Getting Dishes Clean – the Real Scoop on What Cuts Grease and What Doesn’t
Why do people hate doing the dishes so much? I can’t comment on why people dislike all types of menial labor, but in the case of dirty dishes it may have a lot to do with the useless bottle of dishwashing soap sitting atop the sink like a little king lording over his dirty subjects. To you, dishwashing soap, I say, you are useless! You do not cut through grease coating my baking pan, scrub off the melted cheese on my china plates, or eat through the crust in a lasagna pan left overnight! It is time for your reign of terror to end! No longer will I be up to my arms in suds, desperately trying to pick off the remains of last night’s potato’s au gratin, marring my manicure beyond retrieval. No longer, I say! It’s it’s time for all of us procrastinating dishwashers to switch soaps for the good of ourselves and the dishes, and I’m just the lady to tell you what to buy.
My personal favorite is Dawn Complete Dish Soap, which provides everything you might need from a basic dishwashing liquid. It’s gentle enough to be used on both your dishes and your hands, all the while retaining the grease-busting glory of the Dawn brand name. Dawn has also recently come out with an ultra-concentrated foaming version of ther dish soap, which I’ve yet to try, but just may be worth a spin. Dawn also provides a ton of scents and colors to suit any taste or decor.
If you’ve got sensitive hands and are allergic to those ubiquitous yellow rubber gloves, there are a whole host of products made just for you. Your best bet is Palmolive Ultra, Aromatherapy Liquid Soap. Not only will it protect your baby smooth skin from any harsh chemicals, it will also release a scent of soothing lavender that will hopefully calm any tension that may have erupted over the dishes.
The crunchier among us might like a soap that is environmentally friendly - “green” as the young might say. Method Dish Soap is a popular favorite among that set, as it works efficiently without leaving a lot of soap residue to wash away. But watch out - it’s incredibly concentrated and even the grossest of dishes require only a small amount.
The best thing about dishwashing soaps is that they’re all relatively cheap and give you a lot of bang for your buck. Even the more expensive ones cost less than $6. By far the best place to browse your options is drugstore.com, where great deals can be had on all types of dishwashing liquids. No matter what your particular need is, you can usually find something on there for a good price.
Now that you’ve switched your soap, cleaned the dishes, and wiped the remains of last night’s dinner off your sink, are you pleased with yourself? No? Well then, I’ve got 4 words for you: Get outta my kitchen!
