The Dishwasher----Nuisance or Convenience?

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   Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

   I've never had a dishwasher until this past year.  Never wanted one, 'cause I figured I could wash 'em manually faster and better than taking time to rinse 'em off and then load the dishwasher and then later take 'em out and inspect 'em to see if they really got clean.....plus I figured it uses more water than washing dishes by hand.
   
   I've used it twice.  I guess sometimes it's okay. 
   
   Who likes a dishwasher and who doesn't?

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      Justine76posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I never had one. My mother in law loved hers when it was new, but its such a pain now. higher electric bills, pre wash the dishes, then you have to rinse them off after as the machine leaves chunks behind
      I would rather just wash them once and be done. If I dont let them pile up, it takes five minutes to get them over with.

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   Colebabieposted 14 years ago

   Convenience. I don't use it all the time. But when company is over, I'd rather load the dishwasher and be able to spend time with my friends.

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   drej2522posted 14 years ago

   I prefer the dishwasher when it comes to glasses...that way you don't have to stuff the sponge and your hand down the into that tight space.
   
   Wait...hold on...don't take this out of context people!

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   I live in an apartment and don't have room for a full size dishwasher, however, I do have counter-top dishwasher, I have on a cart. I do not use it much, and the fact that you bring up this particular topic is irony for me.
   
   Reason being, is that I actually used it for the first time in 6 months. I usually wash dishes by hand, because it is actually quicker to get them done. At most, it takes 10 minutes of my time.
   
   Interesting topic.

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   Wendi Mposted 14 years ago

   I live with 2 guys...a dishwasher is a MUST! 
   
   That way I can run around and clean everything else while the dishes are being cleaned.

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      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Wendi, how are you doing today? Nice to see you.

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   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Nice picture.

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   wavegirl22posted 14 years ago

   I like that I have one but usually dont load it unless company is coming. I rather wash as I go, cause the worst part is for me to have ti empthy it!

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      drej2522posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I hate emptying the silverware...OMG, I hate that crap!! Hate!

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         Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Me too!

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   Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

   A couple times when I wasn't feeling well, my husband offered to do dishes.
   I thought he meant actually do dishes by hand.
   But of course he stuck 'em in the dishwasher!
   Funny, but he never offered until we had a dishwasher, no matter how bad I was feeling.  ha

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   Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

   I have three teenage children (and all of their friends), my wife likes to cook, and I am male and therefore lazy and thoughtless.
   
   The fact is, teenagers never stop eating.  Ever.  Laws of physics are defied by the volume they consume. Another fact is teenagers have a hormonal chemical that makes putting dishes into a dishwasher cause them to have physical pain and debilitating psychological illness (symptoms include moaning, groaning, sighing and ocular spasms that cause their eyes to roll).  They are also incapable of putting dishes away should said dishes somehow magically get IN to a dishwasher.  Doing this releases the same hormones mentioned above.
   
   Old married males are not much better, though the chemical that impedes them is often found in bottles rather than glands.
   
   The result of all that is that having a dishwasher really means having a mountain of dishes piled in your sink that will not fit into the dishwasher because that is still full from the initial load placed therein x-number of years ago, not to mention that the pile in the sink wouldn't all fit into the dishwasher even if it were empty given how long it's been accumulating and therefore represents a task far too large and undesirable to be undertaken by anyone, thus engendering, in perpetuity, sustained growth that might one day be mistaken for an ancient burial mound or collapsed pyramid by alien archaeologists.
   
   Frankly, a dishwasher is the most ironic of all appliances, its name in total opposition of its end results. I recommend doing them by hand at the culmination of each meal and being done with it.  Easier to make a kid wash on the spot than have all those opportunities to procrastinate.

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    LOL
    
    Shadesbreath, that's funny!

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    sneakorocksolidposted 14 years ago

    We wash first and put them in the dishwasher to be sterilized. I know it's nutty but we sleep better this way.

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       Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Most home-use dishwashers don't get hot enough to sanitize the dishes.  They heat to about 150 degrees, but 180 for a sustained period is required to sanitize.
       
       Sleep well

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    No, actually that makes sense, sneakorocksolid.

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       sneakorocksolidposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Brenda! I owe you a hug!

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    Rochelle Frankposted 14 years ago

    I love my dishwasher and it is among the last things I would give up in the category of appliances.
    
    I just do not like hand dishwashing-- but I do like to get sparkling clean dishes and especially glassware that I know are sparking and sanitary.
    
    I never use the "dry" cycle, I open the washer and let the steam infuse the kitchen while the dishes dry. I have never used the "dry cycle" on my current dishwasher (the one that used the most energy).
    
    I live in a dry climate and the moisture emitted is also good for the wood cabinets.
    
    I  'dishwash' my dusty nicknacks, dog toys, cooktop plates and grates, refrigerator shelves and bins, and other misc. items that I would hate to hand wash.

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    Then pay up, sneako!
    I need a hug this morning.
    It's a beautiful sunny day here, but I'm having trouble waking up.
    Blessings!

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    IzzyMposted 14 years ago

    What an intersting thread and thanks Brenda for posting it.
    I was poor all my married life and couldn't afford a dishwasher. then I finally got one! By that time I had six kids living at home and it was great!
    We used so many dishes every day that there just wasn't room on the drainer for them all.
    I'm a great believer in letting dishes dry naturally, because there are germs on the dish towel.
    But after six months or so, the 'novelty' of the dishwasher wore off.
    Things had to be rinsed before going in, otherwise there was still food grains on the plates/cutlery.
    Loading up and putting the the cycle on was easy, emptying it less so, especially seeing that involved a lot of bending down.
    Since moving to Spain 7 years ago, I have not used the dishwashwer, despite brnging it with me. It has never been plumbed in.
    I've found I actually LIKE washing dishes by hand. It's one of the few pleasures I have left in life.

