Orangecamera Le Creuset markets a product that I have found works quite well to clean stains off the light colored interior enamel. It is called: "Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Cleaner."

There are only two of us in the household so it takes almost a week to fill the dishwasher and that's OK but there are always dishes/cups that we need everyday and knives that can't go into the dishwasher.

I wash them the way may mother did...two basins in the sink, one with soapy water and one with just hot water for rinsing...neither one needs to be filled to the brim(got to save water in CA)and then into a dish rack for drying

Thank you all for your suggestions for getting the stains out of my enamel!

My "hint" is for air drying dishes that have been washed in the dishwasher without using a heat-dry cycle. I usually run my dishwasher at night. When I wake in the middle of the night, I go into the kitchen and open the dishwasher and slide the racks out. By morning, everything is air-dried.

This method is especially nice in winter, as it lets a little residual "free" heat into the house, and a bit of humidity.

They dry themselves in the drawers while I sleep at night.....I dont dry them.....

All you baking soda people - add a little cheap white vinegar, let it bubble for awhile, scrub, and then pour it down the drain where it will also clear out gunk and leave it sweet smelling.

Handwash certain pieces always. Hot water rinse and scrape. Run garbage disposal. Clean sink. Wash dishes on one side, rinse on the other and put on a drying mat. I like the wooden drying rack pictured so I'm going to have to look for one of those. Oh, and personally I hate sponges and I don't care how you say you clean them. I always use tough paper towels that will stand up to being used as a washcloth and then tossed.

double sink, hot soapy water in one (enough to cover dishes), cool water in the second for rinsing. Dishes washed in this order: glasses, cutlery, bowls, plates, pots and cooking utensils, rinsed and put in rack to airdry. The dishes are put away in the am, no open concept living so hidden from view, yay! The only exception is large family dinners, others pitch in and dishes are dried and put away. No dishwasher in this house that is not human ;-)

i do like your way kristine, i am the same.

As to cleaning sponges used for dishes and counters, I get all the food particles off them and rinse them as well as I can and then put them(wet) in the microwave for 1 minute.

I have started using knitted cotton washcloths for my dishes. Use them for a day (or less if they get gross) and then toss them in the laundry.

My Mom and other relatives still use a "dish rag" for dish washing....it did not get laundered every day! I guess it was good for building a strong immune system

Judy, i think most of us grew up that way. much of this i believe are current sensibilities. Maybe we just have better microscopes and it keeps panicking us.

Sponges = bad. They are nasty bacteria holding things. If you are compelled to use them microwave them after a through rinse after EACH use as judyc mentioned.

Having only one large sink installed when the house was built in 1929, I wash dishes in a large aluminum bowl sitting inside sink, rinse them and they dry quickly in a drainer.

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found a collapsible tub which i can fill with hot sudsy water to take care of those things that need hand washing.

1. This made me smile - Loribeth, you do dishes exactly the way Grandma showed me. She would break out in hives watching my mother fill a sink with hot water and 'wasteful' soap bubbles, and taught me to use just the water needed to rinse for the rest to soak in - I fill the watering can and the coffee pot with the water as it runs up to temp, and still pour the soap directly on the dishcloth, so she doesn't roll over in her grave. (A two gallon max, BTW, you dishwasher mavens)
2. Also a big fan of the hand knit washcloth, Casabella gloves, NPR, sink dancing, cardinal counting, chipmunk chatter and deer watching.
3. (I'm not writing these numbers; my computer seems to have learned another weird trick I don't need....)

studio10001, it looks like you clicked on the icon under the message box that automatically numbers paragraphs (the one just to the left of the camera/photo button)

Most of my adult life I have not had dishwashers. I learned a great way to wash dishes from my step mother, who was brought up very poor in Poland.

She didn't believe in putting the dishes in in a sink filled with water with soap: that it uses a lot of water and also the water got dirty so how clean could the dishes get?

Instead: use a sponge with a scrubbie side. Put the liquid detergent on the wet scrubbie: don't need much, then wash the dish with that direct, concentrated soap. Put the cleaned/soapy dish aside on the counter, and repeat with the rest of the dishes/silverware. Then rinse them each off at the same time so the water isn't running while you are washing each item.

My grandmother who was frugal used to also put all the washed soapy items in a her second basin (2-basin/bowl sink) on a rack, then spray them down with the hand sprayer to rinse all at the same time.

