Cleaning Dishes in a Healthier Way

Dishpan hands were the scourge of the housewife of the 1950s, or so advertisers would have us believe. I don't know where the ads have gone, but the problem of dishpan hands remains - although thankfully the ranks of males doing the dishes have grown. Dish detergents pull natural oils from your skin as easily as they pull salad dressing from a dirty plate or hamburger grease from a skillet. Wearing gloves is an option not relished by most of us, but it is to be recommended, especially if you use commonly available dish detergents with antibacterial agents (pesticides), artificial fragrances , and dyes. Health food store brands don't have synthetic additives, but they still strip the oils from your skin. Liquid soaps can also be caustic and drying to the hands. If you don't wear gloves, be sure to treat your skin with something like [an]...aloe and glycerin moisturizer.

Tips

• If you don't plan to wash dishes right away, sprinkle non-aluminum cookware with baking soda, and soak items with burned-on food in baking soda and water. It makes cleanup easier.
• Add white distilled vinegar to the rinse water; it will help remove hard-water spots, as will a little borax.
• Washing soda is an excellent choice for pots and pans with burned-on food. Add a few tablespoons to the pans, fill with enough water to cover the problem areas, and soak for a few hours or overnight. Don't use washing soda on aluminum.
• Clean electric drip coffeemakers with white distilled vinegar. Add one-fourth cup vinegar to eight to 10 cups water, and run the machine through one cycle.
• Clean nonstick pans by soaking the burned-on food with a mixture of baking soda and water.
• Remove coffee and tea stains by soaking with a teaspoon or so of baking soda.
• Alw...