Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Countries

[kenny]

I don't know why I found this so interesting, maybe because it dispels myths.

Disclosure: We've no machine since I prefer to hand wash dishes.
Put that big chef knife away.
I, and this link, am/are not arguing you should hand wash.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/58245033/list/dishwasher-vs-hand-washing-debate-finally-solved-sort-of

Introductory snip from article:

"Dishwasher vs. Hand-Washing Debate Finally Solved — Sort Of
Readers in 8 countries weigh in on whether an appliance saves time, water and sanity or if washing by hand is the only saving grace

In the realm of domestic affairs, few things seem to generate as much universal contention as the argument over washing dishes by hand versus washing them in a dishwashing machine. Which method gets dishes cleaner? Which uses less water?

We reached out to Houzz users in eight countries — Russia, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia — and, through a series of discussions and polls, tried to determine what, if anything, other cultures and communities can teach us about this common dilemma. Here’s how the dirty-dish debate stacks up around the world."

 

[MissGotRocks]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

On a daily basis, I wash my dishes by hand. If I have company over, I'll generally just load the dishwasher to save time.

One meal for us generally does not fill the dishwasher. Leaving it with dirty dishes in it overnight just seems awful to me - even though they have been rinsed. I hate going into the kitchen to cook tomorrow and realize that the one thing I need is - guess where? - dirty in the dishwasher! It just doesn't make sense to me to use the dishwasher for us every day.

I also love warm, soapy water and watching things get clean and sparkly - it just feels like a job well done when everything is clean and put away!

 

[missy]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

We have 2 dish drawers and one dish drawer perfectly fits the dirty dishes/glasses/silverware etc from dinner for the 2 of us. If we have company over we use both dish drawers and voilà fits and cleans everything perfectly. I never leave dirty dishes overnight and run the dish drawer(s) as soon as we are done with our meal because I hate dirty dishes sitting for any length of time too. I would not like washing them by hand and prefer having the dish drawers.

The shortest cycle (fast-eco) which is usually the cycle I use has a duration of about 30 minutes. Very fast. It is quiet and compact with multiple settings and I switch off using bottom and top drawers for equal use and it is easy peasy.

People vary and whatever works for you and your family. I am thankful dishwashers exist however.

 

[dk168]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I live on my own with a cat and a dog, and do not cook at home during weekdays after work.

I cook a big pot of whatever at weekends and free what I do not eat in portioned tubs.

During weekdays, I would wash the cups and odd plates by hand, and use the dishwasher for big wash after cooking at weekends.

DK

 

[momhappy]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

We have a dishwasher, but I hand wash on a daily basis.

 

[chrono]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

We have a dishwasher, but I hand wash on a daily basis.

The same.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

After ten years, we finally got a dishwasher last year and I was so excited. However I still wash the dishes by hand daily because it's just easier and since I rinse them anyway before I put them in the dishwasher, might as well just wash them and be done with it.

 

[Arcadian]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I *pink puffy heart* my dishwasher, especially since I can just use the top drawer to clean if I don't fill up the whole thing. However there are certain things I still wash by hand mainly because putting in a dishwasher would void the warranty.

 

[House Cat]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

If you have a newer dishwasher, you shouldn't have to rinse your dishes before loading them. That is not recommended because it is a waste of water. Your dishwasher has a garbage disposal built in and it will grind away the food that is left behind. Just scrape all of the big pieces left on the dishes, load, make sure your water is hot enough (water heater setting), make sure your dishwasher has rinse aid, and run the cycle. Your dishwasher will use less water than you will hand washing if you have a full load of dishes.

If your dishes aren't getting clean, you might need to troubleshoot your machine. Start by experimenting with different detergents. Then, like I said, make sure you have rinse aid in the machine. Lastly, you might have to clean your machine. Most dishwashers give you the ability to pull out the spray arm and then remove the bottom screen in order to clean all of the gunk and debris that gets caught in there over time. There are youtube videos and blog posts on this. Surely, if you aren't comfortable doing this, you can probably pay someone to do this, but I wouldn't. My old dishwasher was giving me dirty dishes no matter what I did. I took it apart and found that it was full of this greasy residue, my hair, broken glass. It was nuts what was in there. After cleaning it out, my dishwasher produced clean dishes again.

I live in drought ridden California. I have an energy efficient, water saving dishwasher. I do not pre-rinse. I stack the dirtiest of dishes in my machine and set it and go.

