bits and bobs: A random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things
After a long dry spell, I finally found one!
I immedialty saw a canoe and a paddle. The HH couldn’t see it. Do you?
I love this! The Highland roofer aiming high with Banksy-style work. And the interior of this home! Wowza. Not my style, but WOW… what fun.
If you’re looking for bulk quanties of vinca minor {periwinkle} plants, I found a seller on Etsy with awesome reviews and great prices and just ordered 200 plants. Small, potted plants were going for $3.99 at the nursery. Yikes.
And last but not least… I walked into the kitchen the other day and spotted Captain Awkward drying the cheese grater with a towel and asked him what he was doing. Or rather, I asked him if he had just washed the cheese grater BY HAND!?
And he was like yes… of course as if it was no big deal. And then I must have given him a funny look because he was like what!? And that’s when I said that I think I have washed a cheese grater maybe once in my life by hand because…
- Ouch!
- Why wouldn’t you just put it in the dishwasher rather than risk cutting yourself and then getting tetanus and lockjaw?
And then that of course started the debate of why would you put a dirty cheese grater {or ANY dirty dish} in the dishwasher debate {key words: dish + washer} that we’ve been having for the last 30 years.
So here I am, now asking you sane people of the world… How do YOU wash your cheese grater? By hand {crazy!} or by tossing it into the dishwasher.
#ThingsINeedToKnow
Have a great weekend everyone,
~Mavis
Audra from Ohio says
Dishwasher, hands down. Trying to properly clean all of those sharp holes would be maddening.
The Duck Lady says
Definitely dishwasher! I put everything except knives, anything wooden and pots & pans in the dishwasher. What’s the point of having one if you don’t put anything and everything you can in it???
Diana near Atlanta says
Cheese grater = in the dishwasher.
BTW, How IS Mrs. HB? And Monkey Boy? And your parents? Haven’t heard any good or bad news about them, so hope all is doing well.
Christine says
I was wondering the same thing. Mavis, I miss seeing all of the goodies your mom would collect for you.
Cheese graters, microplane, etc. all go in the dishwasher. Besides the risk of injury, it’s just much easier than trying to scrub each little spot.
Teri says
I have wondered about them too. Hope they are all doing fine.
Mavis Butterfield says
Everyone is doing well. 🙂
Jennifer says
Haven’t used a cheese grater in probably 10 years, but dishwasher and air dry.
Alice says
I just two weeks ago cut my knuckle on my pinky finger with a sharp cheese grater. It bled like crazy and I had it bandaged like crazy for a week. It’s now almost 2 weeks and it’s just about healed. I’m with you, NO TOUCHING THE GRATES.
Cindy says
Happy Friday!
I use my cheese grater a lot. I always put mine in the dishwasher.
Mark says
I wash everything by hand including my cheese grater but that’s only because I don’t have a dishwasher. If I had one, you can be sure I’d throw it in there.
Kim says
By hand. BUT, I am one of those sick people who hand washes a LOT of things. I have a Bosch dishwasher but it still does NOT wash things well. Totally puzzled by the lousy dishwashers I have had in 46+ years of marriage.
Annette says
I love my Bosch. Do you rinse your dishes? I do not. Which detergent do you use?
Anna says
Hi Kim, FYI the new style dishwashers have a filter that needs to be cleaned. After I figured that out my Bosch started cleaning alot better.
Anna
Leanna says
We have the same problem. We’re looking for the least expensive one now. Our Bosch doesn’t rinse well and we have hard water. My sis in laws have Bosch and love them but they have a water softener.
Anna Himes says
Totally by hand and then the dishwasher because yeah I like pain. Lol
The dishwasher does not get everything clean.
Carrie says
I’ve never even considered putting my cheese grater in the dishwasher. I didn’t think I could. I keep an old toothbrush at the sink and use that to scrub it clean. And then air dry. I’ll keep cleaning it by hand. We have way too many other dirty dishes to fill up the dishwasher that I’d rather not clean by hand. 🙂
Susan says
The roofer article reminded me of this very sweet article I saw in the Boston Globe a couple days ago about the Valentine’s Day Bandit in Portland. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/26/arts/maines-beloved-valentines-day-bandit-has-been-posthumously-unmasked/
Ramona says
I have a couple of the flat kind of cheese graters. They have never seen the inside of a dishwasher. A scrub brush helps in getting off any cheese bits that are stuck.
Brenda Robertson says
When you do not have a dishwasher, you hand wash. I have done this for 43 year, not a problem.