While I have a dishwasher at this stage, the hand washables I still wash in this manner with the soap on a scrubbie sponge - it works great! And uses less water and soap than filling up a sink.

i usually fill the largest bowl or pan with hot soapy water and wash by hand. like you, mitchell, i stack my dirty dishes in categories and tackle them. i rinse quickly to save water. what's with all the dish washing questions, anyway? writing a book? ; )

Perhaps the purpose is to get us to enjoy the range of creativity that people can bring to the most mundane of tasks. I especially apreciate the NPR and sink dancing suggestions.. My contribution to the debate about hand vs machine in terms of water savings, and I do both, is when I hand wash I use the wet soapy sponge method and save every drop of rinse water in a dishpan that then goes out on the roses. So, maybe I use two gallons for a half a load of dishes, but then recycle it. They have survived the last two summers on nothing but dishwater and water pumped out from the weekly clawfoot tub soak. And darned if they don't look great this year. Thank goodness they are right next to the front door.

Thank you, orange - I thought I had a poltergeist!

We have both an automatic dishwasher and a person with two hands. One of my pet peeves is food left on clean dishes. We have a divided sink so we scrape all food down the garbage disposal, then rinse left on food. We fix up on side with hot soapy water, wash the dishes then place in the dishwasher except dishes that are not recommended for dishwashers like cast iron skillets or china with metallic trim. If we had $1000.00 or $1500.0 dishwasher we would not have to rinse the dishes because these dishwashers have a garbage disposal in them. However, we use the one that about $300.00. If you want clean dishes use your hands first.

I get my kids to do them!

I start by cleaning both sinks, then I fill one sink with soapy water. I place the washed dishes in the 2nd sink and when there are several I rinse them and place them in a dish drainer. Water only runs when I'm rinsing; filling the 2nd sink with rinse water causes the last items washed to be rinsed in (by then) soapy water.

I start with cups and glasses, then plates and bowls, then silverware, and I finish with the cookware. This lineup washes the least greasy items first. There are only two in my house, so I seldom have to dry dishes.

We have a concept at home. Right hand sink is for rinsed dishes. Left is for dirty. Every one will rinse immediately after use on left side and leave it in right sink.so any last minute dishes will be placed in left side.last one to eat dinner will clean and move to right sink. It's filled with soap water. Finally sponge them and rinse and dry. Except when guests are there it works better and night time no dishes in sink.

Ok this is confession time...I'm a water and soap waster!

I use my DW all the time but pre rinse dishes before putting them in and hand wash pots and pans and larger plastic/Tupperware items.
When hand washing I leave the tap running slowly, squirt soap from built in dispenser onto my microfibre cloth with a mesh attached to one side and scrub the item, rinse and put it into the other sink. I don't always towel dry them right away. I change dishcloths, drying towels and kitchen hand towels daily, maybe twice depending on what I'm doing in the kitchen that day.
Sorry, i get grossed out when I see dishes being washed in dishwater that doesn't look clean.

Oh Yes, hand washing. I used to like it, but since I have to, not any more. I immediately put water on any pot or dish that has hard to clean foods. Then wash and dry at my convenience. Sooner rather than later.

I use a pot or large bowl to hold the soapy water and wash several dishes at a time, rinsing as I go. Stack them in the dish drainer. Towel dry what can't fit in the drainer. I too have eczema...so rarely do I wash the dishes without wearing rubber gloves. Love Casabella brand. I keep a small tube of lotion in the kitchen drawer to care for the hands afterwards.

Having 2 teenagers there is always dishes! I fill the sink with very hot water & a small amount of soap (people use way too much & if not rinsed properly, can do harm & there is no reversal for the damage it does. Look for soap without phosphates like Dawn) I let my dishes soak until the water cools enough, wash, rinse and air dry. Never towel dry!

Mom taught me to wash glasses/glass items first as they are less dirty and grease from dirtier dishes won't cling. Silverware, plates. I like to put the "flat" items in the drainer first, then bowls and pots. Air dry all unless I'm in the mood, or there are so many dishes they take over all remaining counter surfaces. Always rinse with hot water. I had a roommate once who rinsed with cold?!? MIL told me her mom wouldn't make her towel dry if she could fit everything in the drainer. She is the master at making it all fit!

