpers and organize your assembly line — it’s time to wash some dishes!
Tips for Washing Dishes by Hand
- Fill the sink or a large basin with warm soapy water. Dish soap with grease-cutting power is ideal for this job. If you can, choose brand-name soap over a generic product for better results.
- If you have a double sink, fill the other side with cold water for rinsing. This cuts down on water usage by skipping the open tap to rinse dishes. Add one to three teaspoons of bleach to the rinse water for sanitizing power.
- Recruit three other people to help you. The first person scrapes plates into the trash and sets them in the warm soapy water to soak. The second person scrubs dishes with a netting-covered sponge or scrub brush. The third person dips the plates in the rinse water and dries them with a soft, clean towel. The fourth person puts the dishes away.
Congratulations — you just cleaned a whole stack of dishes in record time!
If you don’t have anyone to help you, start by scraping all the plates and setting what will fit in the warm soapy water to soak. Scrub, rinse, and set dishes on a drying rack. Once everything is clean, you can dry dishes with a towel and put them away or allow them to air dry for a few hours before stacking them back in the cupboards.
Check out our video to help figure out how to clean a cookie sheet:
Schedule Household Cleaning Services from Molly Maid
After planning a party, hosting the get-together, and washing the dishes afterward, you might not have the time or energy to tackle the rest of your household chores! Who can blame you? Even with these tips for washing dishes by hand and having three other people to help, the process can still be tiring.
That’s why you might want Molly Maid in your corner. We are a team of professional housekeepers with flexible cleaning options to suit your needs. Choose our services for one-time deep-cleaning, occasional cleaning, or routine assistance with household chores. We’ll free up your time this holiday season to bond with family and friends – without letting the house fall into neglect.
For a free house cleaning estimate, please contact your local Molly Maid online or call us at today.
