With summer in full swing, backyards are the ultimate oasis for warm-weather traditions like grilling or enjoying frozen treats and ice-cold drinks on the patio.
And after months distanced from friends, family and colleagues at home, the need to physically distance from chores and get outside is at an alltime high. Try these five tips to conquer kitchen cleanup, spend less time indoors and more time enjoying the summer sun:
3. Skip pre-rinsing, washing and sanitizing dishes by hand
Feeling wishy-washy about doing the dishes by hand? Despite popular belief, hand washing actually uses about 27 gallons of water per load on average, while an energy-efficient dishwasher uses three to six. And, after scraping excess food off your plate, skip the pre-rinse before loading — food particles give dishwasher detergent something to stick to.
Proper sanitization is also tough to achieve when washing by hand since the water needs to exceed at least 140 degrees to kill bacteria. The great news? Normal cycles on most dishwashers meet this requirement and sanitize functions often reach far beyond this temperature.
4. Save towels for hands, not dishes
Ninety percent of Americans unnecessarily use a manual drying step after their dishwasher cycle is complete. It’s time to say goodbye to hand-drying dishes! Bosch dishwashers with CrystalDry ensure dishes emerge as perfectly dry as they are clean, using a naturally occurring mineral that transforms moisture into heat up to 176 degrees. This added layer of heat delivers drier dishes, even plastics, so items are ready to be put away once the cycle is complete.