How to Wash Dishes by Hand, and Where the Wet Sponge Goes Next

AI-generated image: a stainless steel kitchen sink beside an oak counter with three drinking glasses and two white bowls, lit by low window light against a pink wall

Scrape the food off, wash glasses and cups before plates and pans, rinse in clean water, and let everything air-dry on a rack. That is the order in the University of Florida extension service's fact sheet on washing dishes without a dishwasher, apart from its sanitizing step, which gets its own section below (UF/IFAS, revised November 2024). The steps come first, then where the wet sponge and cloth go afterwards, since a stainless steel sink's maker asks you not to leave them in the basin.

What is the right order for washing dishes by hand?

Six steps follow, from the plate in your hand to the cloth hung up to dry.

1. Scrape the food off and stack like with like

Scrape leftovers off every dish and into the bin before anything goes into the water (UF/IFAS, November 2024). If a pan has food stuck to it, the same fact sheet suggests adding water and heating the pan on the stove to loosen it. Stacking glasses with glasses and plates with plates (pans apart) as you go saves hunting for the right item later.

2. Fill the basin with warm soapy water

The fact sheet gives 110°F (43°C) for washing and says warmer water makes the job easier (UF/IFAS, November 2024). Scalding water does not help. For delicate china it says to use water that is warm and not very hot, because a sudden change in temperature could break the dish, and it suggests lining the basin with a rubber mat or a towel and washing those plates one at a time (UF/IFAS, November 2024).

3. Wash glasses, cups, plates and cutlery before the pans

UF/IFAS gives the reason as keeping the water cleaner for longer: smaller, less dirty items go first, and the pans wait until the end. It credits Oregon State University Extension for the tip (UF/IFAS, November 2024). A sponge, a brush or a cloth will all do the washing itself, so use whichever you already own.

4. Rinse everything in clear, clean water

The fact sheet uses a second bowl for the rinse and says to empty and refill it if the water goes cold or dirty (UF/IFAS, November 2024). With a single sink, a clean tub can stand in for the second bowl, or you can rinse each item under the tap.

5. Let the dishes air-dry on a rack

UF/IFAS says to air-dry dishes on a rack if you have one, and cautions that drying with a towel can re-contaminate them (UF/IFAS, November 2024). In a small kitchen the rack is the awkward part, which is where a roll-up one helps. The Dish Drying Rack in steel is stainless steel with silicone on both sides, measures 46 x 32 cm, and rolls up to go in a drawer once the dishes are put away. Its product page says it suits a sink less than 46 cm wide, so measure before you order.

6. Wring out the sponge, hang the cloth, clear the basin

UF/IFAS says to wring out sponges and dish towels when you finish and hang them to dry (UF/IFAS, November 2024). Dishcloths go in the washing machine on the hot cycle, according to Illinois Extension (May 2024). If your sink is stainless steel there is one more reason to move them. Moen's care guide says to avoid leaving wet sponges, cloths and cleaning pads to sit in the sink, because food particles and deposits can cause discoloration (Moen, April 2025). Our guide to cleaning a stainless steel sink covers the rest of that routine.

Where should the wet sponge and cloth go when you finish?

Out of the basin, and somewhere air can reach them. The table sets out what each source says about the four things that are wet at the end of a wash.

The four wet things at the end of washing dishes by hand, what the guidance says and where each can go
What is wet	What the guidance says	Where it can go
The washed dishes	Air-dry on a rack if you have one (UF/IFAS).	A rack that fits your sink. A roll-up steel rack stores away in a drawer.
The sponge	Wring it out and hang it to dry (UF/IFAS).	A spot where air reaches it on all sides, such as an open-design sponge holder.
The dishcloth	Wring it out and hang it to dry (UF/IFAS), then wash it on the hot cycle (Illinois Extension).	A hook or holder that hangs it clear of the basin, then into the laundry.
The sink, if it is stainless steel	Do not leave wet sponges, cloths and cleaning pads sitting in it (Moen).	Keep the basin clear of them between washes.

A magnetic holder is built for the gap in the second and third rows. Each HAPPY SiNKS® holder sits inside the sink and is held by a magnet on the other side of the sink wall, with tool-free magnetic attachment and no drilling. The Magnetic Dishcloth Holder in steel gives the cloth a place to hang clear of the sink, and its product page says the cloth dries quickly instead of sitting wet in a damp heap. On the sponge side, the Magnetic Sponge Holder in steel has an open design that lets air circulate around the sponge, so it dries quickly instead of sitting wet. Both also come in biocomposite if you prefer that material.

Fit depends on your sink. Both product pages say the holders work in steel and metal sinks and are not suitable for ceramic or stone sinks, and composite sinks depend on wall thickness. Our guides to whether a stainless steel sink is magnetic and to the main types of kitchen sink cover what to check first.

For the install, the dishcloth holder's install guide says to attach the magnet to the underside of the sink with the arrow facing upwards and outwards, after peeling the sticker off the magnet, and then to place the holder inside the sink in line with it. If a wet cloth pulls the holder down, check that placement first. To clean the holder, wipe it with a wet cloth and let it dry thoroughly. The care instructions say not to submerge it or put it in a dishwasher.

Do you need to sanitize dishes washed by hand?

The UF/IFAS fact sheet describes a third step after the rinse, for extra protection, and gives its own method with water temperatures and soak times (UF/IFAS, November 2024). We have left that step out of the order above because it involves handling chemicals, and the method is better read in full at the source than summarized here. If you decide to add it, follow the fact sheet exactly.

Quick answers

What is the correct order to wash dishes by hand?

Glasses, cups, plates and cutlery first, pans last, so the water stays cleaner for longer. Then rinse in clean water and let everything air-dry on a rack (UF/IFAS, November 2024).

Should you rinse dishes after washing them?

Yes. UF/IFAS puts a rinse in clear, clean water straight after the wash and says to empty and refill the rinse water if it goes cold or dirty (UF/IFAS, November 2024).

Is it better to air-dry dishes or dry them with a towel?

UF/IFAS recommends air-drying on a dish rack if you have one, and cautions that a towel can re-contaminate dishes (UF/IFAS, November 2024).

How hot should the water be for washing dishes?

UF/IFAS gives 110°F (43°C) for washing, and warm and not very hot for delicate china, since a sudden change in temperature could break the dish (UF/IFAS, November 2024).

What do you do with the sponge and cloth afterwards?

Wring them out and hang them to dry (UF/IFAS), and wash cloths on the hot cycle of the washing machine (Illinois Extension, May 2024). In a stainless steel sink, Moen says not to leave them sitting wet in the basin (Moen, April 2025).

The short version

Scrape, wash from the cleanest items to the pans, rinse in clean water, air-dry on a rack, then wring out the sponge and hang the cloth where air can reach it. If the cloth is the thing that keeps ending up in the basin, the magnetic dishcloth holders page has every option, in steel and biocomposite.

Cart0 items