Cleaning Your Plate with Eco Friendly Dish Soap

When people think of eco friendly green cleaning products, they frequently wonder if it is possible to find a green dish soap for hand washing dishes that is safe and effective.  The Dish on Washing Dishes the Green Way with Eco Friendly Dish Soap explains why the detergent based dish soap such as Dawn dishwashing liquid is not considered a green natural home cleaning product. 
 

Cleaning Your Plate the Green Way with Eco Friendly Dish Soap

Although dishwashers have their advantages, there are situations that hand dish washing is required.  Here are ten techniques to ensure you have a green, safe, clean when hand dish washing with your eco friendly dish soap.

1. Wash dishes, pots and glassware after using them with your eco friendly dishwashing liquid and warm water. Leaving food on utensils and dishes may cause bacteria to grow on them, especially if it’s moist.  The best thing you can do is wash your dishes before the food dries.  If washing is not feasible at the time, at least soak them in cold water.  It saves washing time and gets rid of places where bacteria can survive and thrive.
2. Fill the sink before dishwashing. Give your dishes the cleanest start. Use warm water to fill the sink because it cuts grease.
3. After washing, thoroughly rinse suds with hot running water for cleaner dishes and a quicker dry time.  The hot water evaporates off dishes quickly, helping dishes dry faster.  Cast iron and wood should be the only items that need to be hand dried.
4. You can use dishwashing liquid on a cast-iron pot. Legend has it that suds will harm your seasoned pot, but liquid dishwashing soap is needed to thoroughly clean away cooked-on food and will not harm the surface. Since cast iron rusts easily, it should always be hand washed and must be dried immediately. Drying with a paper towel will avoid leaving rust marks on your dishcloths.
5. Some dishes and other kitchen items are more likely to absorb and hang on to smells. These include wooden spoons or bowls; non-stainless-steel knives; cast-iron cookware; aluminum pots and pans; and antique plates and serving ware, which are often more porous than other materials.  Counter this with the power of rinsing immediately after making contact with odor-causing foods like garlic, onions, or fish, rinse the utensils. By adding just a smidge of eco friendly dishwashing soap to this routine will further help keep odors from settling in.
6. Beat water spots on glasses and aluminum pots by cleaning using dish liquid and rinsing with the hottest water possible.  Hot water tends to evaporate more quickly, reducing your chances of spotting or streaking.  Invert clean glasses and pots on a towel lined surface. Polish with a dry, lint-free cloth, preferably linen. 
7. Avoid a cloudy film on your glasses caused by hard water the gel in conventional products, such as Palmolive, Joy, or Dawn dishwashing liquids. To clear away a cloudy film, rub the glasses with vinegar. 
8. To protect your best stemware, crystal, colored or gold-rimmed glassware from fading due to the high heat and strong water spray in the dishwasher, hand wash these pieces.  Adding your eco friendly green hand dish soap directly on your sponge, you’ll have enough suds to wash an entire sink full of fragile glasses.
9. Save water and energy by scraping, not rinsing before loading your dishwasher.  Studies show that most people pre-rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers, certainly those purchased within the last 5 to 10 years, do a superb job of cleaning even heavily soiled dishes. 
10. Dishwashers are not suitable for wooden spoons as they may warp and split. Silver flatware can lose its patina and may become scratched or discolored. Paring and kitchen knives may dull, and hand-painted or gold-trimmed china may fade.  Stick with a simple, sudsy hand dish washing technique for these more sensitive items.

For your eco friendly dish soap designed for washing your dishes by hand and is strong enough to clean even the grimiest pots and pans, but gentle on the skin, check out our green cleaning products.