Can you please explain to clueless me how a single sink works?

[jedikaiti]

I don't think that I could bring myself to rinse under running water, it seems so wasteful.

You only turn on the faucet in really short bursts--i.e. only when you have a dish to rinse--and I bet the amount of water used is lower than if you filled a sink of standing water. It doesn't just run the whole time.

I don't remember ever washing dishes in a single sink, and that was how I always rinsed - sometimes I'd stack a bunch of dishes in the 2nd sink and rinse them all at once, but I never EVER used a sink of standing water to rinse. It just seemed counterproductive to me.

Of course I rarely have that many dishes to wash - unless it's a major holiday dinner at my parent's house, all the dishes can usually go in the dishwasher. :-)

[Ereine]

I don't think that I could bring myself to rinse under running water, it seems so wasteful.

You only turn on the faucet in really short bursts--i.e. only when you have a dish to rinse--and I bet the amount of water used is lower than if you filled a sink of standing water. It doesn't just run the whole time.

That's why I said it seems wasteful, not that it necessarily is I think that we were taught at school that leaving water running is evil and obviously it applies to everything. I usually wash quite a lot of dishes at a time (because I hate doing them and am lazy) and I think that rinsing them would probably take as much water as my plastic tub and it seems easier to me.

How do you shower?  or flush a toilet?
I don't think anyone is advocating just leaving the water running randomly, but rather during active washing/rinsing time, no different then rinsing your hands, or your toothbrush or your hair.

I guess I wasn't clear enough that it's just the perception of it, kind of like to some people not rinsing dishes seems really odd (it seems to me too, all our general dish washing soaps have warning labels and though it probably applies more to it undiluted, I still don't want digest it).

[StarFaerie]

I don't think that I could bring myself to rinse under running water, it seems so wasteful.

You only turn on the faucet in really short bursts--i.e. only when you have a dish to rinse--and I bet the amount of water used is lower than if you filled a sink of standing water. It doesn't just run the whole time.

That's why I said it seems wasteful, not that it necessarily is I think that we were taught at school that leaving water running is evil and obviously it applies to everything. I usually wash quite a lot of dishes at a time (because I hate doing them and am lazy) and I think that rinsing them would probably take as much water as my plastic tub and it seems easier to me.

How do you shower?  or flush a toilet?
I don't think anyone is advocating just leaving the water running randomly, but rather during active washing/rinsing time, no different then rinsing your hands, or your toothbrush or your hair.

I guess I wasn't clear enough that it's just the perception of it, kind of like to some people not rinsing dishes seems really odd (it seems to me too, all our general dish washing soaps have warning labels and though it probably applies more to it undiluted, I still don't want digest it).

Interesting. I just checked my dishwashing liquid (Australian) and there is no warning on it about rinsing, just an instruction that a small squirt is enough.

[MariaE]

I don't think that I could bring myself to rinse under running water, it seems so wasteful.

You only turn on the faucet in really short bursts--i.e. only when you have a dish to rinse--and I bet the amount of water used is lower than if you filled a sink of standing water. It doesn't just run the whole time.

That's why I said it seems wasteful, not that it necessarily is I think that we were taught at school that leaving water running is evil and obviously it applies to everything. I usually wash quite a lot of dishes at a time (because I hate doing them and am lazy) and I think that rinsing them would probably take as much water as my plastic tub and it seems easier to me.

How do you shower?  or flush a toilet?
I don't think anyone is advocating just leaving the water running randomly, but rather during active washing/rinsing time, no different then rinsing your hands, or your toothbrush or your hair.

I guess I wasn't clear enough that it's just the perception of it, kind of like to some people not rinsing dishes seems really odd (it seems to me too, all our general dish washing soaps have warning labels and though it probably applies more to it undiluted, I still don't want digest it).

Interesting. I just checked my dishwashing liquid (Australian) and there is no warning on it about rinsing, just an instruction that a small squirt is enough.

Same with the one I'm using (Denmark). In fact, it is advertised as being gentle enough to use for washing hands as well.

[Redsoil]

It's quite interesting to me that so many people think  that washing dishes in a single sink and not rinsing is unusual!  (And to be honest, the "disgusting" comment got to me too.) 

