Author Topic: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain  (Read 170715 times)

Rural

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #400 on: March 22, 2017, 07:36:28 PM »
Not wanting to create a huge mound of foam, but why do men/boys insist on peeing standing up? The amount of aggravation caused by peeing everywhere and leaving the seat up - surely it would be of great value to society if all mothers taught their boys to sit down as a matter of course. (Not fathers because I assume they stand up now and are part of the "problem"!)

Okay, I wondered this too! And so I looked it up. Thankfully, the internet provides answers. I will censor the most oft given reason:
Spoiler: show
most toilet bowls are shallow, so their penis can touch the bowl, and this is uncomfortable and unsanitary.
Here is the thread I saw this on: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/14xtoi/why_dont_guys_just_pee_sitting_down/

That's one of those things that I can never un-know. :) Still doesn't explain why parents don't teach their little boys to sit down until *it* becomes a problem for the boys. You could get a decade of cleanliness at least.

Okay, a few items:

1) I have no problem peeing sitting down.
Spoiler: show
I have a (left) hand which will readily keep the contact situation from happening.
It's really NBD on most toilets.

2) My son is being taught to pee sitting down. If he wants to pee standing up, he can do it in the tub. If he pees on himself he gets hosed down.

3) Urinals. In most public restrooms, men pee standing up: To avoid having to wait, or sit on a questionable toilet seat. Reinforces a habit of standing to pee. And I'm NOT sitting in a portajohn unless it's an emergency. But they all have a pee funnel anyway.

4) Outdoors. Ladies, if you're not around - most guys aren't coming back in the house from the back yard to pee. They're peeing in the bush.


What do you mean, when we're not around? :-)

TomTX

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #401 on: March 22, 2017, 07:56:47 PM »
Not wanting to create a huge mound of foam, but why do men/boys insist on peeing standing up? The amount of aggravation caused by peeing everywhere and leaving the seat up - surely it would be of great value to society if all mothers taught their boys to sit down as a matter of course. (Not fathers because I assume they stand up now and are part of the "problem"!)

Okay, I wondered this too! And so I looked it up. Thankfully, the internet provides answers. I will censor the most oft given reason:
Spoiler: show
most toilet bowls are shallow, so their penis can touch the bowl, and this is uncomfortable and unsanitary.
Here is the thread I saw this on: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/14xtoi/why_dont_guys_just_pee_sitting_down/

That's one of those things that I can never un-know. :) Still doesn't explain why parents don't teach their little boys to sit down until *it* becomes a problem for the boys. You could get a decade of cleanliness at least.

Okay, a few items:

1) I have no problem peeing sitting down.
Spoiler: show
I have a (left) hand which will readily keep the contact situation from happening.
It's really NBD on most toilets.

2) My son is being taught to pee sitting down. If he wants to pee standing up, he can do it in the tub. If he pees on himself he gets hosed down.

3) Urinals. In most public restrooms, men pee standing up: To avoid having to wait, or sit on a questionable toilet seat. Reinforces a habit of standing to pee. And I'm NOT sitting in a portajohn unless it's an emergency. But they all have a pee funnel anyway.

4) Outdoors. Ladies, if you're not around - most guys aren't coming back in the house from the back yard to pee. They're peeing in the bush.


What do you mean, when we're not around? :-)

Username checks out. :D

Yeah, I'll pee in a bush if it's reasonably secluded - whether or not my wife is around.

iris lily

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #402 on: July 23, 2017, 09:21:46 AM »
 This is a good thread and we should keep it going.

It is timely for me because I was just this moment, looking at area rugs online.  A bright, contemporary, area rug in my living room with add such a splash of color! So pretty! And it ties the room together.

 Also we need a runner in one area of the first floor because the wood on our floor is worn.

But then I remember why I don't have rugs. I don't have rugs because then I would have to haul the vacuum cleaner downstairs and vacuum them.  It would make my life more complicated. I like my wood floors,  they are easy to clean so easy, just sweep them.

So I will see if I can hold off on this for a while, but I think my compromise position maybe to have rugs down in the winter season and take them up and store them during the summer. During the summer we have lots more pet hair because the dogs are shedding  and we also have more dirt tracked in from the gardens.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #403 on: July 26, 2017, 01:30:49 PM »
How do y'all wash dishes? I'm thinking about renovating my kitchen and am trying to decide on layout, such as 1 sink vs. 2 sinks. I know some soap up their dishes in one sink then use the second sink for rinsing. 

