A question about dishwashers.

mumps

Primrose wrote: »

Oh we usually use the same cup and saucer for all our drinks throughout day instead of using fresh ones every time we have a fresh brew (we're retired). We simply keep a bowl of soapy water in the sink, wash them and drain them and reuse. We haven't died of germs yet! I think people can get too worked up about all this hygiene business If we weren't all so affluent in relative terms that our cupboards werenn' full of pans, crockery and cutlery we'd all be eating three courses from the same plate with the same cutlery. That's what we all used to do at Girl Guide camps with your single enamel ears ago. It was also an effective way of ensuring you cleared your plate of Irish Stew before embarking on your suet pudding and custard! :rotfl:

You see that's the sort of thing I did when we had a dishwasher, then I would wash some pans because I would need them for something but wasn't worth putting the dishwasher on. Then I thought "Well I am doing washing up anyway so why have I got a dishwasher." I suppose I felt that if I had a dishwasher I shouldn't have to wash up or what was the point? Different strokes and all that, I don't mind washing up so obviously not an issue for me. Now washing machine, tumble dryer and vacuum I count them as essentials but I have a friend who thinks tumble dryers are the work of the devils. Good job we aren't all the same.

Addiscomber

summerspring wrote: »

A dishwasher uses a lot of water,

If you were to look at the specifications of a dishwasher you would see that they use remarkably little. When we were thinking of getting ours I measured how much water from the hot tap we had to draw off before it got hot enough to wash up in, and we were letting almost as much as the dishwashers used down the drain. Then there was the fact that we often needed to change the handwashing water, and there was no contest on the water used.

LilElvis

Dishwashers do, over time, pit cutlery and saucepans with pockmarks and dull crystal. Even if I do get a new dishwasher installed my husband will still have to wash my knives and saucepans and decent glassware by hand. At least he will still feel useful :beer:

Primrose

We have stopped using our crystal glassware apart from rare special occasions as it gets damaged in the dishwasher. So it takes up valuable storage space in cuboards. We use cheap and cheerful glasware for day to day convenience.

getmore4less

There are plenty of dishwashers out there that can do 1/2 loads if you don't generate enough stuff.

Mine can do a top or bottom wash so we could load the bottom with the pans and do a 1/2 load hot wash.
Can take the top tray out and do really big/tall stuff like fridge or oven shelves.

Stick a load of glasses on the top and do a gentle wash with less aggresive cleaner.

We don't do that very often, just let it fill up over a few of days.


Recently picked up some Tesco Daisy powder cheap(3kg £1.15) seems to be working ok ,so <1.5p per wash.


cloudy glass can often be fixed if they are not etched too much.

melanzana

getmore4less wrote: »

There are plenty of dishwashers out there that can do 1/2 loads if you don't generate enough stuff.

Mine can do a top or bottom wash so we could load the bottom with the pans and do a 1/2 load hot wash.
Can take the top tray out and do really big/tall stuff like fridge or oven shelves.

Stick a load of glasses on the top and do a gentle wash with less aggresive cleaner.

We don't do that very often, just let it fill up over a few of days.


Recently picked up some Tesco Daisy powder cheap(3kg £1.15) seems to be working ok ,so <1p per wash.


cloudy glass can often be fixed if they are not etched too much.

Oh please tell me how that can be fixed! They can't in my experience anyway.

I inherited some really lovely Waterford Crystal. It is used often, but always washed by hand. Always!

As another poster has said, everyday glasses only for the dishwasher. And they do come out sparkling. (until the clouding happens lol) And then they are ditched, and new cheapies bought. Just for the dishwasher!

ibizafan_2

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to my question. It has made interesting reading. I suppose if truth be told, I actually don't mind washing up. I watch the birds in the garden, chat to OH or watch telly while I'm doing it. However, when we get around to re-modelling the kitchen, we've decided to look at the slimline dishwashers just in case we fancy one. Jury is still out though.

Primrose

I would great yourself to a slimline one. I don't know what age you are, but as you get older, appliances which make your life easier when you perhaps don't have has much energy, get tired more easily or get busier are always worth factoring into your plan.

We all think it's never going to happen to US. !! It usually does ! When we were replanning our kitchen after 30+ years without one, I swore i would never use one. How wrong I was !

Mojisola

Mojisola wrote: »

I heard a man interviewed on the radio who redid his kitchen with two dishwashers - that way, he never had to unload them.

The one with the clean stuff in acted as a cupboard while the other was filled up prior to being washed.

FreddieFrugal wrote: »

Expensive cupboard...with added risk of water leaks.

Looks like only having two dishwashers isn't enough -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3589888/Is-one-dishwasher-secret-domestic-bliss-s-new-status-symbol-best-ll-never-crockery-cupboards.html :rotfl:

Cornucopia

First... World... Problem...