[femaleminer]

Have you ever thought about not using soap when you do your dishes by hand? I thought about it and since than I don´t use it much often. Soap is used to get rid of oily substances but if you have a cup of coffe, a plate with soup etc. it would be enough to cleanit just with water, right? It would be much better refereing to water pollution, right?

[charles1948]

Have you ever thought about not using soap when you do your dishes by hand? I thought about it and since than I don´t use it much often. Soap is used to get rid of oily substances but if you have a cup of coffe, a plate with soup etc. it would be enough to cleanit just with water, right? It would be much better refereing to water pollution, right?

I think you are right.  Substances such as soap and detergents  definitely help to speed up washing dishes, if they have to be done quickly.

But if you have the time available to let the dishes soak in plain water for a while, those substances aren't necessary.

I've found that 5 minutes immersion in hot water will loosen the grease on the plates enough for fingers to gently rub off the grease, and make the plates clean.

If only cold water is available, a longer immersion is needed, 15-20 minutes or so.  And  a more vigorous rubbing action from the fingers.  But the plates do eventually get clean.

[femaleminer]

 That´s so cool. I love to rethink bad habits! thx!

[alancalverd]

Hand washing uses about 3 times as much water (and umpteen times as much time!) as a dishwasher, which uses caustic detergents and high temperatures to get stuff really clean and dry without clogging the drain with lumps of fat.

[Danny056]

I think with hot water its more effective.

[William Hardy]

No, washing dishes with cold water is not effective as hot water.

[yor_on]

How about paper plates?

Or straw?