Other questions:
extra sink or dish tub?
sponge, washcloth, or brush?


former player

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #404 on: July 26, 2017, 03:02:39 PM »
How do y'all wash dishes? I'm thinking about renovating my kitchen and am trying to decide on layout, such as 1 sink vs. 2 sinks. I know some soap up their dishes in one sink then use the second sink for rinsing. 

Other questions:
extra sink or dish tub?
sponge, washcloth, or brush?
If you need to rinse your dishes you are using too much soap - you just need enough for a few bubbles on the top of the washing water, and then no need to rinse.

I have an undermount sink with a washing up bowl and a second small drainer/half sink alongside, plus drainer grooves in the slate worksurface for the draining rack and it does everything I need.

Washcloth, plus sponge with scrubber side for the difficult bits, brillo pad for the really difficult bits.

pbkmaine

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Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #405 on: July 26, 2017, 03:07:10 PM »


This setup works great for us. We wash dishes in right bowl and let them dry in left.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2017, 03:12:12 PM by pbkmaine »

totoro

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #406 on: July 26, 2017, 03:12:57 PM »
We have the Ikea farmhouse sink with a dish drainer on the right side.  We don't wash very many dishes by hand though - only pots and pans and things that can't go in the dishwasher.  I love the dishwasher.

We use a plastic mesh scrubber with a metal one for stuff that is stuck on and it is held in this:  https://www.google.ca/search?q=dish+scrubber+holder&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF-4al7qfVAhUnqVQKHS23BrkQ_AUICigB&biw=1242&bih=535#imgrc=-O8dd4zI6KGA8M I run both the plastic and metal dish scrubber through the dishwasher pretty regularly.

I just let the pans soak with a little water and dish soap and then scrub and rinse with running water.  I think this is the lazy way maybe?  If you wash all your dishes by hand it wouldn't be the best.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #407 on: July 26, 2017, 03:30:15 PM »
Thanks!!  One more question, how many are you washing up for? I really like pbkmaine's setup (because it's so nice and clean) but I suspect that our left sink would get filled up very quickly.  3 kids, cook 3X a day, lots of pots and pans, also washing overflow from dishwasher.

former player, don't you have issues with grease and scummy water? Maybe I overdo it... always feel like I want to rinse the old water off because it is full of crumbs, germs, etc.

Cassie

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #408 on: July 26, 2017, 03:35:14 PM »
If any soap gets left on dishes it causes diarrhea. I mostly use my dishwasher but if I can't then I soak stuff do so it is easy to wash. We have 2 sinks. 

Anatidae V

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #409 on: July 26, 2017, 03:49:18 PM »
I find 2 sinks really important, we don't have a dishwasher and we're 2 adults & an infant. One sink for pre-rinsing or soaking or post-secondary rinsing under running water depending on what the dishes are... Or for rinsing the lettuce while I wash dishes etc.

Cassie, I'd never heard that not experienced it, how curious!

totoro

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #410 on: July 26, 2017, 05:30:20 PM »
Thanks!!  One more question, how many are you washing up for? I really like pbkmaine's setup (because it's so nice and clean) but I suspect that our left sink would get filled up very quickly.  3 kids, cook 3X a day, lots of pots and pans, also washing overflow from dishwasher.

former player, don't you have issues with grease and scummy water? Maybe I overdo it... always feel like I want to rinse the old water off because it is full of crumbs, germs, etc.

We cook for six and often have big dinner parties.  I run the dishwasher twice some days and never hand wash the overflow - it stays stacked above the dishwasher until the current load is done.  Pots and pans similarly stacked to the left of the sink or in sink with water to soak if needed.  We then just wash all the pans at once.  I tend to cook extra so lunches are leftovers with not too much cooking needed.  This works well for us and the kitchen is usually pretty tidy - although it wasn't as clean pre Reno when we had less storage space.

Cranky

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #411 on: July 27, 2017, 07:08:39 AM »
If you have a single bowl sink, and there's stuff in it waiting to be washed, it's harder to rinse vegetables, drain pasta, etc. It doesn't sound like it would be a big deal, but it was a constant annoyance to me, and one of my firm requirements when we remodeled was that we got a double bowl sink. A year later, I still love it.

