...try doing the dishes.
Haha -- that's a funny saying, but it sure is true. Whenever I ask for help with the dishes, my kids, who just moments before may have been bored to tears, always find something to do.
We recently purchased a new dishwasher and I am thoroughly enjoying loading and unloading -- two jobs I admit I never enjoyed before. During the long season of Lent, I was washing every dish, so loading and unloading seems like a breeze now.
At the start of Lent, I had decided that I would try very hard not to make any unnecessary purchases. That was before the dishwasher died, for the umpteenth time. After having repaired the darned thing half a dozen times over the past two years, my husband said he wasn't spending another nickle to fix it. He said, "Buy another." I, however, knew in my heart of hearts, that a new dishwasher is not a "necessary purchase." I can not physically heat the oven or cool the refrigerator, but I can wash a dish. Urg. And wash I did.
For all of Lent I went through the process of cleaning up after meals the way my mother (in her younger days) and my grandmother and their mothers before them -- the methodical process of efficiently rinsing, washing the least dirty items first, and then the messy pots and pans. I actually didn't mind the whole process, but I admit I am enjoying my new dishwasher (a Kitchen Aid Classic Series).
When I was washing the dishes several times a day, however, I did a lot of thinking about dish soap (what else do you think about when you have in sudsy water much of the day?). I always had a favorite dish soap, Palmolive Oxy. But I got a little bored with it and switched around a bit. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Palmolive) I never found another soap that made as many bubbles. It may not be indicative of cleaning power, but I do like a lot of bubbles.
Eventually I went back to the blue Palmolive, but the other day at Target I picked up a bottle of JR Watkins natural dish soap and I'm going to give it a try.
Anyway...the point of this post was just to ask what dish soap do you use? Do you like it for its cleaning ability, its scent, its ecological factors? I admit my college son has me thinking more about what chemicals are in my soaps and that's why I am trying the Watkins. What is important in a dish soap for you?
17 comments:
We use lemon fresh joy. My boys help to wash the dishes and they tend to use a little too much soap...I know not a bad thing. So, I do like it for its lemony scent.
I use blue Dawn. I also like Palmolive. I like Dawn, because I think it does really cut down on grease. When doing greasy pans, I squirt a little extra and it always helps. The scent is not too strong, yet it smells good.
It depends on my mood, but I do like washing dishes. My oldest daughter loads the dishwasher, while I wash the things I don't put in the dishwasher. I do make her wash sometimes, because she needs to know how, but I really don't mind doing them. Maybe it's because of what you said in the beginning? It's nice quiet time to look out the window!
I use Dawn and I really like not having a dish washer. It's one of those things that I don't think we NEED right now so we'll just have to slow life down a bit in order to get the necessary things done.
I use Dawn, no particular color. I recently tried some pineappley? scent and am enjoying it!
I, too, have been without a dishwasher - for about 1 1/2 years now. My husband who is a decent fixer but shot on time but has been promising to look at it forever. I have told him that I will be buying one as soon as I have a chance to look at them when school is out (I work in a school.)
I appreciate what my mother and grandmother, etc, did, but they did not work full-time outside of the home with 3 hungry boys and a full schedule!
I'm checking that KitchenAid link tonight!
i only use dawn. i've tried many others but they don't work for me.
i like the grapefruit scent but prefer to buy the x-large bottle from costco.
I am a sucker for a lovely scent, but lately, I also have been trying to buy "earth-friendly" products, so I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day dish soap (as well as all the other cleaning products). The scents are terrific (I especially love the lavender, the geranium and the rosemary)and all of the products are safe for the environment. :)
(Okay, I was NOT trying to sound like a commercial, but I think I just did!)
Barbara, I've found that Dawn is the only one that cuts grease, so it's been my fave for a LONG time. Our dishwasher is about to go, and I have been trying to prolong its life just by being nice to it and putting up with its many foibles. I miss the Bosch I had in my previous home; what a work horse that was! I loved how your tied your dishwashing to Lent. Very productive and very prayerful...but I can always count on you to do that. :)
I use Lemon Brite from a Wellness Company -- I LOVE it. It cuts through grease, is gentle to my skin, has no harmful chemicals and is earth friendly and very affordable.
Dawn is the number 1 reason for calls to poison control. It is very toxic. I guess learning that was my first PUSH into more natural choices!
btw) I just discovered your blog and I really like it here!!
My fave is Palmolive oxy Marine... it reminds me of camping not sure why especialy since its not my favorite pass time...lol... I recently tried Palmoloive soft touch ...and like you I got to have the bubbles... the more the better...
Dish soap is one of those things that I am brand-loyal about. I like the Palmolive Oxy line (it's a good laundry-stain-treater too!) as well as Dawn. Maybe it's the water here, I don't know, but I have found that other brands just don't get stuff as clean (or grease-free).
As to scent, I prefer a light citrus scent, though the green-apple kind is good too.
I've always used Dawn - I read when the kids were little that it was the best brand for the bubbles I used to make for them - and now I have a grandchild, and am looking forward to making bubbles for him this summer! (Assuming summer EVER comes!)
We use Joy (lemon) and always have. Everytime I purchase something else my husband complains, and since I very much appreciated all of him help with washing dishes (in our 10 years without a dishwasher) I just keep buying it. He says it works the best.
We also have a Kitchen Aid Dishwasher, and I don't know how I ever lived without it! :)
Seventh Generation, preferably in Lavender, but I'll also get the Free & Clear or the Citrus if that's all they have.
I've used Dawn for the past 29 years because it cuts the grease and gets everything clean. And because my husband likes it, and since he helps with the dishes...
I've also recently been using Seventh Generation (Lavender Floral & Mint) to use on the plastic sippy cups and bottles my grandchildren use.
I was told by my OB/GYN nurse my last time 4 years ago that Dawn (and almost all major brands) have chemicals that hang onto the plastic of bottles and cups, and is then ingested by tiny little people. After that, I've used natural soap on anything plastic. I am very pleased with the results (and bubbles) with Seventh Generation.
I use ECOVER, the lemon is more effective on grease. I switched after trying to find something Eco-friendly for a camping trip and I found it very effective. I do like the chamomile-marigold sent better, but the lemon is more effective on grease, etc. If i have a pan that's really in trouble I use some Bon-Ami also. Environmental impact was a concern, but I also have a lot of allergies and it seemed like in recent years Dawn,etc. had become increasingly watered down and I was going through it faster- which I didn't like. The ECOVER is readily available and price comprable where I live also.
I like Palmolive and use the aroma sensations in lavender. I really don't like lavender scents, but this one smells good. I have tried Dawn and like it's grease cutting power, but prefer Palmolive. I always had to change the water and add more Dawn, before finishing. Palmolive seems to last better. We have never had a dishwasher in our 28 years of marriage, the family members each took turns. I grew up with a dishwasher and never liked the film left on the glasses. I enjoy washing dishes and chatting about the day. I have tried some natural dishwashing soaps but never liked them. I may try the ECOVER that was recommended because I am concerned also about chemicals. I do make our laundry detergent and switched to hydrogen peroxide in place of bleach.
I like the green Palmolive. It reminds me of my childhood, washing dishes with my mom. I mostly use a dishwasher but when I do wash by hand, I like the little walk down memory lane that green Palmolive delivers. :) Right now though I am working through a gigantic container of blue Dawn that we got out of my ILs' house when we closed it up last fall and helped them move into assisted living. It is okay but I prefer the green Palmolive. Good points about the eco-friendly liquids too so maybe I will try one of those whenever I finish this vat of blue Dawn (ILs were addicted to Costco and I have gallons of cleaning supplies now!).
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