My dad is not only one of the smartest people I know, but he’s also my best friend. (When are you too old to say that?). He’s my hero, my twin, my guarantor, my career coach, and my financial adviser, all despite living across the country from me. And I don’t take it for granted!
My father, Mr. Fish, is an avid catch-and-release fly fisherman (yes, really) who has spent years of his life listening to the Grateful Dead at impossibly loud volumes, pondering the little stretch of river he lives on. As a first-generation Californian — who raised me and my brother in the worst drought in the state’s history — he knows all too well the sanctity of water.
Of all the things my deadhead baby-boomer dad has taught me, this one trick stands out: Navy dishwashing. A few years back, I wrote about how my hippie parents taught me to conserve water by only using a little bit at a time while handwashing dishes for Earth Day, and readers ate it up. So I’m back to sing its praises for those who missed it! (Above, find us at a Dead & Co. show at Hollywood Bowl.)
What Is “Navy Dishwashing”?
When we were growing up, our eco-conscious parents made my brother and me take “Navy showers,” where we turned the water on, got wet, then turned it off and lathered up with soap and shampoo before turning the water back on for a quick rinse. Perhaps a holdover from my Navy and Marine grandpas, but water was precious in our house — and not to mention expensive.
Of course, this translated to dishwashing, too. It was my job to do the dishes growing up, and my parents always liked things done in a certain way. I would fill one half of our double sink with an inch or two of hot, soapy water, plugged to prevent it from draining. After letting dishes soak briefly, then scrubbing them in the suds, I’d place them in the right-hand side of the sink, where I’d let the soaked-and-scrubbed dishes pile up. Then, I’d quickly rinse them all at the same time.
This method meant there was minimal time spent with the water running, with just enough to get everything squeaky-clean. No scrubbing dishes while the water ran and no rinsing them individually. Much like our Navy showers!
Since moving out some years ago and living on my own, I’m proud to say I Navy dishwash every single day. I don’t have a dishwasher in my tiny NYC apartment kitchen, so handwashing dishes happens at least two or three times a day. Although I have a single sink, I fill it with hot, sudsy water and put the scrubbed dishes on my (clean) drying rack before rinsing them all in one go. It’s such a simple way to save water every single day. Because every drop matters!
Whether you implement my parents’ “Navy dishwashing” trick or you find another easy way to decrease your ecological footprint, know that my dad will appreciate it deeply. All of this is to say: Thank you, Didley!