I've got a hammered copper sink, and I love that it doesn't show any stains - I was constantly scrubbing the old white porcelain sink.

We're cooking for 3 adults, we almost always cook and eat at home, and I run the dishwasher at least once/day.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #412 on: July 27, 2017, 08:08:47 AM »
Thank you so much for your feedback, everyone!  I've never lived in a place with a double sink and the cost does not seem to be much more than a single sink. We would lose some counter space, though.

I try to keep an empty sink (like Flylady) so my biggest beef is really the dishes that are always on the drainboard, unless we take the extra time to dry them. I don't like the clutter, so having the dishes drying in the second sink is intriguing!

I also think the two sinks could streamline my dishwashing routine, and maybe even save water. 

I'm also going to revisit the discussion of drying cupboards.  I like having a window over the sink... anybody have a drying cupboard to the right or left of the sink?  Would it be bad to have the water dripping onto the counter?

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #413 on: July 27, 2017, 08:47:10 AM »
Why not just have a counter top draining rack? We use this one:

And it folds up very small when it's not in use (although I'll be honest, it lives out here generally, we have plenty of counter space. At our last old place it got put away though). I keep a dish towel under it that I swap out every week when I wash towels.

So this way, we have a double sink *and* a dish drying rack. It's lovely, so much workable space this way.

Lews Therin

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #414 on: July 27, 2017, 09:00:56 AM »
I have the same rack with a dollarama mat under to pick up water. They both fold flat, so hides under the sink when not in use, only using a few inches of space.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #415 on: July 27, 2017, 09:08:58 AM »
I have the same rack with a dollarama mat under to pick up water. They both fold flat, so hides under the sink when not in use, only using a few inches of space.

I will issue a 'warning' on those absorbant drying mats (not sure if that's what you have, but I was reminded of that!). If you live somewhere very humid (aka, Oregon in wintertime), they can mold very quickly if you don't wash and dry them often! After a particularly gross instance of counter-mold, I switched to the dish towel system, since they dry out more completely and faster, and it's easier for some reason for me to remember to wash it every week. However, in the desert where my parents live? Those drying mats are awesome.

You can also get a tilted basin that drains water back into the sink, but I find those develop soap scum/mineral deposits that are really hard to get off, and very unsightly.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #416 on: July 27, 2017, 11:01:06 AM »
Why not just have a counter top draining rack? We use this one:


We did have one (a stainless steel version), but this year made the decision to get rid of it... now just lay a dish towel down next to the sink. 

What I have in mind is something like this:
http://99percentinvisible.org/article/finnish-dishes-simple-nordic-design-beats-dishwashers-drying-racks/

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #417 on: July 27, 2017, 08:03:11 PM »
Why not just have a counter top draining rack? We use this one:


We did have one (a stainless steel version), but this year made the decision to get rid of it... now just lay a dish towel down next to the sink. 

What I have in mind is something like this:
http://99percentinvisible.org/article/finnish-dishes-simple-nordic-design-beats-dishwashers-drying-racks/

See, my worry is that inadequate airflow and cleaning options would mean the cupboard would get funky and warped. Admittedly, I'm in a higher humidity area than many, but that would be my personal hesitation. Particularly if the wood of the cupboard itself got warped (sides/door), that's really awful because it would be quite expensive to replace.

pbkmaine

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Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #418 on: July 27, 2017, 08:38:14 PM »
I have tried the rack next to the sink but the double sink works best for me. It looks neater to me to have the dishes drying in the sink rather than on the counter. And the water goes right down the drain rather than onto a mat.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2017, 06:44:46 AM by pbkmaine »

theadvicist

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #419 on: July 28, 2017, 04:32:04 AM »
Are 'draining boards' not standard in the US? Here most stainless steel sinks have a side return with a slight slope and groves in it, where you stack your dishes. The water runs off and drains back into the sink. If you have granite, you have sloped grooves routed into the surface which again, drain back into the sink. Literally every kitchen has a draining board.

The only person I know in the UK who doesn't have one is my American aunt who didn't want one and leaves her dishes to dry on a tea towel. Seems like a weird and impractical set up to me (and kind of unhygienic compared to just allowing the water to drain straight back into the sink and air dry), and it doesn't allow the inside of wine glasses and mugs to dry, but I guess it's just what you grew up with.

