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Jul 16, 2017

The world of dishwashing without a dishwasher

It seems the style of washing dishes differs greatly around the world. How do you wash dishes in Japan? Wash under running water? Use a dish tub in the sink and wash them there? Other?

JapanExpert

JapanExpert

I've been living in Japan for almost 2 decades, spanning everything from 2 years living in a tiny town of less than 7000 people to many year in Tokyo and Yokohama, and much traveling in between. I now work as a relocation consultant, helping people as they get started on their own journey in Japan.

7 Answers



  • KamaT

    on Jul 16

    A bit of water on the sponge and then some washing up liquid. Give all the dishes a scrub, setting them in the sink basin. Once all dishes have had a scrub, rinse under a running tap and place in a draining rack. Back home I would have added washing up liquid to a basin of hot water and done all the dishes in that, maybe giving them a bit of a rinse before leaving them on a draining rack. My Japanese partner has a seemingly real belief though, that consumption of any amount of soap suds left on dishes will lead to a grizzly end so for this reason I have rinse dishes more thoroughly than I would back home.

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  • edthethe

    on Jul 19

    I typically sponge all the dishes down with dish soap, then rinse under running water. My japanese friend and her family use the tub of soap water and then rinse in a tub of clean water. I grew up with tub of hot water to clean the dishes and a soapy rag, then dish washer to rinse them.

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  • DaveJpn

    on Jul 19

    Do it mostly like I would at home but I've found too key differences or problems; one is that I have really limited space to drain things in my place in Japan and the other is that I've found the tea towels here to be a bit rubbish.

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  • Back in the PH, we use a tub of water and rinse the dishes there after washing them with soap. Here in Japan, wherein I live in a share house with some Japanese people, we all do it with running water.

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  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 22

    A bone of contention for many newly weds from different cultures! I now do it the "Japanese" way that Tomuu describes. I have come to believe that it is in fact better for cleanliness, even if not so kind on the poor earth. I use a lot more water to wash dishes in Japan, than I do in Ireland!

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  • KevinC

    on Jul 24

    Back home I used to rinse it with hot water then put them in the dish washer. Now, I rinse them with warm water then scrub with soapy sponge, after that I rinse them again. I want to save water but there is no space for a tub, I bet dish washer save more water hummm....

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  • genkidesu

    on Aug 12

    I wash with dishwashing liquid and rinse it all off under running water, and then let them air dry in a dish rack that sits on our counter. Nothing fancy! I do miss those dishwasher days before moving here - and the extra countertop space!

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