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If you're going to wash your dishes by hand, there are a few things you should do to ensure you get the best possible clean:

1. Remove as much food as possible before starting. This step will make the dishes easier to clean and reduce the amount of time it takes to wash the dishes.

2. Soak heavily soiled dishes with baking soda for a few hours before washing, if possible. Baking soda loosens stuck-on food particles, making dishes easier to clean. However, avoid soaking aluminimum pans in baking soda, as it could lead to discoloration.

3. Clean the most lightly soiled dishes first. This way, you're less likely to get your rag or sponge dirty and accidentally transfer food or grime.

4. Scrub the dishes under running water, periodically checking to see if they are coming clean. Running water loosens old food and minimizes scrubbing.

A dishwasher is a huge help to any family, but there are some tips that can make it work even better:

1. About once every one to two months, clean the dishwasher by running an empty cycle with vinegar. The vinegar clears old food particles, and you get clean, fresh-smelling dishes from a clean dishwasher!

2. Put more heavily soiled dishes on the bottom rack. Here, they are exposed to the stronger water sprays they need to get clean and won't drip dirty water on other dishes.

3. Take care not to stack dishes. Water and cleaner can't reach the inside of a stacked dish, leaving the outside clean but the inside dirty.

4. Run your tap water hot before starting the dishwasher. By doing this, you are prompting the dishwasher to start with hot water in the first spray cycle, leading to a more effective clean from the beginning.

Whether you do it after every meal, only at night, or whenever you feel like it, washing dishes is a necessary chore. Making it as easy and quick as possible helps, but if you still find yourself short on time, consider cleaning services willing to load a set of dishes in the dishwasher for you. This way, you'll always have clean dishes without the hassle!