A drying cupboard is a great idea. I don't think it would warp - surely the wood is treated just like other wood used in kitchen cabinetry? I mean, I wipe mine down all the time and never dry them, they are varnished or something.

Cranky

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #420 on: July 28, 2017, 05:32:18 AM »
Draining boards are not common in US kitchens. I've seen them in IKEA set ups and in pictures of European kitchens in general. I had one built into the sink in an apartment we lived in where the whole setup probably dated from the 1930's, but I've not seen them otherwise.

I think we prefer to pretend that the dishes magically dry themselves. ;-)

GreenSheep

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #421 on: July 28, 2017, 08:53:02 AM »
Why not just have a counter top draining rack? We use this one:


We did have one (a stainless steel version), but this year made the decision to get rid of it... now just lay a dish towel down next to the sink. 

What I have in mind is something like this:
http://99percentinvisible.org/article/finnish-dishes-simple-nordic-design-beats-dishwashers-drying-racks/

See, my worry is that inadequate airflow and cleaning options would mean the cupboard would get funky and warped. Admittedly, I'm in a higher humidity area than many, but that would be my personal hesitation. Particularly if the wood of the cupboard itself got warped (sides/door), that's really awful because it would be quite expensive to replace.

My current kitchen setup doesn't allow this, but in my last two homes, I solved this by having just a wire rack over the sink, attached to the bottoms of the cabinets on either side, rather than an entire cabinet. So there was airflow all around. Of course, since there were no doors, you could see all the dishes drying up there, but that never bothered me. I think seeing them was actually a constant reminder to put the damn things away, whereas hiding them behind a door might have made it too easy to leave them there forever!

GreenSheep

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #422 on: July 28, 2017, 08:58:04 AM »
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I recently moved to a new home, and I've set up a cleaning routine that makes me so happy! Having the right tools and some sort of organized process makes the whole task of maintaining a clean home easy and even pleasant. I now have a little closet full of homemade cleaners, microfiber towels, and two Sharks (vacuum and steam mop). I also used some essential oils that were given to me to add nice scents to my homemade cleaners, Costco hand soap, etc. Anyone can stop by anytime and even use the bathroom, and I have no fear that they'll spot a ring around the toilet or a fur tumbleweed in a corner!

galliver

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #423 on: July 28, 2017, 12:36:34 PM »
Re: dishes (for 2 people, apt with no dishwasher)

We have a double sink. I do dishes once daily on average (unless I skipped a day and am catching up); I prefer to do a whole sinkful at once, rather than a plate at a time. Ideally, there's no stuck on crud so I run some water over them just to dampen, then use a damp soapy sponge (https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-202-Clean-Rinse-Scrubber/dp/B00455EPO) and move them to the other sink. Once it's full, I rinse the dishes under running water over the other dishes (ultimately cuts rinsing time) and put them in the drying area. I've tried the "wash and rinse" tub idea but it feels gross to me. On the other hand I don't feel the need for a lot of water for the washing stage, just soap and scrubbling (even stuck on stuff comes off if I soap it up and leave it for a minute).

For drying, we have a plastic rack* (https://www.amazon.com/Casabella-Flip-Dish-Rack-White) or drying mat (https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Large-Silicone-Drying/dp/B004ZLAG54/). I found that taller dishes (glasses, mugs) didn't dry so well on the drying mat alone, but then we got a "roll up dish dryer" (https://www.amazon.com/DW-Stainless-Foldable-Flexible-Silicone/dp/B01N6LCEUY) as a gift and that helps speed up drying a LOT, on a dish towel or the silicone mats. Cutlery goes into a mesh/ventilated caddy to dry (small things in the little dryer basket).

If I have a lot of pots and pans, I set them on the clean stove (one edge on a burner) to dry.

*I grew up with and generally prefer 2-tier racks, but the cabinets in this kitchen were so low that the one I had didn't fit :'(

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #424 on: July 28, 2017, 07:21:36 PM »
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I recently moved to a new home, and I've set up a cleaning routine that makes me so happy! Having the right tools and some sort of organized process makes the whole task of maintaining a clean home easy and even pleasant. I now have a little closet full of homemade cleaners, microfiber towels, and two Sharks (vacuum and steam mop). I also used some essential oils that were given to me to add nice scents to my homemade cleaners, Costco hand soap, etc. Anyone can stop by anytime and even use the bathroom, and I have no fear that they'll spot a ring around the toilet or a fur tumbleweed in a corner!

