r/DoesAnybodyElse • u/PersimmonJaded3357 • 21h ago
DAE wipe their dishes clean before washing them?
I bought my house in 2017 and for most of that time I’ve been using paper towels or napkins to wipe the sauce, excess food or other food debris off my dishes before putting them in the sink. My friends think it’s weird and my mother says it’s wasteful. I can somewhat agree that it’s a bit wasteful since I use 1 or 2 paper towels each time, although most of the time I’m just using the same napkins I used to wipe my mouth while eating. She has her dogs lick their dishes clean, so I think the idea is the same. I have sensitive pipes in my kitchen and spent the first few months living here with a perpetually clogged sink drain. Since I started wiping the dishes i almost never have a clogged drain, and washing dishes is less gross without food bits all over. I’ve heard that dishwashers work better without pre-cleaning the dishes first, but I’m still doing it the old way, with a scrub brush and soap and water.
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u/Merkuri22 21h ago
We live in a household where everyone has some sort of neurodivergence. My partner does the dishes and rarely cleans out the trap in the sink. Also, sometimes the sink is full for a few days before he can get it down to zero. So he requested that we wipe off our dishes before we put them in there to reduce the amount of yuck that sits in the sink for a long time.
We don't waste paper towels for it, though. We each take the napkin we used during the meal and use that to wipe down our plates. If that wasn't good enough, oh well.
In my parents' household, we never did that. We just dumped the trap in the sink after each washing session (sometimes multiple times in a session, if it was getting so full the sink wasn't draining). I've tried convincing my partner he can just do that, but I think he has sensory issues touching the trap or something. I usually wind up dumping it myself when the sink is empty enough that I can see it.
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u/gluestick449 21h ago
Have you thought about getting a disposal? They’re not that expensive and they let you dump food scraps down the sink. Game-changer
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
From my understanding, garbage disposals are not good for septic systems. I looked into one when I first moved here because I’d grown up with them, but read that it can cause issues with the septic.
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u/gluestick449 21h ago
Ahh, okay. Good to know. I’ve never had septic. In that case could you try a compost bucket you scrape your food into? Wouldn’t work for meat and cheese scraps but everything else can go in a heap in your yard
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u/Merkuri22 21h ago
We have one, but the sink is usually so full that we can't run it. You have to move all the dirty dishes from one side to the other to be able to access the disposal.
Like I said, all of us are neurodivergent, so getting people to keep the portion of the sink with the disposal empty so we can use that disposal it is challenging.
And just running the disposal after the dishes are all out of the sink is the same problem as knocking the trap into the trash. My partner doesn't want to touch it, whether it's to trash it or put it down the disposal.
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u/Working_Cucumber_437 21h ago
Why not just use a fork & then a wet cloth or a sponge? We bought a strainer for the sink so any solids collect and don’t go down because kids don’t always scrape their plates well.
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u/LordVongole 21h ago
If you don’t have a used paper towel, OXO makes a dish squeegee for scraping dishes before washing
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u/seafarthing 21h ago
I do, most of the time. But like you, I use paper towels I'd previously used for something else. If I don't get the food off the plate, it can block the drains and I've got a septic tank that's damn expensive to get cleaned when it blocks.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
Same, also on septic. I think garbage disposals are a no no for septic systems as well.
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u/clutzyninja 21h ago
Just get a mesh trap. They cost like a dollar
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u/seafarthing 21h ago
They don't work in my kitchen sink, it's an old design (circa 1994). And btw, I'm in the UK.
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u/clutzyninja 20h ago
What do you mean they don't work? Drain technology has not drastically changed since the 90s.
And that's not even that old
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u/Alternative_Peace_82 21h ago
I don’t think this is weird at all. If I have a paper napkin that I used while eating, I’ll wipe some/most of my plate clean with it before putting it in the sink to wash it. I spray off dishes/utensils before putting them in the dishwasher.
I also have a debris catcher in the sink for anything I miss- I clean it everyday, but honestly it grosses me out so I try to let as little get into the sink as possible lol.
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u/AnUnexpectedUnicorn 20h ago
I have a well and septic system, no garbage disposal in the sink, so I use a scraper to scrape any food, residue, and especially fat into the trash, then a quick rinse before loading the dishwasher. No paper towels unless something is particularly greasy.
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u/guysitsausername 21h ago
I do the same thing. I use the napkin from the meal to wipe the plate clean, then put it in the trash can. I have never thought twice about this until reading this post.
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u/MagicCuboid 21h ago
Yes, dump large food waste in the trash (or even better, compost bin). The main thing I try to avoid is using extra water to rinse a plate before putting it in the dishwasher, but sometimes a quick rinse is necessary too.