I also have 3-5 people eating in my house on any given day. It would never make sense for me to hand wash.

 

[canuk-gal]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

HI:

My dishwasher is my best friend. If it were possible to put everything in the DW, I would....and be assured I certainly try!! But, alas, I end up hand washing bits and pieces.

Generally I use my eco cycle.

cheers--Sharon

 

[boerumbiddy]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I live with two cats and have an entry-level Bosch dishwasher, which is very quiet. I fill it up with several days' worth of dishes and run it at night. Wouldn't be without it. My mother said that when she first got a dishwasher, we kids quit passing our colds and other ailments around. My best friend said the same thing. And indeed, you don't have to rinse the dishes first, just scrape.

 

[monarch64]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I grew up in a house that had a dishwasher but my mother always hand-washed dishes/pots/pans/silverware. She cooked a full meal every night and made my father a new dessert every other day. She would make me (exclusively, never my brother who was also quite capable) stand there and dry everything and put it away. Adding to that torture was the fact that for some reason, she listened to country music while she washed dishes (which I hated). It was the ONLY time she listened to country. Of course it had to be when I was stuck there with her.

I haven't washed a dish by hand for years, except for my grandmother's china. Even my Wedgwood goes in the dishwasher. If there is a machine that does something to save me time that I can spend doing important things in life you bet your ass I'm going to use it.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

If you have a newer dishwasher, you shouldn't have to rinse your dishes before loading them. That is not recommended because it is a waste of water. Your dishwasher has a garbage disposal built in and it will grind away the food that is left behind. Just scrape all of the big pieces left on the dishes, load, make sure your water is hot enough (water heater setting), make sure your dishwasher has rinse aid, and run the cycle. Your dishwasher will use less water than you will hand washing if you have a full load of dishes.

If your dishes aren't getting clean, you might need to troubleshoot your machine. Start by experimenting with different detergents. Then, like I said, make sure you have rinse aid in the machine. Lastly, you might have to clean your machine. Most dishwashers give you the ability to pull out the spray arm and then remove the bottom screen in order to clean all of the gunk and debris that gets caught in there over time. There are youtube videos and blog posts on this. Surely, if you aren't comfortable doing this, you can probably pay someone to do this, but I wouldn't. My old dishwasher was giving me dirty dishes no matter what I did. I took it apart and found that it was full of this greasy residue, my hair, broken glass. It was nuts what was in there. After cleaning it out, my dishwasher produced clean dishes again.

I live in drought ridden California. I have an energy efficient, water saving dishwasher. I do not pre-rinse. I stack the dirtiest of dishes in my machine and set it and go.

I also have 3-5 people eating in my house on any given day. It would never make sense for me to hand wash.

We have a portable dishwasher because in our very small house I couldn't give up cabinet space for a built in. So that being said, I don't believe portables have a built in garbage disposal and therefore they would have to be rinsed. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

We have a dishwasher, but I hand wash on a daily basis.

The same.

Same here.

 

[partgypsy]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I'm one of those in the minority who enjoys hand washing dishes. We didn't install a dishwasher when we remodeled the kitchen, because rather have the cabinet space. I also enjoying doing the laundry, folding, putting it away. I do wish I had someone to clean the house and pick up dog poop in the backyard though!

 

[House Cat]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

If you have a newer dishwasher, you shouldn't have to rinse your dishes before loading them. That is not recommended because it is a waste of water. Your dishwasher has a garbage disposal built in and it will grind away the food that is left behind. Just scrape all of the big pieces left on the dishes, load, make sure your water is hot enough (water heater setting), make sure your dishwasher has rinse aid, and run the cycle. Your dishwasher will use less water than you will hand washing if you have a full load of dishes.

If your dishes aren't getting clean, you might need to troubleshoot your machine. Start by experimenting with different detergents. Then, like I said, make sure you have rinse aid in the machine. Lastly, you might have to clean your machine. Most dishwashers give you the ability to pull out the spray arm and then remove the bottom screen in order to clean all of the gunk and debris that gets caught in there over time. There are youtube videos and blog posts on this. Surely, if you aren't comfortable doing this, you can probably pay someone to do this, but I wouldn't. My old dishwasher was giving me dirty dishes no matter what I did. I took it apart and found that it was full of this greasy residue, my hair, broken glass. It was nuts what was in there. After cleaning it out, my dishwasher produced clean dishes again.

