View Full Version : Am I the only one without a dishwasher?
Well, we have a dishwasher, but it never worked, so I use it for storage. I've heard it uses less water than hand-washing.
Seems like I spend way too much time washing dishes......but I'm just so used to it.
I keep dreaming of a new kitchen one day, and will have a dishwasher then.
But for now......Am I the only one without a dishwasher?
Nope. I've never owned a dishwasher and do not plan to ever own one. As to water usage, I can wash all the dishes my husband and I use in 2 gallons of water. 1 gallon for washing, 1 for rinsing. I use plastic tubs for the purpose, and use the water in the garden when it's cool. My roses and violets thrive on it!
I was happy when we moved to an apartment without a dishwasher in july. With one, I wait til its full to run it, to be efficient etc, and we run out of dishes and silverware before its full. I'd rather own less dishes and handwash a small amount daily.
catherine
12-3-13, 10:10am
Ours broke a couple of years ago and it took us a while to replace it. I like the dishwasher because it definitely makes my glasses more sparkly clean, and I have heard it uses less water.
However, DH sometimes likes to wash dishes by hand and just do them as we use them. I generally hand wash things I might need before I get around to running the dishwasher, like knives and cooking utensils.
shadowmoss
12-3-13, 10:14am
I have a nice, new one that matches the other nice new appliances in my newly remodeled mobile home I bought. However, it is used for storage. I don't even make a sinkfull of dishes in a week, and don't want the dirty dishes sitting in the dishwasher the length of time it would take to dirty enough to make it worth it to run. I've had dishwashers in about half of the places I've lived, and never really used them much.
Mine broke some time ago, and I haven't bothered to replace it. I really don't miss it.
Sad Eyed Lady
12-3-13, 11:13am
I do have a dishwasher that was put in the house when we had it built going on 20 years ago, so it is aging. I have often wondered if I would replace it once it dies, and I haven't really decided. I guess I would try the hand washing for awhile and see how it went, then decide. I do some hand washing, and there are times I even enjoy it, such as on a cold winter day or night, the warm water on my hands feels so good and warms me up. I have thought that IF it died, and IF I chose not to replace it, I would have it taken out and have some open shelving put in that space. With only DH and myself, it's not a big deal either way. We only run it a couple of times a week and like Tammy said, it would be nice to just have a few dishes and wash them as they were used.
Ours died a few months ago and I am reluctantly on the hunt for another. They seem to have gone up a couple hundred since we bought our last one. I am missing the fact that I could rinse and put in dw until it was full to run thus keeping the counter clutter down. Now I have to handwash small batches to keep the counters clear. I could certainly live without another and the $600 it costs to replace but will need one to sell the house I am told.
ApatheticNoMore
12-3-13, 12:34pm
No of all the apartments I have lived in only one had a dishwasher, and it isn't this one.
My condo came with a brand new one two years ago. I've never used it. The stooping involved ties my back in a knot. With hand washing I can protect my back by perching on a stool. I've read that if the dishwasher goes unused for years the gaskets, hoses etc may shrink or dry rot and cause leaks when it is eventually used.
No, have not had a dishwasher since retired to the cabin eight years ago. We wash all our dishes by hand, usually after dinner. It takes DH and me only about 10 minutes to do all the dishes of the day. Never missed the dishwasher. I actually enjoy washing the dishes by hand. Another form of meditation.
ToomuchStuff
12-3-13, 1:10pm
Sounds like I fit in with the general consensus your getting; no.
goldensmom
12-3-13, 1:15pm
We have a dishwasher but I forget to use it. It was useful when I was employed but now that I am retired with more time at home and only 2 of us, it is more of a bother than a help.
I LOVE the dishwasher. There are only two of us...but when it broke and we did by hand for a month or so until we decided on the new one I was glad to have it back. I understand not having one and the peace of washing after each meal, but I love putting stuff in the dishwasher more!
Miss Cellane
12-3-13, 1:28pm
I keep reading here about people who find handwashing dishes to be a form of meditation. I can assure you that has never happened to me.
Perhaps it is because I grew up handwashing dishes for nine people, but washing dishes has never been anything but a chore, and a messy, unpleasant one at that. (Ironing, on the other hand, is a pleasant chore. You don't get wet or dirty or messy ironing.)
Yes, I have a dishwasher. I use it all the time. Because I live alone, I only run it every three days. But in the meantime, it keeps the kitchen looking neat, because it hides all the dirty dishes.
I still have to do a bit of handwashing--because I only run the dishwasher every three days, all pots and pans and cooking utensils need to be handwashed so they will be ready for the next time I cook. But one or two pans and a knife is pretty easy to do, and I save all the handwashing for the after-dinner cleanup, so I only have to do it one time per day.
