All farmhouse sinks are beautiful, spacious and add a distinctive look to any kitchen. These sinks have deep basins that make them ideal for washing dishes.
A farmhouse sink can be either a double or single bowl and can be mounted in the kitchen or laundry area. These sinks are large enough to hold many dishes and deep, a feature that makes them highly convenient.
Despite their beauty, these sinks have a downside that many only come to realize after they’ve installed one already. Easily fragile dishes will break into it if you’re not careful when cleaning them.
To help you wash your china glass plates or wine glasses without shattering them, we’ve prepared the guide below for you. Although it’ll depend on whether you have a single or double bowl farmhouse sink, the steps to follow are almost the same.
A Guide to Wash Dishes in a Farmhouse Sink
Double Bowl Farmhouse Sink
To clean your dishes appropriately in a double bowl farmhouse sink, you need to;
Remove and Scrap Food Remains
Before you start cleaning your dishes, you must scrape and remove all food remains from them. This makes the cleaning process easier and also prevents your sink from blocking. You’ll get the chance to clean more dishes without having to drain and refill the sink from time to time.
Sort and Stack the Dishes
Since you don’t want to break your dishes or damage the sink, you need to carefully sort and stack them beside your sink (on the counter). Put your glasses and cups on one stack, plates on the other, and cutlery on a different stack. Place your pots and pans on the other side.
You also need always to clean your glass utensils separately to avoid breakage.
Set Up a Drying Area
A drying area is a place where you’ll put your clean dishes. You can get a simple drying rack and set it on the counter on one side of your sink. If you don’t have a drying rack, use a clean kitchen towel.
Add Liquid Detergent to The Sink
After sorting your utensils and setting up a drying space, you can now begin the cleaning process. To do so, add a little soap to your pre-filled sink.
Take your dishes and wash them one after the other by passing them through the soapy water. Scrub them well using a soft sponge.
Rinse the Dishes
After you’ve perfectly scrubbed and cleaned every utensil, you need to turn on the faucet and let the water flow at medium pressure. Pass the dishes through and rinse them thoroughly. Ensure that no soap residue is left.
Dry the Dishes
Drying the dishes is the last cleaning set. It’s even easier now that you’ve already set the drying space earlier. As you rinse the dishes, you need to place them on the drying rack one after the other.
Clean Your Farmhouse Sink
Once you’ve cleaned your dishes, the last step should be cleaning the sink, which is actually very simple. Most people tend to forget this equally important process. It plays a significant role in all your future dishwashing processes.
One thing to note is that leaving the sink dirty encourages disease, causing germs and bacteria to thrive. Drain the dirty soapy water and clean the sink after every use.
Rinse with clean water and leave it to dry on its own. You can also choose to wipe it dry with a microfiber cloth.
Single Bowl Farmhouse Sink
If you use a single bowl farmhouse sink, this is what you should do;
Get a Collapsible Dishpan
With a single bowl sink, you’ll need to get a dishpan that you’ll use to clean the dishes. Although you can use any dishpan, a collapsible one is the best option as it’s easy to use and store.
Put enough water in the dishpan and add liquid dishwashing detergent. Wash the dishes one after the other and rinse them in the sink.
You’ll actually follow the same process as with a double bowl sink, only that now you’ll be using a dishpan for removing the dirt and the single bowl for rinsing.
Set up a Drying Space
Note that single bowl sinks are bigger; most have enough room on one side for you to prep food. It’s this side that you’re going to use as your dish drying station.
You can use a drying mat or rack to dry your well-cleaned dishes.
Clean the Sink
After doing your dishes, you need to clean the sink right away. Leaving it dirty will encourage grime and dirt build-up, making it very hard to clean in the future.
Final Words
Cleaning dishes in a farmhouse sink isn’t all that complicated. You only need to take a little extra care to ensure that you don’t end up breaking your favorite utensils when carrying out the process. We believe that this guide will help you carry out the task successfully at all times.