Method of pre-treating articles to be washed in a dishwashing machine

Abstract

A method of reducing residue left on an article of dishware. The method includes the steps of: providing an article of dishware having cooking residue on a working surface thereof; providing a container having a pre-treating composition therein, the container being configured to dispense the pre-treating composition in a downward direction using only a single hand of a user; dispensing some of the pre-treating composition onto the surface of the dishware while the container is disposed in an upright orientation; placing the pre-treated dishware into the dishwasher; and running the dishware through a cleaning cycle of the dishwashing machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reducing cooking residue left on a working surface of an article of dishware after it has been washed in a dishwashing machine, the method including the steps of:
 providing an article of dishware having cooking residue on a working surface thereof;   providing a container having a pre-treating composition therein, the container being configured to dispense the pre-treating composition in a downward direction onto at least a portion of the working surface that has cooking residue thereon, the container further including an actuator, wherein the container is designed to be held and dispensed by a single hand of a user;   dispensing at least some of the pre-treating composition onto at least a portion of the surface of the dishware while the container is disposed in an upright orientation with the top located further away from the working surface than the bottom of the container is from the working surface;   placing the pre-treated dishware having the pre-treating composition thereon into the dishwasher; and   running the dishware through a cleaning cycle of the dishwashing machine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-treating composition is dispensed from an orifice in the bottom of the container. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-treating composition is dispensed from an orifice in the top or mid-section of the container and directed downwardly by a tube. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dishwashing machine is located under a counter and the step of dispensing the pre-treating composition takes place when the dishware is disposed below the counter. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the dishwashing machine has a door that opens and the step of dispensing the pre-treating composition takes place when the dishware is disposed over the dishwasher door. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the actuator is disposed adjacent the top of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the actuator is activated by a user's thumb. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the actuator is disposed the mid-section of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the actuator is activated by one or more of a user's fingers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-treating composition provided in the container is a low foaming pre-treating composition. 
     
     
         11 . A method of reducing cooking residue left on a working surface of an article of dishware after it has been washed in a dishwashing machine, the method including the steps of:
 providing an article of dishware having cooking residue on a working surface thereof;   providing a container having a pre-treating composition therein, the container having a top, a bottom and a mid-section between the top and bottom, the container being configured to dispense the pre-treating composition in a downward direction onto at least a portion of the working surface that has cooking residue thereon, the container further including an actuator disposed adjacent the top of the container, wherein the container is designed to be held and dispensed by a single hand of a user;   placing the dishware into the dishwasher;   dispensing at least some of the pre-treating composition onto at least a portion of the surface of the dishware while the container is disposed in an upright orientation with the top located further away from the working surface than the bottom of the container is from the working surface; and   running the dishware through a cleaning cycle of the dishwashing machine.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the pre-treating composition is dispensed from an orifice in the bottom of the container. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the pre-treating composition is dispensed from an orifice in the top or mid-section of the container and directed downwardly by a tube. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the dishwashing machine is located under a counter and the step of dispensing the pre-treating composition takes place when the dishware is disposed below the counter. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the dishwashing machine has a door that opens and the step of dispensing the pre-treating composition takes place when the dishware is disposed over the dishwasher door. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the actuator is disposed adjacent the top of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the actuator is activated by a user's thumb. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the actuator is disposed the mid-section of the container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the actuator is activated by one or more of a user's fingers and/or thumb. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the pre-treating composition provided in the container is a low foaming pre-treating composition.