I Hate Washing Up

ragz_2

We had a dishwasher in our last rental house, I didn't use it for months as I was never keen on them. I went through a few phases of using it though, and it was very useful when we had guests but I often went weeks without using it and I don't really miss it.

I find my kitchen is cleaner when I wash up, as I wipe the surfaces etc at them same time. DW just hides the messy dishes so I didn't clean as often!

Each to their own...

PS, DH always said you have to rinse stuff for the DW, I said if I was going to do that I may as well wash up! So I never bothered...

LisaW123

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

I just couldn't bear the thought of getting all the different types of washables in the same vessel.

Me neither. The thought of something like glasses or a cup being swilled with water and debris from dinner plates or a roasting dish makes my stomach churn. I also hate the prospect of loading/unloading the thing, but what really gets me is all that debris floating about with relatively clean things. We actually have a dishwasher, it's never been switched on. If we ever get round to redoing our kitchen, it will be removed and not replaced.

If the OP is really keen and has room in her kitchen, I would just go out and buy one. They aren't that expensive.

Penny-Pincher!!

We never rinse anything before the DW goes on. Whats the point? isn't that what the DW does?

At least they'll be no dirty washing up all over the kitchen.

gravitytolls

skylight wrote: »

You have room for a dishwasher.
You hate washing up.
Get a dishwasher.
You won't regret it.

Succinct and accurate advice here.

You'll still save your washing up in piles, once the novelty has worn off, but at least you won't have to wash up ~ and cos it's so much easier, you can have a rota for the kiddlies too.

gravitytolls

pigpen wrote: »

I think they should be compulsory.

I put every single thing in the DW.. it is only wooden stuff and thin glasses you shouldn't put in.. but it all goes in and in 15 years we have never had a mishap.

In the meantime the whole household able to reach the sink does the pot washing on a rota!

I even have had potties and mooncups and spectacles and vases in ours.

Mw too, potties, bin lid, pet dishes, toys, golf balls, basically if it's dirty and it fits, it goes in!

Re. rinsing, rice grains get stuck in the jets and the jets can be a swine to clean ~ I use a cocktail stick if they don't wash out under the tap.

bargainbetty

Just a small hint, I have two trained chefs as friends who both say that you can use a dishwasher for everything except your good knives. Apparently the extended exposure to hot water and steam etc dulls the edge and also makes it harder to sharpen them again.

I have no idea if this true, as my recently acquired flatmate loves doing the washing up and tells me off for using it. I love cooking, so this works out rather well for us both.

grousescot

Would anyone recomend getting a table top dishwasher? I live on my own so it would probably go on every couple of days or so. They seem to cost about the same as a budget price freezer which I'm more than prepared to shell out if it means reducing/avoiding my most frequent and disliked household chore. Do they need to be plumbed in or can you just hook them up to the sink?

London_Town

I've enjoyed reading this thread and it's been interesting to see the different opinions that have been aired.

I don't have a dishwasher, but as I live alone, I just do a quick wash every day or two and it's done. My Dad does have one and I do find it a bit of a chore to load and unload when I stay with him. My kitchen is quite small too so I wouldn't want to lose the cupboards space to one.

However, the main reason I wouldn't want one is the way they seem to prematurely age things. My Dad's got some old orange melamine plates that have gone quite white and brittle since being washed in the machine over a few years. We've also seen glasses go cloudy and plastic handles on cutlery go white at the edges.

More importantly, I have some very precious Mid Winter plates that my late mum bought in the 60's or 70's. As I wash them by hand, they've remained colourful. My partners mum also bought the same plates, but they've spent decades in and out of a dishwasher. When we compared our mum's plates, the one that had been in the dishwasher were very faded. I was really shocked.

Perhaps something to bear in mind if you have anything colourful that has alot of sentimental value.

PipneyJane

London_Town wrote: »

However, the main reason I wouldn't want one is the way they seem to prematurely age things. My Dad's got some old orange melamine plates that have gone quite white and brittle since being washed in the machine over a few years. We've also seen glasses go cloudy and plastic handles on cutlery go white at the edges.

More importantly, I have some very precious Mid Winter plates that my late mum bought in the 60's or 70's. As I wash them by hand, they've remained colourful. My partners mum also bought the same plates, but they've spent decades in and out of a dishwasher. When we compared our mum's plates, the one that had been in the dishwasher were very faded. I was really shocked.

Perhaps something to bear in mind if you have anything colourful that has alot of sentimental value.

Two points to add to this: a dishwasher is great for everyday stuff but not for more delicate china or glassware. It relies on very hot, high pressured water and harsh chemicals to clean your dishes. There is a reason why the instructions tell you to not wash lead crystal in a dishwasher - the chemicals can permanently etch the glass.

My second point is how to fix glasswear that has gone milky - leave them to soak in vinegar and that will bring them up clear and shiny again. It won't fix etching though.

Steve-o

While looking into getting a dishwasher, I discovered that aluminium, copper, and tin items can oxidise rapidly (tarnish). Also, items that are made up of two materials (non-metal handles of kitchen utensils, etc) can have the bonds between the joints weakened.

Clear plastics, and glass, can start to go milky due to the scouring action of the chemicals used.

So really, it's a crockery & cutlery washer, and other things still need to be washed by hand. For me, if I have to wash some bits up by hand, I might as well wash it all up by hand.