Rosemary says
I don’t have a dishwasher, so I wash it by hand. But, I use a toothbrush to get in between all those sharp edges. I have a special toothbrush just for doing dishes and it saves my fingers and can get into those tiny crevices. I use it for the potato peeler, mandolin slicer, manual can opener, etc (anything with a sharp edge). I do not dry it with a towel though – those sharp edges will tear fibers from the towel and they will stick to it. I let it air dry.
Nadia says
I agree, we do not have mechanical dishwashers at our house, only humans,so the grater gets washed by hand and air dried.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Team “both” here. I like to give my box grater some finger swipes UP from bottom to top under running water to get the worst of the cheese smears off the cutting side, then it goes in the dishwasher for “real” cleaning.
Re the microplane grater (LOVE it for zesting citrus and for finely shredded parmesan!), I have a toothbrush dedicated to this kind of chore right by the sink, so that’s a handwash item here.
JennA says
I find the dishwasher doesn’t always get the film off left behind by the cheese. I have a thick bristled wooden handle dish scouring scrubber that I use ALWAYS GOING in the direction of the the holes instead of against. Then again. Shredded cheese bags from the grocery are my best friend, ha!
Dawn says
Dishwasher. I prefer my knuckles un-shredded. Thankyouverymuch.
Elle says
Like your home, I put it in the dishwasher and hubster washes it by hand. 😉
Annette says
Husband planted vinca in the flowerbed and it totally took over. Ugh!! It’s a weed in my book.
Anita Morton says
Yes, you have to be very careful with Vinca minor. I live on a wooded ravine that borders on a river. My neighbour planted it in his back yard and in a few short years it has totally choked out the native plants in his area of the ravine, covering an area at least 40 ft x 80 ft now. It is even growing up the trees! Fortunately, there is a stream separating our properties, so it has not come into my ravine yet. It is very pretty, but spreads very quickly. You really have to watch it when you plant it and try to keep it within some kind of bordered bed – it reminds me of mint in that respect.
Carol says
We had similar situation with vinca. We had to dig it out and fifteen years later are still trying to completely eradicate it.
Stephanie in Utah says
Dishwasher. I’ve only hand washed the cheese grater a time or two when I needed it and didn’t have time to wait for the dishwasher to clean it.
Tammy says
I have a dishwasher, but wash my cheese grater by hand. It gets clean and honestly I don’t think I’ve ever cut myself while cleaning it, but I have cut my knuckles and fingers quite a few times while using it.
Tammy says
Also, that pink door…how could it have cost 500 pounds to repaint a door? She should have found someone else to do the painting.
alo says
Team Both. Sometimes I handwash (going with the holes rather than against). Other times I rinse off the big shreds of cheese, and stick in the dishwasher.
Just as a help about tetanus fears — you wouldn’t get it from your cheese grater. Tetanus is generally from the intenstines of animals (usually hooved/bovine) and dirt and things like that. Which would be why it used to be common around farms… farm equipment; sharp, rusty tools exposed to things like cow, horse, sheep manure; lots more risk of it happening there rather than in your very clean kitchen. 🙂
It’s highly treatable either way, so you and the HH are safe and sound. Which is good, because we all enjoy reading your blog! 🙂
Jeanine says
Hand wash the grater with a brush and air dry. Roofer…well fun for some folks and the house with all the pink…no thanks!
If your hubby wants to wash the grater by hand…by all means go for it. Looks like he was hand washing all the pots and pans and in my book…as least I wasn’t the one cleaning up the kitchen!
Pj Truman says
We don’t have a dishwasher, so everything is washed by hand. We have a brush with a long handle that makes washing the grater safe.
Melonie K. says
By hand – I have a flat grater and use a bottle scrubbing brush, going across from the sides, so the bristles get in the holes, but my fingers aren’t near them.
Amber says
I do mine by hand as the dishwasher never seems to get all the tiny bits stuck in it. However, I’ve gotten cut so maybe I shouldn’t? Old habits die hard.
Patti Vanderbloemen says
First off the door – I live in an area with many historic homes – I am shocked she even considered Pink in the first place! Even in the developments around here that are within a Home Owner’s Association – and not historic – there is a usually a baseline of Neutral Colors to choose from when painting one’s house, trim and doors. And while I am a firm believer that one should decorate one’s house to their own tastes, a little part of me always thinks about resale. I am positive I could never decorate the interior of my home to include pink carpet….
I have always washed my cheese grater by hand! Never even considered putting it in the dishwasher!! I worry about rust – probably for nothing!
Jennifer Jo says
By hand! (no dishwasher in our house)
Sarah says
Cheese grater goes in the dishwasher! Plus what kind of crazy person puts dishes in the dishwasher that aren’t dirty?