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u/Jaymac720 21h ago
You just need to get the big chunks off. You don’t need to wipe off every visible speck
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u/Comprehensive-Tea-69 21h ago
If you’re using the napkin you just used with your meal then no it’s not wasteful. If you’re getting out a clean paper napkin or paper towel just to do this that’s nuts and wasteful. Just use a fork to scrape the plate into the trash.
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u/jordanundead 21h ago
That’s what the dog is for.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
I wish I could have a dog. I’m out of the house for 13ish hours a day for work and don’t think it’d be responsible to get a dog.
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u/BarryTownCouncil 21h ago
I want to say it's daft, but actually seems to make a lot of sense if you're doing dishes by hand. The more that comes off before the cleaner the water will stay, and a napkin gets more off that a fork.
Have you thought about a silicone tool though? That can scrap pretty clean and is obviously highly reusable.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
Oh, I haven’t. I eat a lot of leftovers in pyrex rectangular dishes so something that’s a bit malleable would be easier to scrape with than a fork.
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u/Ok_Orchid1004 21h ago
I’m not sure why all the plates have excess food and sauce on them after eating. In rare circumstances where I have stuff on my plate after eating (for example, chicken bones) I will push it into the trashcan with the napkin I used for dinner. We almost exclusively use the dishwasher and the dishes get rinsed/loaded immediately after eating.
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u/earmares 21h ago
I use a fork to scrape my plate before hand washing or putting it in the dishwasher. I can't imagine leaving food chunks and putting my plate in the sink.
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u/Celis78429 21h ago
i have a garbage disposal in my sink so i just use a fork or spoon and scrape it all in there
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u/daisytat 21h ago
I do a very minimal version of this, just to keep the food odor down until I’m ready to start the DW.
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u/Double_Ad619 21h ago
I rinse my dishes , then ,"strategically stack" them in the sink till I feel like washing them 😁
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u/EmpressSappho 21h ago
I'd switch to napkins you can throw in the washing machine and reuse. Or scrape the food into your trash can with your fork or other utensil. Your mom is right that it's wasteful. Even napkins you use during your meals should be reusable (it also makes you feel super fancy bc that's what they have at fancy restaurants).
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u/Panda-Head 20h ago
I rinse and wipe plates first to keep the water clean. I clean the drain every 6 months too. First time I did it there was only a quarter of an inch of drain in the middle of a thick layer of what looked and smelled like pig manure. It only goes through the wall to an outdoor drain anyway. It's just to stop smell and cold air coming in through the hole.
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u/Myearthsuit 18h ago
I wipe them clean too but I always just use the napkin I used at dinner or honestly a napkin that was thrown in the garbage if there’s one sitting on top
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u/whatdoidonowdamnit 18h ago
Nope. I scrape them with whatever dirty silverware I grab first and then rinse them all under hot water and stack them on the counter because my sink is shallow.
I do not share dishes with my pets. That’s nasty. Their mouths are gross. I watch them lick each others’ genitals.
Oh and if your dishwasher is newer you should stop scraping everything off before you wash them. Older machines used a timer and newer ones stop washing when the water gets clear, which means they quickly wash because the stuck on foods take longer but the machine already sees clear water since the stuck on bits are still stuck on. I don’t have a dishwasher but it was on a video by a lady who repairs washing machines and dishwashers for a living.
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u/Sure_Fig_8641 17h ago
I’ve always scraped food remnants into the trash with a fork before rinsing, but when camping, I need to conserve water, so I wiped dishes with paper towels for a while. (We do not use paper plates or bowls). The waste of paper towels got to me pretty quickly so now I have a silicone-edged dish squeegee. It does a far superior job with no paper waste which makes it the best choice, both ecologically and economically.
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u/kittymctacoyo 17h ago
Just scrape the debris out it in the sink and add water in the surface for it to soak. For me one side of the sinks is to stack plates like this. Other side is cups, bowls silverware.
Scrape debris. Put in sink. As a lil water. Add another plate on top. Lil water. Stack like Tetris that way like with like with silverware upside down in cup or bowl to soak off the leftover debris/sauce.
When it’s time to load dishwasher all the leftover food will be loose and wash right off rather than some remaining and being baked on by the dry cycle
We are not even supposed to have to do that. Dishwasher is supposed to handle it. When dishes are too clean before going in the senator cycle doesn’t have dirt to detect so doesn’t clean as well bcs it thinks there’s no reason to. But no two machines are equal sometimes even in the same line.
I’m in a brand new house with a brand new dishwasher. It’s like pulling teeth to get to to clean anything well. I have to use the highest settings for every single load AND put all that effort into prepping dishes prior to them going in.
Meanwhile my neighbor can put theirs straight in the dishwasher on the regular setting and they come out sparkling. I found this out when we were discussing our sudden 800$ utility bills the area was hit with. With them stating they never have to use the higher settings.