Congrats! This is so awesome for you. It is such a good feeling. Keep up the good work!

BlueHouse

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #425 on: July 31, 2017, 08:06:26 AM »
Draining boards are not common in US kitchens. I've seen them in IKEA set ups and in pictures of European kitchens in general. I had one built into the sink in an apartment we lived in where the whole setup probably dated from the 1930's, but I've not seen them otherwise.

I think we prefer to pretend that the dishes magically dry themselves. ;-)
My grandmother had a draining board, but I havnet seen once since then.  Her house was 1930s also. 

I don't like double sinks.  how do you wash the big dishes that can't fit in the smaller sink?  I have a huge trough for a sink.  I got it right when those started being manufactured, and unfortunately, mine has the square corners.  One year later and I would have had rounded corners...easier to clean.  Oh well.

pbkmaine

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #426 on: July 31, 2017, 08:14:31 AM »
Draining boards are not common in US kitchens. I've seen them in IKEA set ups and in pictures of European kitchens in general. I had one built into the sink in an apartment we lived in where the whole setup probably dated from the 1930's, but I've not seen them otherwise.

I think we prefer to pretend that the dishes magically dry themselves. ;-)
My grandmother had a draining board, but I havnet seen once since then.  Her house was 1930s also. 

I don't like double sinks.  how do you wash the big dishes that can't fit in the smaller sink?  I have a huge trough for a sink.  I got it right when those started being manufactured, and unfortunately, mine has the square corners.  One year later and I would have had rounded corners...easier to clean.  Oh well.

I clean big pans in my laundry sink.

Dave1442397

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #427 on: July 31, 2017, 08:21:42 AM »
Draining boards are not common in US kitchens. I've seen them in IKEA set ups and in pictures of European kitchens in general. I had one built into the sink in an apartment we lived in where the whole setup probably dated from the 1930's, but I've not seen them otherwise.

I think we prefer to pretend that the dishes magically dry themselves. ;-)
My grandmother had a draining board, but I havnet seen once since then.  Her house was 1930s also. 

I don't like double sinks.  how do you wash the big dishes that can't fit in the smaller sink?  I have a huge trough for a sink.  I got it right when those started being manufactured, and unfortunately, mine has the square corners.  One year later and I would have had rounded corners...easier to clean.  Oh well.

You really don't see them here at all. Oddly enough, our basement sink has one built in. It's not like we'll ever be doing dishes in the basement, but that's how they built it in 1960.

totoro

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #428 on: July 31, 2017, 09:15:44 AM »
I don't like double sinks.  how do you wash the big dishes that can't fit in the smaller sink?

Do mean things cookie sheets, pizza trays and large roasting pans?  I wash big pans like roasting pans by soaking them on the counter and scrubbing the bottom on the counter,  and then they go in the sink on an angle for final cleaning.  Having a pull-out sprayer helps.  Cookie sheets and pizza pans the same.  I haven't had a problem with this method.  Our sink is fairly big though because it is a double farmhouse sink.

Rural

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #429 on: July 31, 2017, 05:05:56 PM »
I had a drain board in the old farmhouse we rented before we bought this place. wonderful thing, but hard to find now.


theadvicist

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #430 on: August 01, 2017, 02:31:22 AM »
Interesting that draining boards got phased out! Must have been the rise of the dishwasher, though we use our daily as DH won't allow knives and pans in the dishwasher.

I also prefer a big sink for cookie sheets etc, but like two sinks for the ability to rinse or just get a glass of water / tip something away whilst the other sink is being used to wash up or soak. So in my next kitchen I'm going for a 'double' sink that's a big one and little one. I guess one is 1.5 normal size, one is 0.5 normal size. With a draining board built in to the worktop, lol.

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #431 on: August 01, 2017, 04:29:34 AM »
Here's a silly question (I learned very little from my Mom in cleaning, so I feel like I am learning all of this now that I am a SAHM getting some breathing room with my toddlers)....

I have a double sink (33" total if that helps). I have been trying to use my dishwasher more, but kind of enjoy washing dishes and putting them away ASAP and using a dishwasher feels like I am putting off the task to procrastinate (I hate unloading). I probably waste too much water.

