I Use My Mom’s 40-Year-Old Trick for Washing Dishes Every Day (It’s So Efficient!)

I have vivid memories of sitting on the floor of my childhood home watching my mom wash dishes by hand. (To this day, my parents still don’t own a dishwasher.) I never knew how she did it; my mom juggled two rowdy kids and a full-time job as an overnight nurse. How did she have the energy to not just cook dinner, but also clean a mountain of dishes every single night?

I contemplated this while I was washing some dishes by hand after dinner recently. I looked down into my sink, and it finally clicked. In it, just in like my mom’s sink, was a bowl of ready-to-go, warm soapy water, complete with a sponge. Because it’s already sudsy, all you need to do is scrub your dish, then dip the sponge back in the bowl before scrubbing your next item. My mom’s clever trick — which she’s been doing for over 40 years! — makes washing dishes so much faster and easier. Here’s how to incorporate it into your everyday routine.

Full disclosure: I have a dishwasher. Yet using a bowl of soapy water is my preferred method for hand-washing dishes. That’s because some things, like knives, cutting boards, and certain pots and pans, aren’t dishwasher-safe. Between my two kids, two cats, and a full-time job, the dishwasher is often occupied — and I’ve found that every little bit of instant cleanup helps when I’m just trying to get through the day. 

The best part: You don’t need to keep putting soap on a sponge, to fill up an entire sink with soapy water, or wet the dish first, because the sponge is already wet. Just dip the sponge back into the bowl as needed, and continue to scrub. Once all of your dishes are scrubbed, turn on the water to rinse everything off.

1. Pick your soapy water bowl. I keep a dedicated small bowl in my sink just for this. While mine is a white ceramic cereal bowl, you could use any bowl as long as whatever vessel you use is not too large (it shouldn’t take up too much space; you could also keep it next to the sink) and is on the heavier side (so it won’t tip over). 
2. Fill it with soap and water. Squirt some dish soap in there and fill it three-quarters full with warm water.
3. Add a sponge. There are many options out there, but our all-time favorites are Scotch-Brite sponges. 
4. Refresh often and as needed. Don’t be precious about only refilling the bowl when it’s low. Washing dishes gets dirty! Refresh the water anytime it gets gross, and don’t hesitate to add more soap.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Use My Mom’s 40-Year-Old Trick for Washing Dishes Every Day (It’s So Efficient!)