As for energy and water usage--you have to know what you are comparing? An older, less efficient dishwasher vs. someone who is careful about conserving water? The handwashing will probably win. A modern, EnergyStar washer run only when it is at least 3/4 full vs. someone who lets the water run the entire time they are handwashing the dishes? The machine might well win.
No dishwasher here....we do the dishes together each night. It's only the two of us, so doesn't take long.
I have to say, though, after having company over (as for T-giving) it sure seemed like it would have been nice to have one.
Gardenarian
12-3-13, 3:55pm
We got a dishwasher when dd was a baby - too much of a pain trying to sterilize all the breast pump parts and bottles etc. My husband does a lot of cooking and we have a tiny kitchen. When our dishwasher broke it was really a pain having pots and pans pile up.
I really like having a dishwasher, though I don't have one at my cabin and don't miss it (I'm often there alone and don't do a lot of cooking.)
rodeosweetheart
12-3-13, 5:26pm
We have a great dishwasher we got at Habitat for $25--I think additional installation stuff was around $20 at Menards.
We both cook a lot and I love having a dishwasher. This is definitely the cheapest one we have ever had though.
My sister in law has one of those portable one and loves it. My daughter in law says she doesn't want to give one room in the already small kitchen. Definitely different approaches.
I grew up washing dishes too as a little girl along with all the ironing, table setting, and ash removal--think Cinderella. As an adult romanticized not having one for a while but found with 3 teenagers, I liked having the kitchen cleaner.
No dishwasher here. I had one in my first apartment in the mid-eighties, but you had to rinse the dishes so well before putting them into the dishwasher, it never made much sense to me. I haven't owned one since. Luckily I married a woman who is equally baffled by the dishwasher. Also, washing dishes is very enjoyable.
We have one and I love it. It uses 4.4 gallons of water per cycle, which is less than I can use handwashing everything I can load into it. Heck, I'll probably use up a gallon or so just getting the wash water hot and rinsing the sponges (sink output is 1.5 gallons per minute at full-blast), nevermind soaking and rinsing in greasy water. Our dishwasher is not plumbed to hot water; it's plumbed to cold and heats its own water. There are some items I will not put in the dishwasher (good knives, cast-iron cookware), but I will wait a day or so to handwash a batch of those and be done.
My dishwasher came with the house It is a KitchenAid and my best guess is that it was made in the late 60's. It works like a charm and is sort of retro. I have a very small kitchen with just a single sink and not much counter space for a dish drier rack. In a different house with a larger kitchen I could probably take it or leave it.
Well, we have a dishwasher, but it never worked, so I use it for storage. I've heard it uses less water than hand-washing.
Seems like I spend way too much time washing dishes......but I'm just so used to it.
I keep dreaming of a new kitchen one day, and will have a dishwasher then.
But for now......Am I the only one without a dishwasher?
No. I've only had a dish washer for something like one year of my life. I don't have one. I'm not sure I'm as water thrifty as Suzanne though!
Looks like I'm not alone!
It does make a good storage area though! haha
I've only had a dish washer for maybe a total of three months (summer sublet) in the last 30 years, even though I grew up in a house that had one. The solution for me is to have very few dishes in the first place ~ two big plates, four medium plates, two small plates and a couple of bowls of varying sizes plus pots, pans and utensils (I don't entertain at all). The dishes get done once a day.
I had never had a dishwasher until we moved into our new apartment last month. I really love having it... saves a crapload of work and mess!
I just went to the appliance dealer today to order up our new dishwasher. Supposed to be one of the quietest on the market. Not sure why that matters because I start it at night with a delay so it runs at about 3:00 am, but DW said it was important. We just two of us around most of the time we only run it once a week or so. It is a wonderful place to store dirty dishes out of sight. Being naturally lazy I love to be able to just do a quick rinse and stash the dish away. It is also handy after parties, family dinners and other events like that.
One thing I always thought was funny is that our kids would fight over who had to unload the dishwasher. No one ever wanted to unload. Not sure why, I always thought it was the easy and clean part of doing dishes.
One person only and I put the dishwasher through once a week. It is handy for washing jars, vases, and odd shaped items especially. I find that I need to fill the rinse agent dispenser with straight vinegar otherwise the DW will develop an odour.
I handwash the bulky stuff at night just before bed and put away so that the kitchen looks clean in the morning.
No dishwasher here. I never got the point.
Do you still have to use some substance, to keep the dishes/glasses from streaking? I never wanted to use that stuff.
I handwash the bulky stuff at night just before bed and put away so that the kitchen looks clean in the morning.
My Mom's saying is, "if you say goodnight to your kitchen it will say good morning to you". True that.
SteveinMN
12-5-13, 10:23am
Do you still have to use some substance, to keep the dishes/glasses from streaking? I never wanted to use that stuff.