I don't have a drainboard nor a rack that goes in one of my double sinks. No rack because of the clutter and cleanliness factor. I like setting out a new towel each day or each time I wash. I let them dry downstairs overnight in the basement laundry sink to avoid mildew and then wash all my kitchen towels together when I get around to it. Each day has new towels.

My silly question is.....my sink NEVER feels clean. How do get yours clean? How often do you clean it? What do you clean with (baking soda, something harsher)? I clean it, wipe it down every night, but would never think to actually put clean dishes in there to dry. That grosses me out. Let alone every time I see a rack for drying dishes, it looks dirty (like at my family or friend's houses), dusty, crumbs in their racks, or gunk in the corners of rack. How do you all clean the rack or is there some kind of regularity to it?

I have a small amount of counterspace (my kitchen is a fabulous original midcentury kitchen), and I suppose getting over my phobias over a clean sink and/or clean drying rack would give me back a lot of counter space.

Also, I am home all day with my kids, so our sink is used constantly. Water cups, snacks, lunch, prepping dinner, baking, etc.

Any ideas on having a clean sink? Has anyone thought of this?

Edited to add: I have a stainless steel sink.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2017, 06:10:00 AM by nottoolatetostart »

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #432 on: August 01, 2017, 04:55:10 AM »
What is your sink made of?

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #433 on: August 01, 2017, 06:11:27 AM »
What is your sink made of?

Thanks, sorry for not including. I modified my post earlier too. It is stainless steel (was in the house before I bought it, so I don't know 18 gauge or 22 gauge). It is standard depth, not like 9"-10" depth. It has scratches, but those don't bother me.

Cranky

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #434 on: August 01, 2017, 06:52:51 AM »
I am not really bothered by crumbs in a kitchen, and I figure that since I am regularly filling my sink with hot soapy water, it's pretty clean!

My white sink did stain really fast, and I had to use comet on it. My copper sink, I have spray on copper wax that I use about once/week. I bet you could wax a stainless sink, too.

When I took Home Ec, back in the Olden Days, the teacher was insistent that we should dry the sink every day, and then throw the dish towel into the laundry.

former player

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #435 on: August 01, 2017, 08:01:32 AM »
With a double sink, you can have one that's "clean" and another that is used to drain.

Do you use washing-up bowls?  They make washing-up by hand much easier and more pleasant, mean you can use less water, and they keep the sink itself both cleaner and easier to clean.

I used a scrubbing brush and washing-up liquid (if the dishwashing water is clean enough, I use that) to clean my sink: it gets done at the end of the day after the last dishwashing.  The draining rack gets done less often - a draining rack should stay pretty clean most of the time, as you are only putting cleaned items on it.  Again, a scrubbing brush and washing-up liquid does the job when needed.

I have grooves in my worktop where the draining rack sits - using a towel seems unhygienic to me (I guess we all have our own squick levels, but using a towel would not pass muster in a commercial kitchen).  If I didn't have a draining board or draining grooves, I would put the rack in the second sink.  You could put a rack on an upside down washing-up bowl to keep it above the level of the sink in order to avoid your "gross-out" factor.  A folding rack would avoid it looking like clutter when not in use.

GreenSheep

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #436 on: August 01, 2017, 08:14:10 AM »
Well, I'm no expert, but here's what I do. Although I typically wash any dishes right away, if there is a time when I need to just put them in the sink and deal with them later, I make sure to run water into them so any food will be soft and easy to clean off later. I also wipe down the sink with the soapy sponge after I wash my dishes, to prevent having to scrub hardened gunk off of it later. For "real" cleaning of the sink, Melissa Maker at cleanmyspace.com (I like her articles... not really her videos) recommends equal parts water and isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol for cleaning a sink. It shines and disinfects at the same time.

(Not to get into a "you should eat like me" argument, but for numerous reasons beyond the cleanliness of my sink, I stopped eating all animal products and all oils a couple of years ago, and it has worked wonders for my dishes and sink, and my kitchen in general. It's so easy to clean when there's no grease! Everything is water-soluble and just wipes right off!)

