How do I wash up quickly and properly?

Washing up takes longer than it needs to because the water becomes greasy early and everything after that needs more effort. Ordering the work is what keeps the water clean and halves the time.

What you'll need

• Washing-up liquid
• Brush or sponge
• Drying rack (optional)
• Rubber gloves (optional)

Step by step

1. Scrape and stack before you start.Scrape solids into the bin, stack like with like. Two minutes of preparation makes the whole job faster.
2. Put the worst pans in to soak immediately.Hot water and a squirt of detergent while you do everything else. Soaking does the work that scrubbing otherwise would.
3. Use water as hot as you can comfortably manage, with gloves.Hot water dissolves grease far better and means items dry themselves. Gloves let you use water hot enough to be effective.
4. Wash in order from cleanest to dirtiest.Glasses, cutlery, plates, serving dishes, then pans. The water stays usable much longer and glasses come out clear.
5. Change the water when it stops being effective.Greasy water leaves a film on everything. A second bowl of clean water is faster than fighting through the whole load.
6. Rinse if you want them properly clean.Detergent residue dries as a film and can taste of it. A quick rinse under the tap, or a second bowl of clean water.
7. Air dry on a rack rather than towel drying.It is faster, more hygienic, and hot-washed items dry themselves within minutes. Tea towels spread bacteria more than most people realise.
8. Clean the sink and wring out the cloth at the end.A damp cloth left in a sink is among the most contaminated objects in the house. Wring it out and hang it to dry.

Tips

• Never put sharp knives into a full bowl of water — you cannot see them and it is a genuine cause of cuts. Wash them individually and immediately.
• Wash as you cook. Pans washed while something simmers means there is almost nothing left at the end.
• Replace or hot-wash sponges and cloths frequently. A smelly cloth is bacterial growth and it transfers to everything it touches.

Common mistakes

• Washing the greasiest items first — The water becomes greasy immediately and everything afterwards needs far more effort and comes out filmed.
• Leaving knives in a bowl of water — They are invisible under the suds and cause cuts. Wash them separately as soon as they are used.
• Drying with a damp tea towel — It spreads bacteria across everything you just cleaned. Air drying on a rack is faster and more hygienic.

Questions people ask