Modern water-saving dishwashers are designed to use some sort of rinse agent, more to prevent spotting than streaking. This became all the more helpful when they started removing phosphates from dishwasher detergent. But you don't have to use some weird expensive chemical concoction. Plain ol' white vinegar works fine, contains nothing odd, and is much less expensive.
goldensmom
12-5-13, 11:11am
Do you still have to use some substance, to keep the dishes/glasses from streaking? I never wanted to use that stuff.
Softened water and a bit of white vinegar keeps the dishes, silverware, glasses clear of water spots/streaking and keeps the dishwasher clean as well.
Miss Cellane
12-5-13, 11:54am
I don't use any rinse agent in my dishwasher and there are no streaks or spots. I suspect a lot has to do with the water in your area, and to some degree, the type of detergent you use. Maybe also how hot the water gets, as rinsing in hot water, even when handwashing dishes, leads to faster drying and fewer spots.
Do you still have to use some substance, to keep the dishes/glasses from streaking? I never wanted to use that stuff.
I was using white vinegar as a rinse agent for a while, along with baking soda with a couple drops of dish soap to clean them. They still came out all spotty despite the vinegar :/ So I caved and bought rinse aid, which seems to just be some kind of diluted soap. Weird. I still use the baking soda/dish soap combo in the soap compartment though.
Well, we have a dishwasher, but it never worked, so I use it for storage. I've heard it uses less water than hand-washing.
Seems like I spend way too much time washing dishes......but I'm just so used to it.
I keep dreaming of a new kitchen one day, and will have a dishwasher then.
But for now......Am I the only one without a dishwasher?I don't have one either - old 1950's house doesn't have a spot for one. I don't really cook anyways so it's pretty much a "one dish, one glass, one knife, and one fork" to wash kind of thing for me. Sometimes not even that as I think I live on sandwiches and smoothies most of the time!
happystuff
12-5-13, 9:52pm
No dishwasher here. Kids would love if we got one though. Oh well - lol.
We don't have anything made of glass to worry about spots. We have very few eating items (like five bowls of different small sizes), and the cups and plates are pottery. What we react to in what our stuff looks like is colors and shapes, which vary).
I love our dishwasher. For me hand washing dishes reminds me of childhood chores. No thanks. There's only two of us so I run it in the middle of the night a couple times per week since our overnight electric rate is dirt cheap. (We can loOk at the electric bill and tell what days we did the dishes) I don't generally rinse anything and everything tends to come out clean. Pots and pans get washed by hand, as do good knives.
I would't be without one. There are three in our family; sometimes it runs daily, other times every other day. If I was hand washing, I'd have dishes in the sink all day; couldn't stand that!
We spent a good chunk of this afternoon looking for a dishwasher again. So frustrating...One of the things that makes it hard is that internet reviews are so inconsistent. One model will get lots of greats on one site and horrible reviews on another.
Ours broke down with alarming regularity, so I asked DH to remove it and create more cabinet space. Works better for us.
onlinemoniker
2-5-14, 4:19pm
I have had my current dishwasher since I renovated the kitchen 9 years ago. Last summer it had gotten pretty bad @ cleaning the dishes so I went to Youtube and looked for videos until I found one that showed how to take my dishwasher apart and clean it. And I fixed it myself. Now it cleans beautifully and I did a much better job than the Mr. Fix-it would have done. I love my dw and use it all the time even though I, too, live alone. When I was washing dishes all the time I was either cutting my fingers on knives I couldn't see or breaking glasses. Now no breakage or cutting. Always good.
Teacher Terry
2-5-14, 4:56pm
I so love my dishwasher! Also I think it cuts down on sickness because the water gets so much hotter then you can stand to do dishes by hand.
4 dishwashers in this house in 22 years....but we keep trying. We have hard water which even though I use vinegar for a rinse still seems to wear out the motors.
No dishwasher for me , I have never had one so I'm not going to start now. Just another thing to break and cost money.
I so love my dishwasher! Also I think it cuts down on sickness because the water gets so much hotter then you can stand to do dishes by hand.
I wear dish-washing gloves, which lets me use super hot water. But.........it makes the gloves gummy real soon. hahaha They start sticking to the silverware.
I would kill to have a dishwashing machine. I would
No, I probably would not.
Teacher Terry
2-5-14, 8:15pm
Washing dishes is one of the tasks I hate the most. When I did not have a dishwasher my kitchen did not stay clean. Now it is clean all the time-dirty dishes out of sight.
Packratona!
2-24-14, 5:09pm
Because I live in a cockroach-prone area (they live outside and just come in when they want) I decided not to use one, as both the dirty dishes as well as the residue left in the bottom after washing the dishes attract them. I do use mine as a secondary dish air dryer (drain first on draining board, then let sit in dishwasher overnight to air dry). But I still have to disinfect the dishwasher occasionally as the critters find their way in.
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