I fail at washing up in a regular manner. I put it off, miss cups and glasses and don't always round up all the plates. I really, really, really want a dishwasher. Washing up hurts my back.
I have tried the re-usable sponges, but I don't like keeping them. I know you should microwave them every day, but I have a bad track record with microwaves. I can still remember the flowers I was trying to dry in the microwave bursting into flames. It left an impression.
I tried reusable sponges, which I washed in the washing machine. This was something of a fail as the sponge bit sandwiched between the microfibre and the scrubby stuff disintegrated and the sponge ended up looking very sad and slimy.
I considered knitting myself a scrubby to wash up with, but I couldn't imagine any of the yarn I had working, the official scrubby yarn is prohibitively expensive and my experiment with voile was unsuccessful. If I ever see net fabric on a very good deal I may have a go, but until then I am abandoning the attempt.
I've started using something like these, except with a flower pattern and a sort of silver mesh. It's a type of microfibre (not brilliant, but okay for rubbing a dish) on one side, a mesh on the other and they wash and tumble dry. I use a different one each day and they get thrown in the washer whenever I have enough for a smallish load. So far it's been working out well, as they get into awkward corners and they are doing fine in the washing machine.
Now all I need to do is find a place that sells the awesome teatowels that I bought back in the early 1990s. They were the original microfibre and dry plates and glasses like nothing else I have ever used. They wash and wash and wash and are actually holding up quite well. However one was lost when a plumber used it to mop up a radiator bleed and a few have had been affected by colour run accidents and I suspect that in the next ten years I will need to replace them. They were quite expensive, but they were bought before we moved here in 1994 and while they are looking their age, they are still drying well. It was definitely a case of money well spent.
Could you bear to post a pic of one of your teatowels please? I'm not sure I've ever found a tea towel that really dries, and I would like to.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with dishwashers is that unless you have a large family (or eat a very large number of meals!) you end up running them three quarters empty or waiting days to fill it. Cleaning them out is a task in itself and more onerous than washing up. When my gave up the ghost I didn't bother replacing it.........and think how many tea towels you could buy for the cost of a dishwasher!
ReplyDeletenext time you are in a charity shop, look for the thin cotton crochet cotton used to make doilies.
ReplyDeleteUse two strands and knit your own wash cloths. I use two strands and around a 3mm needle. Cast on 4 stitches, knit one row. From then onwards increase on stitch at the start of each row. When you have around 65 stitches (or it looks like the size you like to use, start decreasing one stich at the start of each row until you have four stitches. Knit one row. Cast off.
Not heavy. Washes well, and you've recycled the cotton!
I knit a couple of dozen for New Years at work. Everyone takes a couple for a fresh start to the new year.