Ashley Bananas says
I dont shred cheese by hand, I know it can save money, but I find it a lot of work. I buy the bags out of convenience. I also like Mexican cheese blend over straight cheddar now. I wash by hand. I removed my dishwasher and replaced it with a drink cooler two years ago. We never used the dishwasher before anyway.
Dawn says
Ha! By hand, verrrry carefully. But I don’t have a choice, because I don’t have a dishwasher! So I’m not sure that my vote counts….
kim johnston says
Shred cheese with a food processor. Welcome to the 21st Century!
Kim says
The cheese grater definitely goes in the dishwasher! Our dishwasher died recently and I’ve been washing everything by hand. The cheese grater was the worst! The new dishwasher arrived 10 minutes ago and once we get it installed, the grater will be the first thing in there!
Lori says
Dishwasher of course! No sane man would wash a cheese grater by hand. That’s just crazy! Sorry HH.
Stacey says
I wash everything by hand because it’s too much work for me to use the dishwasher due to it’s placement in my apartment kitchen, and it’s quality. If I used a dishwasher, everything would go in it.
Kara W says
I wash my grater by hand because I don’t want it to rust. I’m also team good rinse before the dishwasher. Dishwashers are really more about sanitation rather than actual cleaning.
Louise says
Sometimes in the dishwasher, sometimes by hand with a heavy duty bottle brush…depends on how full the dishwasher is.
If by hand, I let it dry in the dishdrain.
Cheri Ellis says
I don’t have a dishwasher, so…
Conni says
Always by hand (we have a dishwasher but don’t use it – only the two of us and I don’t need to keep a lot of plates, etc. to run a dishwasher effectively). I just carefully run the sponge the reverse of the cutting edges! Conni
Pamela Sheppard says
Always by hand. I have never lived anywhere that has a dishwasher. Go figure!
SueD says
Both. We don’t run our dishwasher every day, so it goes in if we are that night. Wash by hand against the holes. Flat graters almost always are washed by hand, too.
Joan says
I never put my graters or microplanes in the dishwasher. I prefer to hand wash and dry them. My rule of thumb is if it is sharp or wooden I do not put it in the dishwasher. And the trick to cleaning them by hand is to clean in the opposite direction on both sides.
Tc says
My grater goes in the dishwasher like everything else accept plastic cups and delicate glasses. There should be support groups for those who wash their dishes before they put them in the dishwasher because that’s what dishwashers are for. LoL
Tiffany F says
Hahaha!!!
Dishwasher, definitely. Unless of course the dishwasher is on the fritz, as it currently is. 🙁 So, currently doing by hand, and I also use a scrubbing brush on it.
Lynne says
With a dish brush and then air dried
Dot says
By hand. Don’t want rust. Use an old tooth brush.
HollyG says
If you flip the coffee cup 180°, I see a sperm whale….
Cindy says
My Cheese grater goes in the dishwasher and then I make sure it is totally dry before putting away.
Emily says
If you lived closer, I would give you some of my vinca for free. That stuff spreads like crazy. By this time next year you will probably be able to add it to your plant stand offerings.
Team dishwasher for the cheese greater for sure. Assuming my hands aren’t grated surely my dishrag will be if I wash it by hand.
andrea d says
The one I have that is similar to your picture- hand wash. It’s old and would rust in the dishwasher. I do have another one that is sort of a container style where the lid is the grater and that comes out fine in the dishwasher.
And yes, I am also one of those crazy people who ‘wash’ the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Everything gets scraped into the garbage then rinsed before going in the dishwasher. I have yet to own a dishwasher that actually cleans dishes completely when there is food residue left on them.
Deborah says
I wash my cheese grater both ways. And I have never cut myself when washing it by hand.
Barbara Dougherty says
By hand. I don’t own a dishwasher. 🙂
THAT way I know it is clean too.
Maria says
Dishwasher! And I just ordered 200 vinca plants, so thanks!!
Linda C says
My husband gets a big kiss from me for washing the dishes! I don’t care if they go in the dishwasher or done by hand, I just appreciate that he does them.
Christine says
Hand wash with a dish brush! I barely dry anything though, I figure my place could use the evaporative humidity haha.
Staci says
No dishwasher = by hand. I grate a lot of cheese as it is so much cheaper and eliminates the extra ingredients that are added to the preshredded to prevent clumping.
Poppy K says
I was mine by hand, but I would never have a box grater – I use handheld models so they’re easier to wash. For larger jobs I use the food processor.
Patty P says
By hand…I have a scrub brush. The dishwasher doesn’t always get it clean.
Mrs. M. says
By hand; mine rusts when washed in the dishwasher.
Wendy C says
I hand wash it with a scrub brush but then drip dry.