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Spotlessly clean:

When it’s worth washing up by hand

Washing up by hand

Many people see washing up as a tiresome chore. Fortunately, dishwashers are now a standard feature of almost every kitchen. They make the perfect household aid and make your day-to-day tasks that bit easier. Thanks to their low water and energy consumption, most dishwashers are actually even more economical and environmentally friendly than washing up by hand. But not everything can or should be cleaned in a dishwasher.

6 golden rules for washing up by hand

Coated frying pans, long-stemmed wineglasses and certain materials, such as wood, all belong in the sink. You will also have to scrub burned pot bottoms by hand when it comes time to wash up. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks for you here to ensure that washing up doesn’t become a disagreeable chore. How to wash up properly – and do something good for yourself and the environment at the same time!

Waste can be disposed of quickly with BLANCO waste separation systems.

1. Dispose of food leftovers

No matter whether you use the dishwasher or do the washing up by hand, you should get rid of any large bits of food waste first of all. The reason for this is that food remains can clog up the drain of both the sink and the dishwasher. Disposing of leftovers is particularly easy if you have a waste management system integrated directly beneath the sink:
a. For drawer and pull-out fronts, the BLANCO SELECT II and BLANCO FLEXON waste systems with a combined organisational drawer are especially suitable.
b. For hinged doors, there’s the BLANCO BOTTOM PRO and BLANCO SINGOLO, which you can mount to the bottom of the base cabinet and pull out on rails.
c. The BLANCO SOLON inbuilt waste collector is particularly practical for disposing of compost and organic waste, and can simply be integrated into the worktop.

Burnt-on substances are easier to remove if you soak them first.

2. Soak burnt-in substances

Dried, burnt-in food remains are easier to remove if you soak them first. Black, burnt pot bottoms can be tackled with a mixture of washing-up liquid, salt and water. Carefully stir the mixture and distribute it evenly. Avoid scrubbing if possible, as this can cause scratches. Stubborn residues can be removed gently with a wooden spatula.

3. Sort out your washing up

The basic principle is that the dirtier the crockery, the later you should rinse it off. In other words, glasses come first, then cups, plates and cutlery. Pots and pans come at the end, especially if they have burned-on remains. Grease-smeared dishes should also only be cleaned at the end of your washing-up session. If necessary, soak very dirty items before washing them up.

4. Do not wash dishes under running water

Leaving the water running while rinsing dishes means that you're wasting resources unnecessarily. It’s better to gather together everything that can’t go in the dishwasher and then wash it in the half-full bowl of the sink. What’s more, the hotter the water, the easier it is to remove fats. Note: just add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid once you’ve already put some water in the bowl. This helps to preserve the environment and prevents excessive foam. This froth can leave marks when your dishes dry.
The BLANCO soap dispenser helps to ration out washing-up liquid and looks much more elegant than a plastic bottle of cleaning product.

The dirtier the dishes, the later you should wash them up – so do glasses first.

5. Let the dishes dry in the air

Tea towels also need to be washed. Cut down on the resources this requires and the time it takes to dry up by leaving the dishes to dry in the air.

It’s perfectly practical with clever sink accessories from BLANCO. Wedged in the bowl, a floating grid creates an extra functional level for drying dishes. Alternatively, you could simply place the practical crockery basket on the bottom of the bowl or extend your drainer with an adjustable drip tray.

Discover BLANCO sink accessories

6. Ensure hygiene at the sink

Damp sponges and cloths are a perfect breeding ground for germs, such as bacteria and mould. To avoid this, let cloths, sponges and dishcloths dry off completely after you wash up. Cleaning utensils that you use daily should be swapped out after a week, Wash tea towels regularly at a minimum of 60 degrees, so that any germs don’t stand a chance.

Cleaning tips for special items

Sharp knives

You should never wash sharp kitchen knives in a dishwasher. Both wooden handles and sharp blades can be damaged by high temperatures and the high amounts of cleaning detergent. It’s better to clean knives with washing-up liquid and warm water. Simply wipe the knife with a dishcloth and rinse it briefly with clean water.