I live in drought ridden California. I have an energy efficient, water saving dishwasher. I do not pre-rinse. I stack the dirtiest of dishes in my machine and set it and go.

I also have 3-5 people eating in my house on any given day. It would never make sense for me to hand wash.

We have a portable dishwasher because in our very small house I couldn't give up cabinet space for a built in. So that being said, I don't believe portables have a built in garbage disposal and therefore they would have to be rinsed. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Your owners manual should tell you. I know that many (newer) portable dishwashers do have hard food disposals.

 

[kenny]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I enjoy ironing shirts.
I enjoy giving our doggies haircuts.
I enjoy cooking and baking bread from scratch.
I enjoy washing clothes and folding them.
I enjoy vacuuming.
I enjoy washing windows.

I think I'm actually a Victorian woman, trapped in a man's body, trapped in the 21st century.
Oh wait! This isn't vaginal work, nor is it penile work.
Dang! Why does life have to be so confusing?

To me it's not about having the $$$ to pay someone (or some machine) to do as MUCH as possible so I can sit on my fat ass longer.
It's about spending my time doing what I find gratifying and spending that money on what's more important to me.

 

[stracci2000]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I grew up in a house that had a dishwasher but my mother always hand-washed dishes/pots/pans/silverware. She cooked a full meal every night and made my father a new dessert every other day. She would make me (exclusively, never my brother who was also quite capable) stand there and dry everything and put it away. Adding to that torture was the fact that for some reason, she listened to country music while she washed dishes (which I hated). It was the ONLY time she listened to country. Of course it had to be when I was stuck there with her.

I haven't washed a dish by hand for years, except for my grandmother's china. Even my Wedgwood goes in the dishwasher. If there is a machine that does something to save me time that I can spend doing important things in life you bet your a$$ I'm going to use it.

NOOOOOOO!!!! Not the Wedgwood! (Clutching my Akoyas.... )

 

[monarch64]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I grew up in a house that had a dishwasher but my mother always hand-washed dishes/pots/pans/silverware. She cooked a full meal every night and made my father a new dessert every other day. She would make me (exclusively, never my brother who was also quite capable) stand there and dry everything and put it away. Adding to that torture was the fact that for some reason, she listened to country music while she washed dishes (which I hated). It was the ONLY time she listened to country. Of course it had to be when I was stuck there with her.

I haven't washed a dish by hand for years, except for my grandmother's china. Even my Wedgwood goes in the dishwasher. If there is a machine that does something to save me time that I can spend doing important things in life you bet your a$$ I'm going to use it.

NOOOOOOO!!!! Not the Wedgwood! (Clutching my Akoyas.... )

It's dishwasher safe! I swear! https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/vera-wang-wedgwood-reg-grosgrain-dinnerware-collection/106063 (scroll down to "product information")

 

[Matata]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I enjoy ironing shirts.
I enjoy giving our doggies haircuts.
I enjoy cooking and baking bread from scratch.
I enjoy washing clothes and folding them.
I enjoy vacuuming.
I enjoy washing windows.

Do you enjoy travel? Because I would enjoy you coming visit so I could enjoy watching you enjoy doing those things at my house, especially baking the bread from scratch.

 

[lyra]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

My Wedgwood certainly DOES go in the dishwasher daily. And the microwave. It's bone china, which is very tough stuff.

I use the dishwasher for almost everything except the chef knives. I don't buy anything that can't go in the dishwasher. I sometimes run it twice a day if necessary. I just find it a real mind clean/clean clean thing.

 

[kenny]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

I enjoy ironing shirts.
I enjoy giving our doggies haircuts.
I enjoy cooking and baking bread from scratch.
I enjoy washing clothes and folding them.
I enjoy vacuuming.
I enjoy washing windows.

Do you enjoy travel? Because I would enjoy you coming visit so I could enjoy watching you enjoy doing those things at my house, especially baking the bread from scratch.

It's a deal, but I get paid in Diamonds.

 

[PintoBean]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

My cats pre-wash my dishes. We run the dishwasher about every other day. The cat daddy and cat mama and 3 cat babies all eat and drink from corelle plates and bowls and mugs and glasses. It just makes it easier when everything is light and dishwasher safe. The dishwasher has saved me from bad eczema on my hands that can be caused by frequent contact with soap and water.

 

[PintoBean]

Re: Pros/Cons of dishwashers vs washing by hand from 8 Count

Pre-washing!