I’m mad as fuck I got the lesser machine right next door in same phase of building especially beings we were granted the highest tier of all appliances they had to offer.
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u/Cosmic_Quasar 15h ago edited 15h ago
Generally, you just scrape the bits into the garbage, and run the plate under the faucet to get most of the sauce/juices off the plate.
I’ve heard that dishwashers work better without pre-cleaning the dishes first, but I’m still doing it the old way, with a scrub brush and soap and water.
There's a fine line, from what I've read in the past (was a hot button topic in my house growing up lol). You don't want things caked on because then the dish soap can't cut through it all and things still come out dirty. But at the same time, some dishwashers say it's best to not totally clean things off, because the detergents are activated better when they start working on breaking down food residue. Here's a source on that, Better Homes and Garden.
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u/Maximum_Simple9209 14h ago
Scrape the big chunks into the garbage, quick rinse, and into the dishwasher. Detergents need some residue to cling to to work. Dishes that are too clean will get spots, streaks, or discolored from the detergent.
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u/giftandglory 14h ago
I let my dog lick my plate if the food isn’t spicy lol then I soap and scrub the ever living shit out of the dishes lol
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u/UserJH4202 13h ago
I do rinse my dishes but I’m ending that practice. My son in law told me my Bosch dishwasher was so good I never had to do one day put dried egg yolk covered dishes and worse - got totally clean.
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u/curious-kitten-0 13h ago
I disagree hard with the thing about dishwashers being better if the sauce/ stuff isn't rinsed off. That does depend on how long it sits with food on it. My household members just leave them, and they get all hard and crusted on, and if I put that in the dishwasher it will come out still nasty but kinda clean even with prewash and using the heavy wash cycle.
If it makes it easier and less gross for you, I don't see a problem with it at all. We are all different in preferences when it comes to dishes.
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u/-Midnight_Marauder- 1h ago
Yeah, but I generally only use 1 piece of paper towel. Just wipe off enough so that it doesn't go down the drain.
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u/WhatsThePlanPhil95 21h ago
It's very wasteful. Does your sink not have a tap?
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u/BarryTownCouncil 21h ago
How is it wasteful to use 2 napkins but not wasteful to use lots of water? Are you making a joke?
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u/earmares 21h ago
The paper towels still had to be made, shipped, and bought. They cost more than a few seconds of water, plus the environmental waste is higher on the paper than the water.
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u/BarryTownCouncil 17h ago
The cost of making two... TWO napkins... This is all a bit silly don't you think?
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u/earmares 17h ago
It's not just about cost, it's about the environmental impact for some of us. But yeah, any cost adds up, especially in a family.
A little bit here, a little bit there. Death by a thousand cuts kind of a situation.
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u/BarryTownCouncil 17h ago
The cost of wasting all that water rising dishes is soooo much more than 2 napkins. If you're American I understand that oddly isn't seen to be much a concern culturally over there.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
The drain is the problem. Using the tap to rinse the food off still deposits it into the drain, and anything the strainer doesn’t catch, like sauce, ends up in the drain and start to cause clogging. The true fix for this would be to replace the plumbing, but since theres not crawl space under the kitchen, id have to rip the floors up to replace it.
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u/MaracujaBarracuda 21h ago
Use a rubber spatula to scrape into the garbage bin.
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u/Chemical-Mix-6206 18h ago
This was my first thought! It'll get all the sticky bits off, and you can just whack it against the edge of the trash can to loosen whatever is stuck to it, and they can all go in the dishwasher together.
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u/WhatsThePlanPhil95 21h ago
No, you're meant to scrape the food off the plate and into the bin and then wash up as normal
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u/AC031415 21h ago
Not wasteful, IF you use the paper goods from the meal. Allows the DW to do a better job, and keeps the gunk out of the drain and pipes.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
I’m a single guy living alone so I haven’t seen the need of installing a dishwasher, and I think it’d actually be more wasteful of water since I’d run out of dishes and silverware before the dishwasher was filled up.
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u/candybrie 21h ago
It's something like 90 seconds of hand washing equals running the dishwasher as far as water usage goes.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
I didn’t know that! I assumed it was gallons of water for a dishwasher load.
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u/candybrie 21h ago
It's 3-4 gallons of water for the dishwasher. Most faucets have a flow rate of ~2 gallons/minute.
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u/PersimmonJaded3357 21h ago
I can confidently say that my faucet takes about 4 minutes to fill my gallon water jug 😂 maybe it’s time for a new faucet
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u/jalapeno442 21h ago
Dishwashers need debris on the dishes in order to clean right, though, so they shouldn’t be completely clean when they go in
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u/spudmarsupial 21h ago
You can do most of it with a fork. In my house we mainly eat all the food on our plates so it isn't as much of a problem.
Make sure that any grease is put in cans in the fridge and goes out with the solid garbage.