Wineglasses and champagne flutes

You’ll often find that beautiful, long-stemmed glasses don't fit into the dishwasher. In addition, the glass won’t end up looking sparkling clean. It’s a better idea to wash high-quality wineglasses by hand: simply dip each glass into lukewarm water with a little washing-up liquid. Lipstick and slight traces of grease can be quickly removed with a cloth. The glasses should then be rinsed with clean water. If you want to get them particularly sparkling, you could polish the glasses with a lint-free linen cloth once they’re dry.

Wood and wooden boards

Wooden chopping boards, wooden cooking spoons and rolling pins should always be cleaned with hot soapy water. As a natural alternative, you could also use coarse sea salt and a little lemon juice for cleaning wood. Rubbing wood with this mixture has been proven to be effective, even in instances of discolouration. It is important always to let the cutting boards dry off properly, as most of the germs will be killed off if you deprive them of their moist breeding ground. If your wooden board needs a little more care, you can sand down the top later and saturate the board with food-safe oil after cleaning. After it has taken effect, you can rub off any excess oil with a cotton cloth.

Coated pans

Coated pans are usually easy to clean with a little water and a few drops of washing-up liquid. If that’s not enough, as some fat has become burnt in and black, under no circumstances should you use an abrasive sponge. Instead, put some dishwasher detergent in the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Alternatively, you can remove stubborn marks with baking powder. Dissolve the baking powder in water and bring the mixture to a boil in the pan. After the mixture has been acting upon it for a couple of hours, you will be able to remove the burnt-in residues with ease. Another option is heating salt in the pan until it become brown. Then wipe everything out with a rag or newspaper.

With BLANCO PushControl, you no longer need to open the outflow by hand.

Drain dirty water away at the touch of a button

A gentle tap is enough to open or close the sink outflow as though by magic. BLANCO drain remote controls come in various different versions:

  • PushControl is a mechanical yet equally elegant drain remote control made of stainless steel that can be integrated into the tap ledge or worktop so that it is almost completely flush. Open and close the drain simply by pressing a button.
  • Drain remote controls from the design range have been specially developed for BLANCO mixer taps. They are positioned a little higher and protrude from the worktop like a little cylinder beside the tap. They also work with one easy touch of a button, so your hands stay dry.

This means that washing up is not a tiresome chore, but rather a pleasant part of your everyday life: discover the magic of your sink with BLANCO and conjure up sparkling glasses and clean crockery in an instant.

Even your sink needs washing down

Having a sink that beams back at you as you make your morning coffee is bound to put you in a good mood. The US tidying expert Marla Cilley, also known as ‘Flylady’, is well aware of this. As her first step towards imposing order on your home and establishing balance in your everyday life, she prescribes a 15-minute evening routine. It centres around a highly polished kitchen sink. It’s best to use a microfibre cloth for this. Another advantage of polishing your sink every evening is that no stubborn marks or streaks of limescale will remain in your sink. If you do spot such marks, the following tips will help:

Here you will find helpful tips from BLANCO on looking after your Silgranit bowl

Silgranit sinks are highly resistant, making them straightforward to clean. Marks and greasy residues are easy to remove with a scouring pad, water and a little washing-up liquid. Tip: Prevent limescale stains simply by rubbing your Silgranit sink dry with a microfibre cloth after each use.

Looking after Silgranit sinks
If you want your stainless steel sink to shine radiantly, BLANCO can provide you with useful care tips

If a standard care product can’t solve the problem, you can apply a paste made of baking powder and water to ridges and stains. Apply the paste as you would a polish, rubbing it according to brushing direction, then leave it to work for an hour. To get your stainless steel sink shining radiantly, you should rub the bowl dry after rinsing it down. In the case of stubborn patches, you can also bring back the shine by using citric acid.

Looking after stainless steel sinks
Here you will find helpful tips from BLANCO on looking after your ceramic sink

You can usually use standard dishwashing detergents for cleaning ceramic sinks, too. Be careful not to use scratchy sponges. A simple linen tea towel is best for rubbing it dry. In case of severe limescale or heavy soiling, you could apply a mixture of water and vinegar-based cleaner, and leave it to work overnight.

Looking after ceramic sinks