Two weeks ago our dishwasher gave up the ghost.
As most of you know, I will be moving to Spain in two months, so I decided that it wasn’t worth buying another one here in Toulouse, just to have an extra large item to move.
Therefore we have spent the last couple of weeks washing up by hand.
We have found so many advantages of not using the dishwasher that we are now considering not having one in future.
These advantages are:-
1) Enjoying a chat about our day while washing up after the evening meal
2) Always have clean crockery and pans ready for the next meal. Previously we needed many more as some were ‘waiting’ in the dishwasher until it was full.
3) Never leaving the kitchen a mess after a meal as the pots needed to be cleaned straightaway.
4) Clearly the cost is lower when doing it by hand
5) We have found that it doesn’t really take so much longer to wash up than previously to load and unload the dishwasher.
It would be interesting to hear your views on this.
Boadicea's Chariot 
That is not my dishwasher by the way.
I am a supporter of washing dishes by hand as well.
To begin with, dishes tend to hold longer. Dishwashers fade patterns and cause more
scratches. There is also a greater chance of dishes not getting cleaned properly.
Some say that there is a greater risk of dishes breaking. If dishes are properly sorted this is
not the case.
I cook and leave the clearing up to those I have cooked for…. 🙂
The very idea of living without a dishwasher fills me with horror, Gaz. The first house we bought after we were married had one! It was a strange machine with a sort of circular rack inside, and except for about a month we have never been without one since.
It might be just about tolerable if you are on your own or just two of you, but what happens when you have people to stay? I frequently find I’m cooking for eight or so, and that’s a horrible amount of washing up to do by hand.
As Rosie mentioned earlier, when visitors come, they always help with the washing up. But seriously, I thought the same until we were without it. I am pretty sure that we won’t buy another, especially as our kitchen in Spain is quite small.
I tried it for a month Gaz, although it was some years ago when the girls were living at home, but I was working then too, so it drove me mad not being able to sling things in the dishwasher! My daughters were not trained to wash up, it was bad enough training them to load and empty the dishwasher!
I suppose we probably could manage now, but we have a large kitchen in this house with a built-in dishwasher so I’m not sure I feel the need to do without just yet, and I really do not enjoy washing up.
I am a prof dom eng. Trust me: all the evidence from applied physics, hygiene, psychology and digestion supports the conclusion that dish-washers are essential to the enjoyment of meals. Like good company and good wine. 🙂
Our daughter in law (or more often our son, under duress) washes the dishes BEFORE putting them in the dishwasher! I think this a legacy from her mother, whose dishwasher was very ineffective! I suppose it takes all sorts! 😦
Thanks for all the comments so far. But the winner of this competition is Pseu. By far the best solution of all 🙂
TAKE IT WITH YOU ??????
Never heard the like in my life!!!!
Surely to God you sell the place intact with the kitchen totally functional? You don’t remove appliances surely? Unutterably bizarre! In neither the UK or in the USA have I ever moved an appliance, not even a free standing fridge. If they don’t like the model the new owners can buy their own choice.
No dishwasher constitutes a cruel and unusual punishment! On buying a house if the kitchen is not up to scratch knock the price of a refit off the selling price when you make an offer! (Having had 45 homes so far, it works more often than you think!)
As to wrecking china, absolute bullshit. Just buy a model that has a bone china setting. For day to day use an oven to tableware range which will withstand anything. As usual, don’t buy cheap chink crap! I always insist on Miele dishwashers, much better and more programmable than most. I have been putting my premium Royal Doulton china in a dishwasher now for 40 years, not one part of it has been damaged or dulled including the gold rims and decoration.
As to having no room, several manufacturers do 3/4 size models, I put a small Zanussi in the boys flat in Brum so he didn’t have to stand. Put that in in 2006 and still going strong.
As to washing up by hand, two of you? So one is drying? Filthy habit, generally using a cloth that has been there all day. All you are doing is smearing old bacteria on clean crockery!! If you must wash by hand leave it to air dry. Against all health and safety regulations in restaurants by the way. Which is why they always have machines. It appalls me how many people leave the same dish towel up for days. More likely you should be using 3-6 /DAY. Had to re-educate current incumbent on that!!!!
As for waiting for it to fill, by the evening if you include rings and drip pans from the stove, dog’s bowls etc you generally can get it up to a certain level to run. I don’t understand this bit about not doing pans in the dishwasher. Any decent model will do the pans, again buy a decent one! A quick swill out is all that should be needed and not even that for boiled veg pans.
Strikes me you are making a rod for your own back, wait till one of you has arthritis or a knee problem!!
Gaz, it’s because of the Pseu principle that I studied dom eng! 🙂
Gaz – Had a dishwasher in Blighty and had one installed here, neither often used unless we had/have dinner for six. As Christina says, air drying is the only way otherwise. On other appliances, our apartment in Brisbane had an ‘insinkerator’ and jolly useful it was on the eighth floor apart from having to take prawn heads and shells down to the bins so we had one put in here ten years ago. It gave up the ghost this year but I haven’t replaced it.
OZ
We have a modification of the Pseu principle – I cook for two weeks and Bearsy cleans up, and then he cooks for two weeks and I clean up. Neither of us would be without the dishwasher.
Dishwashers keep the kitchen tidy all day, and if it isn’t full by the evening we switch it on anyway. I’ve never understood why people ‘wait’ until it’s full – one doesn’t wait until there are enough dishes to make it worthwhile filling a sink with hot water.!
Well guys, pseu is still the winner.
Christina, we rent the house in France. Light fittings, fridge, oven, dishwasher, washing machine etc etc all need to go to Spain, go to charity or be thrown out. It is very rare to leave them. The owner normally doesn’t want them left in case he takes on the responsibility.
Regarding tea towels, I take the lead from my parents who have never had a dishwasher, never air dried and are both ninety this year. Hardly a visit to the doctor in all of that time. Bacteria indeed! Our whole life is surrounded by bacteria. Our bodies are full of them. We can’t hide from them….
Boadicea, I am trying to picture your home after one of you has been cooking for two weeks. 🙂
No guys, sorry, I haven’t been convinced. Hand washing from now on.
p.s. I use the term ‘guys’ like ‘chicos’ or ‘hijos’…boys and girls together 🙂
Gaz, why not scrap the washing machine too? Get out the old wash board, copper and wringer. 🙂
why wash board, copper and wringer Janus? We have a river nearby 🙂
Rock that, gaz! 🙂
🙂
Hi Gaz – I’m a hand washer-upper and use large white linen napkins to dry. I used to hate helping my mother to wash up as a boy but now I find it therapeutic – a bit like standing up yoga with hands and arms making small circular movements! I find it takes your mind off things, and there is a sense of achievement doing good housekeeping, so yes Gaz you has my vote man!
PS Question: Why do women have small feet? Answer: So that they can stand nearer the kitchen sink!
Haha….That reminds me of an old ‘Blondinen’ joke from Germany.
Question : Why can’t blondes ski very well
Answer: Because there is no snow in the bedroom or kitchen.
I would say that the ‘for’ and ‘against’ dishwashers are running at about 50/50 so far.
And for Christina: Since your comment I have changed the tea towels every day, so it is good that the washing machine is still functioning 🙂