I don't own a dishwasher, but this ‘grime gradient’ dish-cleaning hack is the only one you'll need for rapid handwashing

I have never owned a dishwasher. My parents never used one, and my rental home doesn’t have space for one, so I have become pretty well versed at washing dishes by hand.

Luckily, this laborious task is made a little easier with my ‘grime gradient’ hack, helping to save water and reduce the risk of cross-contamination when cleaning up after cooking.

While washing dishes by hand will always take more effort than loading a dishwasher, this simple trick of prioritizing the clean plates and finishing with the tougher tasks makes this chore a little less taxing – here’s how.

What is the ‘grime gradient’ dish-washing tip?

When cleaning a kitchen after dinner, a pile of plates, pans, and dishes can make hand washing feel overwhelming. However, this ‘grime gradient’ trick makes it simple to identify where to start. The trick is simple – you start with the cleanest of the items, for example, a plate that only has a few crumbs on it (that you can brush off into the trash before washing) or measuring spoons that only have traces of spices on them.

From there, you wash the slightly dirtier items – these could be your cutting boards, utensils, or dishes. Finally, you address the greasiest and dirtiest items, saving your main cooking pots, trays, or things with caked-on food until last. Working in this grime gradient of clean to dirty means your washing-up water, basin, and sponge or brush remain grease-free for longer. I use a machine-washable dish sponge, available in packs of six at Walmart, to reduce waste and throw them in the washing machine at the end of each day, but you might prefer a brush such as the Everspring Dish Brush from Target, which you can easily disinfect with Milton sterilizing fluid, also from Walmart.

This approach helps you to cut energy bills, reduce water wastage, and stop you from spreading grease from one item onto the next. It is a simple thing people with clean kitchens always do.

Of course, there is no denying that the best dishwashers do a better job of washing dishes, especially in busy households. One 2022 study emphasises that ‘using a dishwasher is much more resource-efficient and generally receives better and more hygienic results than washing dishes by hand.’ However, it adds that ‘manual dishwashing is not obsolete,’ so long as best practice tips are used.

For me, best practice includes using very hot water, opting for a sturdy pair of washing-up gloves, such as the O-Cedar Gloves from Target, which come with an anti-drip cuff to keep you dry and triple-layer protection to protect you from hot water and chemicals. I also swear by a quality dish soap. I use the Ecover dishwashing liquid, available at Amazon, as it is non-toxic and less irritating on my skin, but the Dawn Dish Soap, from Walmart, is a solid choice, too.

A great way to avoid cleaning when feeling overwhelmed is to wash dishes throughout the day, using the grime gradient, to avoid them piling up into one big mountain.

Not only does this reduce stressful visual clutter, but it also minimizes contamination by doing little and often with fresh water and soap. I usually wash up all my breakfast items before I make lunch, all my lunch items after lunch, and then my dinner items as I cook, and just after I have finished eating. It is a cleaning non-negotiable that prevents overwhelm and ensures I always have clean dishes on hand.

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Handwashing dishes is certainly more effort, but it extends the lifespan of many of my kitchen essentials, helping me to avoid common mistakes when cleaning kitchenware that are so prevalent when it comes to dishwashers, such as melted plastic, chipped non-stick coatings, or cracked wood.

To reduce some of the effort, I simply let my dishes air dry on a dish rack to prevent smears and water spots.