13 Hacks You’ll Love If You Hate Washing Dishes

If you’ve lived without a dishwasher for any length of time, I don’t need to tell you how much of a difference it makes to have one! Having an automatic dishwasher not only saves you the time and effort of washing dishes by hand, but many people end up cooking more often because of it, which saves money too!

While your dishwasher on its own does make it a lot easier to do the dishes, I’ve come across several ways to make the process of washing dishes easier with or without a dishwasher! Today I’m sharing 13 dish washing hacks that will save you time and effort — and just in time for those big holiday dinners!

13 Dish Washing Hacks That Will Save You Time And Energy

1. Dry With A Microfiber Cloth

While my relatively new high efficiency dishwasher works great, I have noticed that after the dry cycle is finished, some of the dishes are drier than others. Luckily, I’ve figured out a quick and easy solution for those still-dripping dishes.

When I unload the dishwasher, I keep one of my favorite waffle-weave microfiber cloths close at hand. A quick swipe of the cloth quickly takes care of any pesky lingering water, and it leaves my dishes shiny and streak-free.

2. Pre-Treat Grimy Dishes

Spraying a mixture of soap water onto the grimiest of your dishes can eliminate the need to soak or scrub them later on. Just set the dish in your sink, spray it down, and the soap will start breaking down grease and grime so it doesn’t dry out and get harder to clean. You can make your own pre-treating soap spray by checking out DIY Dawn Powerwash tutorial.

3. Erase Scratches

If your dishes are marred by scuffs and scrapes from being stacked or scrubbed, never fear! I wrote a post about a fix for scratched dishes you can use to quickly erase those unsightly scratches and make your dishes look like new.

4. Prevent Scratches

It’s like Mom always said: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! You can prevent your dishes from getting scuffed and scraped by putting a coffee filter between each one when you put them away in your cupboard.

Coffee filters are strong enough to prevent damage, but soft enough to not do any damage themselves. Plus, they’re super cheap!

Related: 11 Unexpectedly Useful Things You Can Do With A Coffee Filter

5. Prevent Hard Water Spots

Got hard water? A small dish of vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher works wonders for preventing hard water spots from forming on your dishes. Read more about that in this post.

6. Keep Your Dishwasher Clean

A clean dishwasher not only runs more efficiently, but it cleans dishes more effectively too. And you can clear grime, mineral deposits, and germs out of your dishwasher in just 3 simple steps! Learn how it’s done here.

7. Change Out Your Sponges

Did you know that a grimy kitchen sponge can have more bacteria than a toilet seat? Cleaning and replacing your sponges regularly is the best way to ensure your dishes are clean and sanitary. The easiest way to remember when to do which is to learn the 1-1-4 rule — it’s #3 in this list.

8. Think Outside The Scrub Brush

Need a bit more oomph to remove a baked-on mess in one of your baking dishes? A mesh produce bag can make a great scrubbing tool — just wad it up and scrub!

You’ll still end up throwing it away, but at least you’ll do something useful with it beforehand!

Related: 11 Disposable Items That Are Actually Highly Useful

9. Use Tools You Like

Take the time to figure out what kinds of sponges or scrubbers you like best to help make washing dishes by hand a little easier. Here are some of my favorite dish washing tools that are worth considering:

1. Scrub Daddy
2. Spaghetti Scrub
3. Silicone scrubbing gloves

10. Fight Food Residues

Baked-on food residues can be a lot more stubborn than your average grimy dish. Luckily, these 3 hacks will help you make quick work of even the toughest messes.

11. Use Foil For Easy Cleanup

Cleaning up after dinner is quick and easy when you line your baking sheets or casserole dishes with aluminum foil beforehand. Just remove the foil, rinse the dish clean, and it’ll be ready to use again.

Related: These 11 Tricks Will Keep Your House Clean Longer

12. Know Your Dishwasher

In order to get the most out of your dishwasher, you need to be familiar with its functions and features. Here are a few ways you can get to know your dishwasher better:

1. Read the owner’s manual.
2. Download my ‘Dishwasher Dos And Don’ts’ printable.
3. Learn what you shouldn’t put in your dishwasher.

13. Use Shampoo In A Pinch

If you’re hand washing dishes and realize you’re out of dish soap, use a bit of plain, unscented shampoo instead to tide you over until you can get to the store. (Note that this tip only applies to washing dishes by hand — putting shampoo in your dishwasher is a bubbly disaster waiting to happen!)

Related: 9 Simple Substitutions That Everyone Should Know About

Do you have any tips or tricks that make washing dishes easier?