Plastic Washing Up Bowl In The Kitchen Sink, Or Not?

[Mosaic]

Personally I don't - I always thought the purpose of a plastic bowl was to cushion impact and make a useable washing space in the big old-fashioned slop stone sinks of yesteryear.
So I'd be interested to see what Ab-ers do - plastic washing up bowl, or none? And why?

[Meg]

I've used a plastic washing up bowl for years. After reading this I'm wondering why I use it, it's just something else to clean.
PS I do have a dishwasher.

[nungate]

The plastic bowl is only used to house the recycling until it is carried outside to the bins. Otherwise washing up is done in the dishwasher and those things too delicate for the dishwasher is done by hand in the sink under running water it never touches the inside of the sink you can accomplish a fair bit with a hot soapy cloth

[boxtops]

I don't have a dishwasher, I like to use a bowl in our stainless steel sink for the same reasons stated about not putting dregs in the soapy water. If I have a big thing to do, e.g. the grill pan, I just take out the bowl and wash the pan in the sink.

[DaisyNonna]

No room for dishwasher. Plastic bowl in large stainless steel sink means saving water. Only my dirty dishes.
Nun, looking foe MOFC.

[Prudie]

Have never not used a plastic bowl and will continue to do so. Great place to put dirty stuff before I use the dishwasher still leaving space at the side to run the taps or tip liquids away.

[boxtops]

Daisy, it's here http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puzzles/Question1304612.html

[diddlydo]

Sherrardk - with all the children you seem to have, how on earth do you manage without a dishwasher? There's only 2 of us now but the dishwasher goes on every day.

[KARL]

Not wishing to steal the thread but does anyone know of the bowl-in-sink practise being applied anywhere else than the UK and perhaps Ireland ?

[DaisyNonna]

Thanks boxtops. Finally got there.

[seekeerz]

Why were the stone sinks so big ....what were people washing up that required all that space ?

Living in the colonies as I do, the usual reason for bowls in sinks is to pour precious liquid onto treasured plants out in the garden, not a problem in the 'old country'

[nungate]

It's possible those large sinks were also used for doing laundry Seekerz. As a child I remember two sinks in the kitchen, one was much bigger and deeper than the other, though I don't remember my mum using the bigger sink.

[Iggle Piggle]

being a little OCD I use a plastic bowl in a plastic sink. I pop the bowl in the dishwasher weekly while I bleach the sink.
I used to have a steel sink and had a plastic bowl in that, too. It scratched the sink like crazy.

[seekeerz]

We had two huge sinks in the laundry, terrific for rinsing clothes, etc, and I guess 'laundries' as such were a later addition ...gotcha, nun gate

[seadogg]

Always use a plastic bowl to save water. We never wash a wok or heavy skillet as we clean in hot oil to protect the seasoned surface. Often carry the dirty water in the bowl directly to the drain and tip it in. The only dishwasher we could fit was too small to show advantage over hand washing so we gave it away.

[nungate]

Mr Nungate always used to do the dishes, but he was developing dishpan hands, so I bought him a dishwasher. Best thing I ever did! We had our first one for years and took it badly when it broke down and couldn't be fixed, and we'd to wait for a few weeks before it's replacement could be delivered - there was cheering throughout Nungate Towers that day!

[Mosaic]

A very interesting set of answers, thanks to all!
The big old 'slop' sinks dated from a time when their purpose was basically to catch water that slopped from a bucket under the tap.
In pictures of 19th century kitchens you tend to see washing up being done in a tub on a draining board - in fact, correct me if I'm wrong, this is depicted in the Disney Snow White cartoon when the forest creatures do the cleaning.
I wonder when the changeover happened to sinks as we know them now?
There's a strange thought for a Sunday morning.

[redman41]

Rowanwitch....Yes
Redman41....No
Prefer the Sink any day