It’s no secret that Americans and Brits have lots of similarities – but plenty of differences as well. And it seems that one of these differences is the way we wash dishes.
Many people these days are lucky enough to have a dishwasher, so things can be shoved in there, alongside a dishwashing tablet. Then when you take them out, they’re fresh and gleaming and ready to be put away.
But if you’re still doing the dishes in the old-fashioned way, whacking your rubber gloves on and scrubbing, how do you do it? What method do you use?
Now, most people would probably agree that when it comes to general dishes that don’t ned an extra bit of TLC, you’d fill the sink up with warm, sudsy water, using some level of antibacterial cleaner so you’re being as hygienic as possible.
You’ll also know that you need to regularly clean your sponge, and the sink too, because they both get mucky during the process.
However, apparently the chore is done quite differently across the pond.
“Here’s how Americans wash dishes,” a TikTok video from @greekcookingeveryday claimed. But people were left a little confused as to what the issue was.
With the water running in the background, the person washing the dishes rubbed each one with a sponge, making sure it was wet enough every time.
They then put a lot of Fairy Liquid directly onto the sponge, with the tap still running in the background – rather than filling the bowl once to rinse each item.
Once they’d used the Fairy liquid-covered sponge, they then turned the dish upside down so the other side could be cleaned properly too.
With the tap that had been running the whole time, they then rinsed the dishes, before putting them on the draining rack.
Rather than filling the sink, the dishes just sat patiently in the bowl waiting to be scrubbed.
But there was one thing people couldn’t get their heads around – and it was that they left the taps running the whole time.
It isn’t very good for the planet, which many people pointed out. One admitted: “That volume of water waste stresses me out.”
Meanwhile, a second said: “I’m American, and I rinse them all, then use the soap in them all, then rinse them all off, turning the water off in between. I couldn’t sleep if I wasted that much water. Plus it’s quicker”.
However, someone defended them. Another wrote: “I’m British and I wash my dishes like that. People commenting about wasting water, I take it they don’t run baths or fill the pool in the summer or stand in the shower 2 minutes longer than needed”.
So, how do you wash your dishes? Let us know in the comments…