Like you, I don't use our dishwasher, and I like the idea of getting all of the dishes done right away, rather than having them lurking in a dirty box under the counter. (My friend says, "Want a box of shit in your house? Get a cat!" I feel like dishwashers are sort of similar. To me it's a box of gross, dirty dishes, or it's a box of clean stuff hanging over my head that I need to put away. If I had a larger family, I might feel differently!) I was very against having a drying rack, too, but we recently moved to a new house that has no rack over the sink, so I've given in to having one on the counter next to the sink. (The sink is huge but doesn't have two sides, so putting the rack in the sink wasn't really an option unless we wanted to avoid using the sink for hours at a time while allowing the dishes to dry.) I don't actually mind it. I just give it a quick wipe/rinse every few days to keep the grime away. (Actually something I've finally learned to do with the rest of the house, too. A quick wipe here and there is so much easier than a weekend-long flurry of scrubbing when it becomes gross!)

YogiKitti

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #437 on: August 01, 2017, 08:23:36 AM »
I have a stainless sink that I'll scrub down with dish soap if there is food scrubs in it and then when I'm doing my usual cleaning I clean the basin and the facet with vinegar to shine it up.

Re: double sink discussion. My last place has a large single sink and I much prefer it to a double sink. So much easier for large pots and pans. If you need to drain pasta or rinse vegetables in it, then you just do the dishes before you start cooking. I see that as a plus to get a chore out of the way more than a hassle. Our current place has a double sink and we never use one side of it. We dry dishes in a towel set on the counter. I like this set up, because when they are done you have that additional counter space instead of a drying rack taking it up.

iris lily

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #438 on: August 01, 2017, 11:49:17 AM »
I woildnt live without a double sink. One side is always "dirty" with vegetable scraps and etc.

I also like stainless and find it to be one of the few mid-range finishes to hold its looks. Granted, I woild like a porcelain sink, but not enough to spend the money. I am satisfied with stainless.

With This Herring

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #439 on: August 01, 2017, 12:35:02 PM »
Whatever you do, don't get a white sink.  It stains so easily; it is a pain to scrub out the sink with baking soda to get most of the stains then lay down towels with peroxide to get the rest.

When you do this reno, make sure to get a spray nozzle!  That would make rinsing dishes easier.  With my single-basin, I could just soap up all the dishes, set them in the rack in the sink, spray them down to rinse, then put the rack on the draining board.

totoro

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #440 on: August 01, 2017, 01:17:07 PM »
Yeah, ours is white and I now prefer stainless.   The white farmhouse sink is lovely in design and practical for space, but it shows the dirt and it is more difficult to get completely clean than stainless.  It also has grooves on the shelf bit between the sink and wall and those are fiddly to clean and get dirty frequently too.  I do enjoy the aesthetics of it, but not enough to do it again.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #441 on: August 01, 2017, 02:00:38 PM »
When you do this reno, make sure to get a spray nozzle!  That would make rinsing dishes easier.  With my single-basin, I could just soap up all the dishes, set them in the rack in the sink, spray them down to rinse, then put the rack on the draining board.

VERY clever!  I currently have a large white porcelain sink, with spray nozzle. Dry my dishes on a towel set next to the sink. The surface of the porcelain is worn so it stains constantly. I try not to let dishes pile up in it, and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel a few times a day.  We spray it with dilute bleach about 1x per week. Not crazy about my method though... too often dirty, drying dishes clutter the counter, and wasteful of water too.

But I am going to try your rack method today!

marble_faun

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #442 on: August 01, 2017, 04:12:49 PM »
Re: Grease spattering all over the stove top --

I recently got a grease screen to cover my skillet while cooking meats. It's a device I didn't really know existed until I googled for solutions to the problem of burning hot grease spraying everywhere and creating a giant mess every night of my life.

It works so well!  Cleaning the stove got a lot easier. And you can throw the screen itself in the dishwasher.

With This Herring

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #443 on: August 01, 2017, 07:28:23 PM »
When you do this reno, make sure to get a spray nozzle!  That would make rinsing dishes easier.  With my single-basin, I could just soap up all the dishes, set them in the rack in the sink, spray them down to rinse, then put the rack on the draining board.

VERY clever!  I currently have a large white porcelain sink, with spray nozzle. Dry my dishes on a towel set next to the sink. The surface of the porcelain is worn so it stains constantly. I try not to let dishes pile up in it, and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel a few times a day.  We spray it with dilute bleach about 1x per week. Not crazy about my method though... too often dirty, drying dishes clutter the counter, and wasteful of water too.

But I am going to try your rack method today!

