Ms. Christie did not have dishwashing
appliances in her time. I never really minded washing dishes by hand. But then, for more than 20 years, I had a dishwasher
and only had to wash whatever was left when the dishwasher was full or stuff too big for the dishwasher. You don’t realize how you come to take that
for granted.
With my foray into a world where
appliances are in short supply, the dishwasher is the second “luxury” item I
took for granted. Item 2a would be soft water. I have never had to deal with hard water in any home I lived in. Until now.
The first time I washed dishes,
I noticed spots all over the glass and metal items. Frequently used items, like my glass
measuring cups, were cloudy. So, when I
went shopping, I made sure to get a good brand of dish soap. Spots everywhere. My flatware looked so bad that I purchased
plastic flatware. Good enough for
me! But then I ran out. A friend who lives in the area told me that
Lockport, while it has city water, does not have good water. So I blamed the spots on the water. Then one day I set a glass measuring cup in
the sink and turned the hot water on to rinse it. I got sidetracked wiping the counters and
stove so that when I went back to the sink, turned the hot water off and picked
up the cup, I was surpised to see it was fairly clear. So it seems that the hottest water (and in
apartments they crank those water heaters high!) leaves less spotting and
clouding.
Operative word is “less.” But it’s enough that I can allow myself to
use my stainless steel flatware. I still
keep plastic flatware, however, because I hate washing flatware. Getting in between fork tines is a pain in
the neck.
Then one day I had just finished
washing the dishes and wanted to use a measuring cup that was still wet. So I dried it with one of those superabsorbent
microfiber dish towels. Lo and
behold! Very few spots. A lot less clouding.
But don’t assume that I am now drying all my dishes right after I wash
them. Nope. Having to hand wash dishes is enough, I am
not standing there drying them, too. I
have one drawer allocated just for plastic flatware and half a cabinet for
paper plates of different sizes and paper bowls. Yes, I use paper bowls. Not the cheap ones
and not the Styrofoam. I get the good,
heavy-duty ones. They’re bigger,
too. Hold more ice cream!
I did some research on products that counteract the effects of hard water on dishes. I found what seems to be a great product for the dishwasher. Lemi-Shine. Google is a wonderful thing! I also found a question posted on the website of Lemi-Shine's parent company. Somebody wanted to know if it could be used in handwashing of dishes. Since the main ingredient is citric acid, the answer was yes, but as they have not tested Lemi-Shine for handwashing, they did not have guidelines. Their best answer was to experiment! The stuff won't hurt you. The worst thing would be that you end up wasting a lot while you're testing it. I also found a review on Amazon in which the person used a tablespoon or so disolved in warm water to clear the bottoms of vases and a large glass pitcher She said she's used it to clean her shower, too. So guess what's on my shopping list for this week? Lemi-Shine!
There are other drawbacks to not
having a dishwasher. I used to clean my
glass menagerie in the dishwasher. I
have a collection of glass and crystal animals.
A run through the dishwasher made them sparkle!
And there’s the sponge
issue. I like a good sponge. I have tried various brands and always come
back to the Scotch-Brite sponges. Since I
change my sponge about every third day, that’s about 10 sponges a month. Allow a couple of extras for unexpected
messes and we’re at 12 a month. A good
price for a 3-pack of Scotch-Brite sponges is around $4.00. So figure $16 a month for sponges!
I used to put the sponges in the
dishwasher and use them again. Usually
only one wash per sponge because the cellulose starts to break down. Now I see that there’s a “green” sponge that
is made to be put in the dishwasher several times. I’d really like to try that…oh well.
Now I have to buy dishwashing
gloves, too, so that I can use the hottest water possible. Those don’t last forever, especially if you
wear them—as you should—to wash with any caustic cleanser. I don’t wash with bleach very much because it
sets off an asthma attack, but I do mix it with water in a spray bottle so I
can spray my shower and sink. I also use
Barkeeper’s Friend to clean the stainless steel sink. That’s a harsh cleanser, but wow, does it get
the sink clean! I found "designer" rubber gloves. I don't know how expensive they are, but maybe I can at least get any other color than yellow.
I also broke down and bought a
drying rack. I had been using towels or
mats, but Tabitha would stroll down the counter and knock stuff off. (I double-dog dare anyone to convince Tabitha
to stay off the counter! That’s what
Clorox wipes are for.) I store the rack
under the sink and bring it out only when needed. It does not stay on the counter! When I was a kid, my mom left it out all the
time. It drove my dad crazy, but she
just couldn’t be bothered to make room for it under the sink. I hope I’m not offending anyone who leaves
their drying rack out 24/7, but it’s really tacky. What’s more, it takes up counter space.
I miss having a dishwasher. And good water. However, I do find that, like Ms. Christie, I
am using that dishwashing time to plan. Anything
from a blog post to posting on eBay. I work on my book in my head. I
can live with that. For now.
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