Single sink here (not one house I've lived in had a double).  Fill with about three inches of hot water only (after scraping the dishes and rinsing a bit in hot water firstto get the worst stuff off - either running or from the kettle).  Small squirt of soap, then start with the lightly soiled items first and work up to the heavier/dirtier items.  If the water starts to get a bit mucky, drain it out and re-fill, add soap and go again.Wipe with a cotton tea-towel and put away. 

I found it interesting that people wash dishes quite differently to this in other parts of the world.

[MariaE]

It's quite interesting to me that so many people think  that washing dishes in a single sink and not rinsing is unusual!  (And to be honest, the "disgusting" comment got to me too.) 

Single sink here (not one house I've lived in had a double).  Fill with about three inches of hot water only (after scraping the dishes and rinsing a bit in hot water firstto get the worst stuff off - either running or from the kettle).  Small squirt of soap, then start with the lightly soiled items first and work up to the heavier/dirtier items.  If the water starts to get a bit mucky, drain it out and re-fill, add soap and go again.Wipe with a cotton tea-towel and put away. 

I found it interesting that people wash dishes quite differently to this in other parts of the world.

This is actually how we were taught to wash dishes in home ec back in the early 90s

[camlan]

I'm the exactly opposite of the OP. Currently, I'm dealing with the first double sink I've ever had, and I don't like it. Difficult to wash cookie sheets and the big Dutch oven. And two drains to have to keep clear, instead of one.

Mostly, in a single sink, I've used a dish pan to hold the hot, soapy water. I wash a few dishes and put them in the empty part of the sink, and rinse them when there's a small stack. Then repeat until they are all done.

Some people leave the water running and rinse each dish/cup/fork as it is washed. Some people put everything in the drying rack and pour or spray water over them when everything is washed.

Some people just plop the dirty dishes in the sink, put the soap on the dish cloth, run the water and wash and rinse each piece.

I've only once seen a single sink that couldn't hold a dish pan. That's in my brother's house, which has a very badly remodeled kitchen. He has a small, but very deep single sink--it's about the size of one side of a double sink. He puts everything possible into the dishwasher, and washes everything else by running hot water and washing and rinsing each item in a single step.

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

Don't rinse! I never bother (expect with wine glasses) and used my second sink for dishes that won't fit in the drainer.

This, Single sink, No dishwasher (bar me ). I use really stinking hot water( my hands are used to it) and only a little detergent. I dont rinse.

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

It's quite interesting to me that so many people think  that washing dishes in a single sink and not rinsing is unusual!  (And to be honest, the "disgusting" comment got to me too.) 

Single sink here (not one house I've lived in had a double).  Fill with about three inches of hot water only (after scraping the dishes and rinsing a bit in hot water firstto get the worst stuff off - either running or from the kettle).  Small squirt of soap, then start with the lightly soiled items first and work up to the heavier/dirtier items.  If the water starts to get a bit mucky, drain it out and re-fill, add soap and go again.Wipe with a cotton tea-towel and put away. 

I found it interesting that people wash dishes quite differently to this in other parts of the world.

I guess I should read the whole thread huh

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

I don't think that I could bring myself to rinse under running water, it seems so wasteful.

You only turn on the faucet in really short bursts--i.e. only when you have a dish to rinse--and I bet the amount of water used is lower than if you filled a sink of standing water. It doesn't just run the whole time.

That's why I said it seems wasteful, not that it necessarily is I think that we were taught at school that leaving water running is evil and obviously it applies to everything. I usually wash quite a lot of dishes at a time (because I hate doing them and am lazy) and I think that rinsing them would probably take as much water as my plastic tub and it seems easier to me.

How do you shower?  or flush a toilet?
I don't think anyone is advocating just leaving the water running randomly, but rather during active washing/rinsing time, no different then rinsing your hands, or your toothbrush or your hair.

Really sweetheart, They do clean just fine. CSIRO do germ tests. Hand washing this way is just as clean as a dishwasher.
 Our washing up standards work.

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

Don't rinse! I never bother (expect with wine glasses) and used my second sink for dishes that won't fit in the drainer.

Wait what?  Please explain because as written that disgusting and unsanitary sounding!  How do you not rinse the soap and food particles off the dishes and consider them clean?

You wash them, so the food particles are cleaned off, then you dry them.  If you don't overload with unnecessary amounts of liquid, there's not much in the way of suds to dry off.