To clarify, that would be my ideal.  I do NOT have a spray nozzle.  I am currently using the inefficient scrub-things-with-water-running-and-rinse-as-I-go method.  Do tell me if it works well!

Also, occasionally I have waxed the sink after scrubbing + peroxiding it, which seems to help a little.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #444 on: August 02, 2017, 01:06:24 AM »
I went and looked at my kitchen sink. It's fine, but not spotless. I realised that I just think of the kitchen sink as a dirty place, so I'm not fussed about it.

Also, you can buy kitchen tap hose attachments - either screw-on ones or shorter silicone ones that basically just direct the water.

dess1313

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #445 on: August 02, 2017, 02:23:45 AM »
Posting to follow. My biggest issue is mail and school paperwork. I always have bills and statements laying all over, even if the most urgent ones are in a cork board above the desk. I have most of my bills in electronic form, but some, like the credit card statement, I prefer to have in paper to keep track of different budget lines.

Late to the game but saw this post about papers and paperwork.  I have one similar to these tucked in a deep drawer. Papers only go in when finished with, like bill is paid, or statement is viewed.  I try to do it right away after getting mail.  you could also keep it on a corner counter. All the papers have a folder/category which keeps it neat and tidy.  every few months i put the papers in the big accordion folder i use for the tax year.  everything is sorted and easy to find this way.  If you added a small pin board above it, you could pin stuff that still needs to be done, then easily file it after finishing.

https://www.staples.ca/en/Deflect-O-Desktop-Hanging-File-Folder/product_1570001_2-CA_1_20001

Cranky

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #446 on: August 02, 2017, 05:11:07 AM »
If you're remodeling, a pull down faucet has all the advantages of a sprayer nozzle, and so much more.

I think I only have one pan in regular use that doesn't fit easily into my double sink.

Goldielocks

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #447 on: August 02, 2017, 02:03:39 PM »
Why not just have a counter top draining rack? We use this one:


We did have one (a stainless steel version), but this year made the decision to get rid of it... now just lay a dish towel down next to the sink. 

What I have in mind is something like this:
http://99percentinvisible.org/article/finnish-dishes-simple-nordic-design-beats-dishwashers-drying-racks/

Yes! this!  I am renovating a small condo kitchen, and taking out the large double sink, and putting in a sink and a half, with the drying shelf / rack over top.  It drips into the sink. I am not sure if I will by the sink with the side stainless steel drying area or not.

That would be more than enough for a 2 person use.  More people, and back to two full sinks.. although my sister has a larger oversize deep sink with a half sink instead (she entertains a lot, has a dishwasher, and handwashes a lot of wine glasses, china, and platters).

I like a half sink, as I can rinse the crud off in the half sink, and handwash in the second larger bowl, and rinse if needed back in the first half bowl (holding the item under the faucet).  Then place it over the sink -- the genius is the reduced counter clutter.  I am also not a fan of hand drying.  I put the bowls and pots upside down to drain while I finish, then just pat dry the worst spots as I put them away -- dishes can drip dry.  (I have soft water - no spotting).

Note-- If you live in an area with lots of dust, dust storms etc., leaving dishes to self-dry will cause you to need to wash them twice, sometimes.


Goldielocks

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #448 on: August 02, 2017, 02:10:18 PM »
Draining boards are not common in US kitchens. I've seen them in IKEA set ups and in pictures of European kitchens in general. I had one built into the sink in an apartment we lived in where the whole setup probably dated from the 1930's, but I've not seen them otherwise.

I think we prefer to pretend that the dishes magically dry themselves. ;-)
My grandmother had a draining board, but I havnet seen once since then.  Her house was 1930s also. 

I don't like double sinks.  how do you wash the big dishes that can't fit in the smaller sink?  I have a huge trough for a sink.  I got it right when those started being manufactured, and unfortunately, mine has the square corners.  One year later and I would have had rounded corners...easier to clean.  Oh well.
I think the standard is a double sink with two 15" or even 17" full size sink bowls, depending on if your cupboard is 30" or 36" wide below. 

the half sink is just used for rinsing / draining, really, maybe washing a plate, which is why they are less common.

Rural

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #449 on: August 02, 2017, 08:58:32 PM »
You know, even my big water bath canner fits easily into both sides of my double sink. I have a tall arch-over style faucet, and I think that makes more difference in things fitting than sink size. That said, I did pick the sink and designed the counters around it...