https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 24 May 2026 10:26:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557329 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:24:47 +0000 Grace 557329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haha! I would wash the dishes same as your MIL and to be very honest, I'd be peeved with someone telling me how to "do it better". It might not be the way you like it, but my philosophy is that if someone is doing you a favour, then your only response should be "thanks". Having said all that, I do get irked when things aren't done my way. I'd try to redirect her, like PP have said. Maybe give her something to do with her grandchild? She'd probably like it better than dishes anyways, no? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557315 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:14:23 +0000 Meridian 557315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Uhm, my MIL doesn't always wash dishes with soap, so I think you're better off! Haha...but she's never come over and washed my dishes before. Its just that we eat at their house every saturday and I've stopped thinking about her questionable dishes,... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557261 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:21:08 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 557261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @Sammyfab: I think the dishes are soaked because it helps loosen up whatever has stuck to them, if they've been sitting that long. It's one of those 'we've always done it this way' sort of things for me. I generally let them soak in the hot sudsy water, then take a brush that has a soap dispenser and scrub the plate. Then I rinse it. Funny thing is that I rinse all the plates and try to get most of whatever's left on there off before I ever soak it anyways! So I guess I rinse/scrub, soak, then scrub/rinse my dishes. Just to make sure they're clean. </p> <p>A bit excessive I guess but I -really- like clean dishes.</p> <p>MIL just sticks them in a sink full of water and leaves them there, then goes over them with a sponge as necessary, rinses and sticks it in the dish drainer to dry. Like @pastemoo:, a very interesting "textured clean" in comparison to my way. </p> [attach=3089/13/mhxagk.300x302.oxo-soap-dispensing-palm-dish-brush.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557227 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:59:09 +0000 pastemoo 557227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NaturallyCathy: My old roommate used to do this with the "textured-clean" dishes. Drove me up the wall.</p> <p>But I don't soak at all. I just scrub and rinse (and repeat as needed) so I can't sympathize on the dirty water soak.</p> <p>If it was just the putting away wrong part--I would teach the person. But the leftover food on the dishes. Eww. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557225 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:55:23 +0000 Sammyfab 557225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: we do dishes the same way. It always perplexes me how people wash and rinse dishes by filling a sink. Aren't you rinsing your dishes in dirty water?</p> <p>I generally appreciate that someone else is doing my dishes. It would drive me nutty if they put them away in the wrong spot though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557222 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:50:02 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 557222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: My mom fills the sink with water. She likes to let the dishes soak and she adds the dishes to sink as she cooks. The water gets cool and looks dirty though. I used to run the water when I lived at home to get out doing dishes because for whatever reason that irritated my parents. Now I fine wet dishes in murky water gross to look and touch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557214 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:41:54 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 557214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My MIL tried to clean up after herself, but it ended up causing friction. She offered to clean her plate, I told her I would do it (twice) and then she asked I was particular about my dishes...no, but I will clean up. Next thing I know she is asking me if I pit the collander in the dishwasher. Oh boy!</p> <p>I tell her what stuff I wash by hand and she wants an explanation as to why. At that point I remove all the items she placed in the dishwasher that do not go into MY dishwasher. And I reorganized her plate too because I was irritated.</p> <p>Pots, pans, cooking utensils, bowls, measuring cups, tupperware, knives etc are washed by hand under running water. I only had to make that request to DH and he didn't give me any lip.</p> <p>The dishwasher is used for dishes, glasses, coffee mugs, silverware, and the plastic cutting board sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557180 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:22:05 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 557180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't pay enough attention to how someone else washes the dishes so it doesn't bother me. But since it does bother you, maybe you could redirect your MIL when she starts to wash them? I would tell her that I could wash the dishes but really need help with x, y, or z. It sounds like she is trying to make life easier and maybe she won't get offended if you get her help elsewhere. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557179 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:20:29 +0000 regberadaisy 557179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NaturallyCathy: oohhh...that's gross! I would def redirect her well intended efforts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557177 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:19:12 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 557177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: They usually have some sort of not quite clean texture to them. I won't call it suds and grease may be too strong a word, but you know it's not quite as clean as it could be.</p> <p>@mrs. wagon: I wish we had a dishwasher but our current house is too small and in the new house, the kitchen is our last priority so no dishwasher there until much later! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557173 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:17:55 +0000 Dandelion 557173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Putting them away in the wrong place would drive me crazy! That alone would make me tell her to knock it off!</p> <p>Show her where the vacuum is, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557168 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:15:01 +0000 mrs. wagon 557168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've actually never done dishes by filling the sink...! We use our dishwasher for almost everything, and whatever we hand wash, we just use running water. </p> <p>If I were you I'd insist that you are fine doing the dishes on your own (since you're re-doing them anyway!! and obviously she can't change the way she does them because you've already asked her to.) and find another chore for her to help out with on a regular basis. Maybe laundry or dusting? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557166 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:14:47 +0000 regberadaisy 557166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm confused. Are the dishes still dirty or greasy after she does them? Putting them away in the wrong spot will drive me crazy! My ILs sometimes do that but we did just move so they don't know where everything is yet. :D<br /> But, they are not very good about rinsing suds out! More than once they have left soap residue in glasses! So the other day when I saw MIL wash M's sippy cup ... after she left I immediately rewashed it and rinsed really well with hot water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lets-talk-dishes#post-557160 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:11:50 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 557160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know I shouldn't gripe since it means that someone else is doing my dishes instead of me - a real help considering I'm usually busy chasing my one year old DS and I'm 36 weeks pregnant with sinus congestion - but do you ever hate the way someone else does dishes?</p> <p>My MIL - and sometimes my mom - will come over and lend a helping hand around the house. Since I learned doing dishes from my mother, I have absolutely no problem with the way she does dishes. She starts with the glasses, moves on to the plastics so there's no extra residue from food on the plastic. Then plates. If necessary, she drains the water and starts with all new water and soap and then continues. She does this until all the dishes are clean. I like it that way, I feel like all the stuff we don't want on our dishes goes down the drain.</p> <p>My MIL, however, does things a little different. She scours the sink, then gets the water and suds going. She starts with the glasses, moves on to the plastics, then everything else. Only she doesn't drain the water. She'll drain the water a little, add some hot water to the top of the already dirty water, and then add more soap. It drives me -crazy- and no matter how many times I ask her, she does it every single time. I think it's beyond gross and I usually rewash the dishes after she's gone because I can't stand the thought of all the grease and residue from dirty dishes on my nice clean dishes.</p> <p>And I know she's trying to help but after she gets done, she starts to put the dishes away - in the wrong place. Every time I go into my kitchen after she's left, I spend just as long re-doing the dishes and rearranging them as she spent doing them originally. It drives me crazy but she loves doing it, to the point that I literally have to tell her whenever she comes over -NOT- to do the dishes!</p> <p>So how do you do dishes? Am I overreacting or do you think the way she does it is unsanitary too? </p>