Exactly this. Plus I suspect our (as in Australian) washing liquid is different since you don't need to rinse bubbles off, they don't really stick. Plus rinsing wastes water which is a crime over here! The only people I know who rinse are British ex pats. My MIL rinses but doesn't bother filling her sink with water, just wipes things over with a skanky dishcloth and rinses. That seems so much worse than not rinsing!

Most stuff goes in the dishwasher, not many things get washed by hand.

I grew up in NZ - I don't know if it's regional or not, but most homes when I grew up had a single sink.  And you washed the dishes by washing the crockery and cutlery first, then the glasses (which my mum always filled with hot water before we dried them so they wouldn't streak).  then you washed the more heavily dirty items.  If you needed to, you refilled the sink, but we never rinsed the dishes at all. 

And none of us got sick from it. 

Willy Nilly, I found your post quite offensive.  Just because it's not something you do or don't do, doesn't mean it's disgusting or unsanitary.  Rinsing off shower gel or soap is what you do since you're standing under running water.  I know a lot of people who simply have sponge baths because they barely have any water left and it costs $$$ to get more.

I feel the same way

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

Don't rinse! I never bother (expect with wine glasses) and used my second sink for dishes that won't fit in the drainer.

Wait what?  Please explain because as written that disgusting and unsanitary sounding!  How do you not rinse the soap and food particles off the dishes and consider them clean?

You wash them, so the food particles are cleaned off, then you dry them.  If you don't overload with unnecessary amounts of liquid, there's not much in the way of suds to dry off.

Exactly this. Plus I suspect our (as in Australian) washing liquid is different since you don't need to rinse bubbles off, they don't really stick. Plus rinsing wastes water which is a crime over here! The only people I know who rinse are British ex pats. My MIL rinses but doesn't bother filling her sink with water, just wipes things over with a skanky dishcloth and rinses. That seems so much worse than not rinsing!

Most stuff goes in the dishwasher, not many things get washed by hand.

I think you're in my town Bluenomi, so we also have very soft water. You don't need much detergent at all and certainly there is no need to rinse unless you have gone overboard with the detergent accidentally. I don't think I know anyone who rinses, except my stepmother who just pours boiling water over the dishes in the drainer so that they air dry quickly.

Using rainwater here. Water restrictions are hell.

[Margo]

for me, it depends how much washing up there is. For smaller quantities, I will wash, put the dishes in the dish drainer (which sits on the draining board) and then use a mug or glass to pour water over them to rinse, as this uses less water than simply running a tap.  I do this as I go along so that everything gets rinsed.

For things such as glasses where this isn't practical (because you can only rinse the outside using this method)  I would usually rinse the glass under the tap, and then use that water to pour over the outside of the next glass, and so on.

If I have someone who is doing the drying up for me as I go along then I will either fill a large basin with clean, hot water and use that to rinse before putting things onto the drainer (and when it starts to get soapy, pour away the washing water, use the rinsing water to wash the next tranche of stuff, and re-fill the rinsing bowl.

[MommyPenguin]

I thought that the way soap works was that it tends to cling to the particles of food and stuff, so you need the rinsing away action in order to actually get the item clean.  Or does towel-drying complete that part of the process?  Personally, I am *not* a person who dries dishes... I don't see the point, since they'll dry on the drying rack, and I read recently somewhere that they tend to be cleaner if air-dried, anyway.  But if you did need to towel-dry them because of space, then maybe that's how it works to not rinse them?  Or does the soap just work that very differently?

If we get a house that needs the countertop replaced anyway (some of them have laminate, and my husband can pour a replacement concrete countertop, which would also look nicer when we go to resell/rent the place out), it might be possible to change out the sink.  *If* there's room for a double sink.  But if the countertops are already granite/concrete/something good, or if there isn't space, I'll be stuck!  I guess I don't feel so bad about the idea, though, now that I have an idea of how it all works.  I would like lots of countertop and cabinet space, so maybe I could put up with the single sink that I'm not used to, if the kitchen is good in other ways. 

[Curly Wurly Doggie Breath]

The detergent here is quite mild. It lifts the grot and food and suspends it in the water.

If wanted, one Can rinse. I do so for the glasses.

But in incredibly hot water, it doesn't seem needed.

We also towel dry, but, In hot enough water, the dishes practically dry themselves.