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Washing dishes: tips and tricks

Washing dishes and cutlery is a necessary and important task. Find out how to wash dishes effectively and gently. 

Effective methods for washing dishes

Water, a cloth and washing-up liquid are usually all you need for washing dishes after use. To easily remove heavy soiling or discolouration on your tableware, you can use a
standard ceramic hob cleaner, found in most homes, or a non-scratch cleaning product/porcelain cleaner, such as "Etolit". You may need to wash your dishes several times or leave the cleaning product to work for a while. In some cases, steeping your dishes in water helps to remove encrusted food residue and stains. You can then wipe them off with a cloth.

You can also clean cutlery, glasses and porcelain in the dishwasher, provided the items are dishwasher-safe. Depending on the level of soiling, you may need to pre-rinse the dishes to ensure the machine fully removes baked-on food residue.

The dishwasher is a staple in many kitchens today. Manufacturers claim that their machines make dishes exceptionally clean, which is often true. However, dishwashers are not the right choice for every type of crockery. Good old-fashioned hand washing is often more appropriate, especially for delicate items. Read on to find out how to wash dishes properly!

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Can you wash knives in the dishwasher?

The dishwasher is a quick and convenient way to wash dishes. However, it can contribute to making sharp knives blunt more quickly. It could also damage them. Wooden handles can swell and crack in hot water. Cleaning knives in the dishwasher is therefore generally not recommended. You can find out more about the topic in this article.

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Polishing cutlery

How to bring back the shine

Stainless steel or silver cutlery does not always come out of the dishwasher completely clean. If you notice any stains, wash your cutlery again using a soft sponge and washing-up liquid and then dry it thoroughly. For stubborn stains, there are various household products you can use to make knives, forks and other utensils shine again. Find out more here.

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Proper cleaning and care for glasses

Not all glasses can be washed in the dishwasher. This particularly applies to hand-painted glasses and varieties with gold or silver decoration. It’s best to wash these items carefully and dry them by hand. Find out the best way to clean and care for your glasses in this article.

Dishwasher or wash by hand?

Not all dishes can be washed in the dishwasher. This particularly applies to delicate glassware, wood, sharp knives and hand-painted crockery. Villeroy & Boch tableware is made from different materials: hard porcelain, Premium Porcelain, Premium Bone Porcelain and earthenware. These materials are dishwasher-safe, with the exception of decorative items in hard porcelain and porcelain crockery with gold or silver detailing. For these items, we recommend hand washing using a mild washing-up liquid. What about Villeroy & Boch glasses? Glass and crystal are sensitive to temperature variations and should not be washed using water that is either too hot or too cold, both of which can cause the material to shatter.

As you can see, in some cases it really does make sense to wash dishes by hand. It is very annoying if crockery – and in particular high-quality items – becomes damaged or broken due to incorrect care.

Helpful tips for washing dishes

To make sure both you and your dishes dazzle at your next dinner party, we have put together some helpful tips and explain the best way to wash your cutlery, glasses and ceramic tableware.

How to wash glasses properly

When washing glasses by hand, use a soft cloth or sponge, warm water and a mild washing-up liquid. Always hold glasses by the stem when washing them. Leave them to drain on a tea towel and then dry them with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Cleaning knives properly

To stop knives quickly losing their sharpness, we recommend cleaning them by hand using lukewarm water, a non-abrasive sponge or dishcloth and a mild washing-up liquid. Handwashing is gentle on the material and is sufficient for most normal dirt.This article explains the points to bear in mind when cleaning knives.

Porcelain crockery

Villeroy & Boch porcelain crockery is easy to clean. However, coffee, tea and other foods can cause discolouration. Household products such as baking powder, lemon juice or vinegar can be used to clean discoloured crockery. Lemon juice or highly diluted vinegar are effective in removing limescale deposits on crockery. Limescale is visible as a white coating on tableware items. 

Polishing cutlery and restoring its shine

Cutlery washed in the dishwasher often shows signs of detergent residue, water stains or flash rust. Sometimes crockery and cutlery are not cleaned properly in the dishwasher because the machine is low on salt or the rinse aid needs topping up. Polishing your cutlery will help to restore its shine. You can find more information here.

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Close-up of an Afina dinner plate with a subtle textured relief on a laid table.
Cutlery with a handle decorated with fine gold - Ella partially gold-plated from Villeroy & Boch.



Explore our kitchen collections

There's always something to do in the kitchen. It is the heart of our home. Explore the Villeroy & Boch kitchen collections, where you can find high-quality built-in and undermount sinks, taps and much more. Use the product search to browse through the different collections and product categories.

FAQs

Do you have any other questions about caring for and washing dishes You can find the answers here.

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