Humans have to eat every day to sustain them. In consuming foods, we use plates, cutlery, dishes, cups, glasses, and cooking utensils. After eating, we have to clear up the equipment used to cook and eat the food. This is where dishwashing comes into play.
Dishwashing by hand is the process of washing the likes of cooking utensils and plates by hand. It is done in the absence of a dishwasher. This can be as a result of the large sizes of some kitchen equipment or the preferred option of a user.
Innovation has brought about the invention of dishwashers. As a result, people can now save time, effort, and resources (soap and water) when washing their plates and expensive dishes. The standard support for dishwashing in dishwashers is a detergent. The process of cleaning the dishes depends more on the hot water fed into the dishwasher than the components of the detergent.
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Is Dish Soap A Good Substitute for A Dishwashing Detergent
Dish soap can be used as a substitute for detergent when washing dishes with your hand. However, it is not recommended to use it as a substitute when using a dishwasher to wash dishes. If it is used as one, the surroundings of the dishwasher will become messy, and it can cause significant damage to the dishwasher itself.
The damage will be a result of the bubbles and suds the dish soap creates. Dishwashing detergents are made of compounds that will produce a low amount of suds, while dish soaps are incredibly sudsy. Dishwashers are made in such a way that they can only control a small amount of suds while thoroughly cleaning dishes. And the presence of a high amount of foam requires an equal amount of water, which defeats one of the purposes of using dishwashers to save water.
The plumbing systems of a dishwasher are designed to handle only detergents that produce small amounts of suds. Since the dishwasher is not created to take the massive amount of suds that come with the dish soap, its plumbing system can get severely damaged. The suds from the dish soap will create an overflow from the sump of the dishwasher, which will cause it to pump and discharge bubbles inside its internal cavity violently.
This resulting mishap will also extend to the surrounding floor of the dishwasher, making the floor extremely slippery and will damage objects made of wood and other materials liable to rot. In addition to this, the dishwater itself might suffer more damages. Dishwashers have some parts that are made of aluminum, steel, and iron. These parts in the dishwasher are liable to rust once they come in contact with a massive amount of suds.
How to Properly Load A Dishwasher
A lot of people think that this does not exist; however, there is an efficient way to load a dishwasher. Before that is discussed, here are some precautions to be maintained when loading a dishwasher:
- Do not load sharp objects like cooking knives into a dishwasher. The process will dull their edges and render them useless.
- Kitchen equipment made of wood should not be loaded either. They could crack, so it is best to avoid loading such into a dishwasher.
- It would be best to avoid loading big and bulky kitchen tools like pots and pans. It would be best if you stuck to washing those by hand.
- Avoid using a dishwasher to wash expensive and irreplaceable dishes like fine china and ceramics.
- Forks, spoons, and other cutlery should be placed in the dishwasher’s basket section. Butter knives should be placed with their edges facing upwards. Also, it would be best to mix these utensils in the dishwasher.
Now that these measures are in place, here are pro-tips on how to properly load a dishwasher to produce the most efficient results:
Pre-Soak or Pre-Rinse
Although this is not a mandatory procedure, it helps a lot. This ensures every bit of food gets washed out from the kitchen equipment to be washed. Therefore, it has to be pre-soaked or pre-rinsed, depending on the number of food bits on it.
Load from the back of the dishwasher to its front
The loading pattern that is most effective and allows the most dishes to be washed at a time is loading from the back of the dishwasher to its front. When unloading, remove the plates at the bottom first to avoid water dripping onto the dry ones.
Special Placements
Bowls and cups should be faced down in a dishwasher, so they do not keep water. Plates should be placed at the bottom shelf because the degree of spraying there is the highest. Takeout containers should be placed at the top self to avoid them from melting.
Take proper care of the dishwasher:
While dishwashers make cleaning dishes easier, they should be used and maintained correctly. Remove leftover bits of food from plates and dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. The bits of food can block the spray jets in the dishwasher. Also, you should make sure you empty the dishwasher after every use. This way, you are ready for another dishwashing session. In addition, the dishwasher should not be too crowded. Too many dishes will put much load on the dishwasher, and this might lead to its breakdown.
Sometimes, using a lesser amount of detergent can be better
It would help if you were careful with the amount of detergent you use with your dishes. If the dishes to be washed are not too “hardcore,” you can use less than the standard amount in cleaning them. Using too much detergent will leave a soapy residue on glassware.
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Final Notes
As a contribution to keeping the planet green and healthy, every dishwashing cycle should consist of a dishwasher full of dishes. This would save the amount of water used, as well as reduce the amount of detergent that will be dispersed into the environment.