I don't have a lot of dishes as it is just me and my husband. I wipe off the heavy food residue with the paper napkin then wash them with a sponge and dish liquid in a plastic bowl that fits into my sink. Then rinse off over the same bowl to catch the rinse water also. This year in the terrible drought I threw the bowl of water on my plants to keep them alive and the soap keeps the insects off them. Now the drought is over I don't have to replant and my garden look beautiful

I don't have a lot of dishes as it is just me and my husband. I wipe off the heavy food residue with the paper napkin then wash them with a sponge and dish liquid in a plastic bowl that fits into my sink. Then rinse off over the same bowl to catch the rinse water also. This year in the terrible drought I threw the bowl of water on my plants to keep them alive and the soap keeps the insects off them. Now the drought is over I don't have to replant and my garden look beautiful

I discovered--quite by accident many years ago--that a tiny bit of dishwasher soap added to my wash bowl makes those crystal, or glass wine goblets come out sparkling. I dry them either on the wooden dish rack or on paper towels. No spots! It also works on the hurricanes from your chandelier.

For whitening my Le Creuset interiors, especially on older pieces, after the regular cleaning of cooking residue, I use bleach and water - like a quarter cup of Clorox liquid bleach and fill the pot with water to the brim or at least cover the discolored area and let it sit for up to hour. And I throw in my sponges and scrubbers for 10 minutes to sanitize them. Sometimes I then empty the plain bleach from the Le Creuset into a plugged sink and reuse it there for a while; it works well on sink stains that don't come out with powder cleansers.

Since we are in a big drought, I keep a 5 gallon plastic bucket on the kitchen floor and a gallon size plastic bowl with a handle and lip in my sink. Rinse water from everything from veggies to pasta water to dish rinsing is collected in the plastic bowl, which I repeatedly dump into the bucket and when the bucket is half full (too heavy if I forget and fill all the way) I water plants in my yard with it. Yes, it's kind of obsessive but the drought in So Cal is bad and I l love my garden, so I'm working hard to keep enjoying it.

Re stains: my mom kept an old box of baking soda (the kind that's already been used once for months in the fridge to absorb smells) under the sink with an old toothbrush to get into the small spaces of her teacups.

I live alone, eat simply and hate dishwashers. I also have a septic tank and loathe cleaning the gunk out of the sink drain. I also believe that we as a society would be healthier if we didn't force germs to evolve into superbugs by overusing antibiotics and disinfectants. I never get sick, and I believe that common sense use of plain soap and hot - doesn't have to be scalding - water is good enough, and if you build up your immunity to the common bugs, your body does the rest. Both my mother and sister are nurses and agree, though obviously hospitals need different standards.

That being said, I scrape every bit of leftover food into the compost after eating, and stack the dishes in one side of the double sink. If something needs a long pre-soak, I add a little water or rinse. After several days I have enough to warrant washing. Running the tap over anything that needs a quick rinse in the left sink till the water is hot, I stack the plates, and bowls in the right sink and lay the silverware and as many glasses as will fit alongside. I add soap to the top bowl with a little water, then wash the glassware first turning on the tap just long enough to rinse, then put in the drainer. I add more dishes to soak as I go and as the water rises, so larger pans have plenty of water. If one requires extra soaking, I leave it while sponging down the kitchen surfaces. I only towel dry things like wine glasses that might waterspot, since my well water is full of minerals.

If I don't have enough dishes to warrant a sink half full of water, I use the largest bowl or pan as a mini-tub.

Well i usually separate everything from the most delicate like dishes and glasses to pans, and that help me to be more ordered. As well when i have dirty pans i always use lemon to clean it up before let them soak.