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       EmpressFelicityposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Noooo, say it ain't so Izzy! 
       
       I've never had a dishwasher and I don't think I'd ever be tempted to buy one.  As well as the need to pre-rinse everything as mentioned several times here, they also have an annoying tendency to wear the pattern off your china and sandblast your glassware. 
       
       And I don't know how much water/fuel the average dishwasher uses, but I'm betting it's way more than what you'd use if you washed the equivalent amount of crockery by hand.  Something to bear in mind as our utility bills soar ever heavenward.

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    Pleasures?
    I bet you're the first person who's ever called it a pleasure!
    But you're right!
    It was one of the staples of my Mom's life, a chore that still means something to her!   And me too, now that I think about it.

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       IzzyMposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       It is a pleasure, especially on a cold day, to put your hands in warm/hot water for a little while. I've never liked drying dishes. My dish drain dry, and if I'm lucky I can bully him into putting them away.
       But washing them?
       No probs x

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          Justine76posted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I was going to say that!! I wash dishes on purpuse to warm up...Ive done them 3 times today!! 

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    Ivorwenposted 14 years ago

    My dishwasher died about a year ago, and we haven't replaced it.  It was wonderful to have when I ran a daycare, because by using bleach on the first rinse and then running a second rinse, it counted for using the '3 sink' method of dish washing. 
    
    Owning one would be nice, but it is far from necessary.  With my family of seven, I spend about 1/2 hour a day doing dishes, and probably use much less water than a dishwasher would.

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    gracenotesposted 14 years ago

    If I had soft water, I would use my dishwasher a lot, because I know it would do a good job.  (But getting a water softener just isn't going to happen).
    
    Instead, I go through long periods when I do dishes by hand.  I switch off sometimes so my dishwasher does get some use.  I have never used the heating element on the dishwasher.

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    calpol25posted 14 years ago

    I have always washed dishes by hand at home, I have never wanted a dishwasher as past experiences taught me a thing or two with them when I worked in a cafe, plus I find you do a better yourself than the dishwasher does plus they don't always get all the dirt off the plates, I suppose its that old cliche, "If you want a job done right, do it yourself."

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    west40posted 14 years ago

    I have a dishwasher but use it very rarely - my electric bill was skyrocketing and I needed to try and get it down - soooo, lights get turned off, washing machine uses cold water only cycle and no using the dishwasher - bill has dropped and I have a little extra money in my pocket

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    StormRyderposted 14 years ago

    I love having a dishwasher. I like being able to toss the dishes in there and keep the sink and counters clear..I know being single I could probably live without one and do them by hand...but sometimes I'm lazy and they would sit there in the sink.

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    Chloe Comfortposted 14 years ago

    We're a family of four and I use it most days, especially in the evening after dinner - other than that, I'll hand wash the few dishes, etc. along the way. When I do use it I always make sure it's a full load or I feel like I'm being wasteful. Definitely makes it easier to get other things completed while the dishes are being done.

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    Arthur Fontesposted 14 years ago

    My dishwasher can be a nuisance but I love her we have been together for 17 years and still happy.
    
    shoutout to my wife LOL

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       Justine76posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       
       thats too funny, whenever people ask, "do you have a dishwasher?" my hubby says.."yes, I do..and she's hot!!" 
       
       I know that sounds dumb, but people really do ask us if we have a dishwasher, for some reason? 'till this very second I never wondered why?

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    haha Arthur that's sweet!  Congrats to you both!

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    Paradise7posted 14 years ago

    I had a dishwasher and never used it much.  It doesn't scrub pots and pans.  I ended up pre-washing all the cooking dishes by hand, anyway, so I just finally said the heck with it, I'll do 'em all by hand.
    
    I think they ARE wasteful and unnecessary, but hey, if you like your dishwasher, that's perfectly OK with me!

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    Rafiniposted 14 years ago

    I never thought I would actually use a dishwasher - I thought it would use too much water, I didn't like the "sandblasted" appearance on the glasses, and it involved a lot of bending.  Since I bought a home with a dishwasher I thought I would try it.  The owners manual had said High water temperature causes the sandblast appearance, so I turned down the water heater and gave it a shot.  I found my water usage is about the same, so why not use it?  Seems silly to me, actually, cuz it is more work,takes over 2 hours to complete the cycle and I still have some items I have to handwash cuz they dont fit in the dishwasher. But I like it cuz then I dont have a dishdrain full of dishes waiting to be put away when they are dry and I have kids to empty it when the cycle is done.

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    europewalkerposted 14 years ago

    I have a dishwasher and never use it. Hand washing is faster and takes less time.

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    plussizepixieposted 14 years ago

    I have a dishwasher and with 5 children it is a real time saver for me. The dishwasher is only ever put on when it is full usually at the end of the day after our evening meal but I still manually wash up at lunchtime if I have cooked for just a couple of us.

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    waynetposted 14 years ago

    Never had a dishwasher, because they take up too much space and are another machine which will go wrong after a short while of use, so they are a convenience but a nuisance at the same time!!

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    lakeerieartistsposted 14 years ago

    We use our dishwasher a lot.  Our teenagers eat a lot, we are not home much, and it saves a lot of time.

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