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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Washing up bowl

236 replies

HerculesMorseShrank · 07/12/2022 00:51

Ladies and gentlemen, can I ask what may be a controversial question - do you use a washing up bowl or do you wash your dishes in the sink itself?

I personally think washing up bowls are pointless and inexplicable, but am interested in the Mumsnet consensus and willing to be educated on what the reason for using one is.

YABU - Washing up bowls serve some useful purpose
YANBU - Just use the sink that was designed for washing dishes

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 07/12/2022 00:52

Dishwasher

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/12/2022 00:54

Sorry, that sounded really snotty, wasn’t meant to!

i’d use the sink(then buy a dishwasher 😁)

Tinkerbyebye · 07/12/2022 00:54

Washing up bowl, so when i rinse the water as I wash it goes down the sink, leaving the bowl water hot

Talipesmum · 07/12/2022 00:57

This feels like a perfect example of why the “similar threads” section may be useful after all - see below for many collated examples and discussions on exactly this topic…

I used one when we had a single sink, for pouring bits down the side when rinsing out to keep the hot soapy water cleaner for longer, and to rinse suds off.
Don’t use one any more now we have a 1.5 sink cos we use the little side sink for rinsing.
Of course you can arrange your washing up so everything is rinsed all at once first and/or last, but I don’t find that as convenient.

darisdet · 07/12/2022 00:59

I have a washing up bowl but it lives in the utility area and is where the dishcloths live while waiting to be washed in the washing machine.

Pots are washed in the dishwasher. They're rinsed in the sink first.

XenoBitch · 07/12/2022 01:00

Washing up bowl that sits in the sink.

AlwaysLatte · 07/12/2022 01:06

We've got one of those big old butler sinks (only one) so a small washing up bowl helps keep clean water separate from the rinsed 'dregs', etc. also as the sink is very large the bowl helps to minimise water waste.

DuchessDandelion · 07/12/2022 01:08

I don't really understand the point of them. Why were they invented??

ErrolTheDragon · 07/12/2022 01:12

DuchessDandelion · 07/12/2022 01:08

I don't really understand the point of them. Why were they invented??

See @Talipesmum's post.
They're unnecessary if you've got a double sink, but useful if you've only got a single one.

malmi · 07/12/2022 01:15

Got a little side sink so don't use a washing up bowl. Previous house didn't have a side sink so used one. Simple as that

Bagpuss2022 · 07/12/2022 01:37

No bowl DH despises them we have the hot tap on constant and one of those stick things and wash one at a time in the main sink we have a small seperate sink for rinsing not very economical but it’s how we do it
can’t stand the thought of greasy warm water in a bowl

FiveShelties · 07/12/2022 01:40

They are good for washing glasses in and means I use less water.

Aquarius1234 · 07/12/2022 01:49

Soooo old fashioned. Also you need to rinse everything. Don't understand how some people wash up in a bowl wtf.
Use a tap and sponge and washing up liquid on sponge. And keep adding more as needed.

Aquarius1234 · 07/12/2022 01:51

People that use bowl, may aswell do it in another room. It's like camping or something, or a tv kitchen set with no actual running water.

KrystynaZ · 07/12/2022 01:53

Washing up bowl so my glasses and items of fine china don't get chipped on the metal sink, and my knives stay sharp. And also as pp have mentioned, to facilitate rinsing.
Everything else goes in the dishwasher.

XenoBitch · 07/12/2022 01:55

I don't really understand how other people are baffled by them.
I can fill mine up with dirty dishes, and lift the whole lot out of the sink so I can use the tap/sink for something else.

stuntbubbles · 07/12/2022 02:23

Washing-up bowls are a grim British abomination. Hideous things for rainy fascism island.

mackthepony · 07/12/2022 02:27

Bowl.

French dh is snooty about it

Apparently you're supposed to beach your bowls too

Cw112 · 07/12/2022 02:34

I use a basin in the sink for dishes because I don't have the little side sink so then any dishes that need an extra rinse or remnants of tea or whatever can be poured down the side of the basin into the sink without dirtying the water in the basin so it does more dishes without needing changed.

ZiriForEver · 07/12/2022 02:46

Before getting a dishwasher, bowl was the thing. Rinse a load to get rid of matter, move into a bowl with hot water and bubbles, place to the sink and rinse together to finalize.

Using running water all the time felt incredibly wasteful. And with just one sink, it was impossible to make it clean otherwise.

Central Europe here, so not really UK specific.

the80sweregreat · 07/12/2022 03:03

Washing up bowls are becoming the new Mumsnet loo brush debacle !

mathanxiety · 07/12/2022 03:21

I give a good rinse and scrub in the sink before plopping it all in the dishwasher.

PumpkinLumpkin · 07/12/2022 03:28

Washing up bowl. We've a Belfast sink and the number of fecking plates and glasses we've lost to that behemoth before we got a washing up bowl 🤦🏼‍♀️

IneedcoffeeinanIV · 07/12/2022 03:28

I use a bowl purely because I can't bear the thought of my nails scraping on the metal sink. Body shuddered just typing that

Geppili · 07/12/2022 03:34

It doubles your space.