It is only myself and I use a Rubbermaid dishpan with Dawn soap, pretty dishrag to wash, set in dish rack then towel dry and put away. Then I put the dish rack and drainer away to not take up counter space in my tiny kitchen. I have a big window over my sink and my nice neighbor's beautiful garden to gaze at while my hands are hot and sudsy. :-)

I have a blended family of 6 now. We are all dishwashers. Each of the four children have one bowl, one plate and glass. They are responsible for washing their own set and that is all they can use. This prevents a hundred cups and dishes everyday piling up. Their personal set is usually scrubbed with the Scotch wand with dish detergent in the handle. We rotate days for dishwashing chore so that each kid only has one day of the week to do all the rest of the dishes...pot & pans. This prevents arguing that one isn't doing it right. The sink usually gets filled about halfway with soapy water and rinse on the other side and stacked in the drainer to air dry. I know, more water and soap used. But really, I am super happy that my 10, 12, 14, and 17 year old are all taking part in cleaning up so it is worth it. I will try to implement a tub for rinsing so we can use the water on the flowers. But whatever I decide has to be inculcated in 5 other individuals so we shall see how that works out. We also have to conserve hot water for showers since we have a small hot water heater that seems to run out in seconds and we have 6 people to clean in addition to dishes. I try to put a pot of water on the stove to warm up while we are eating so it is ready to pour into the sink for washing.

Use a large plastic sink tub because there's no way to get the actual sink sanitary enough for dishes. I rinse them and lay them on a towel, then use another towel to dry. I do not reuse any of the towels - dish cloth, or dish towels. They get hung in the laundry room to dry then put in the dirty clothes hamper to be washed.

I clean my stainless steel sink with 409.

I have two sinks. Wash in one, rinse in other. I use the hot water only and wear rubber gloves. I wash glasses first then wash dishes and pans and put them in drainer to air dry. Glasses go on dry mat. I wash utensils last.

I have a really big farm sink so I can stack the dishes on the right side and fill a plastic dish pan with soapy water on the left. Then I rinse and drop in the silverware, then rinsed dishes and small items. Then I rinse and wash the glasses, then the dishes which have been soaking followed by the silverware. Clean glasses and dishes go in a dish drainer on the counter along with the silverware. If I have too much silverware I put them wet onto a dish towel on the left side of the counter. If I have pots and pans I put them in the used dish water to soak for a few minutes. While that's going on I take a dish towel and dry everything else and put it away. Then I wash and dry the pots and pans and put them away, rinse the sink and voila everything is done! I do exactly the same thing every time and it makes washing dishes stress free and even enjoyable.

A friend invited me for lunch. I saw a different way of hand washing. Dishes were air dried straight after a wash in a tub of sudsy water. I said, 'You forgot to rinse'. 'That's how we do it in my family', I was told. I stared at my tummy imagining hundreds of bubbles bouncing around. Side note: Clean running water wasn't a problem. Does anyone else clean this way and why?

The way I hand wash involves double rinse - before and after a wash, then air dry on a rack. I sponge wash with anti-bacterial paste or liquid concentrate in a tub of warm water, then rinse off with running water with another tub underneath to catch the run off for soaking pots. The cleaning is in the order of cups & glasses, cutlery, plates, plastics then pots for no good reason other than starting with what I find easier. Normally motivated because I need to make a cuppa but there are no cups. I got rid/gave away most after moving to a place without a DW. I just kept what I needed only to find out hand washing was not so bad.

My favorite trick is a foaming soap dispenser filled with approximately 1/8 dish soap and 7/8 water, squirt some on a scrubber and be half way done with starting my washing. I also use it for hand washing.

I always rinse my dishes,cups glassware, everything i wash.

Hot soapy water, scrub, rinse (of course!), drain board. All these steps help to sanitize. Heat, scrubbing, and detergent help kill and rinse away bacteria. If you don't rinse the soap away, you're leaving bacteria that has been encapsulated by the viscous nature of the detergent, but not killed. And it is a well know fact that detergent is not meant to be consumed. Rinse your dishes, people. I let my dishes drip dry because I am too lazy to towel them dry, but also because I think the towels, unless straight out of the drawer, are probably not especially clean. If we have a large dinner party, everything goes into the dish washer, otherwise it's just the two of us and we wash up as we go.

I wash the dishes in hot soapy water on one side of my divided sink, and rinse in warm running water on the other side. I do not use a counter dish rack. I put them away after I have dried them out of the right side of my sink. I hate that countertop clutter of a dish rack.

I have a long soapstone sink, wide enough for a dish drainer, a plastic dish tub and a deep plastic tub for rinsing. It saves a ton of water by washing in in one container, swishing in the hot water rinse tub and then air drying the dishes on the far left in the drainer. It's just the two of us, and I generally let the dishes accumulate for a day or two (gasp) before I tackle them. If Im 'cooking fancy" with gravy or meat pans, I'll do the dishes that evening.