POLL: Dishwasher or Hand Wash?

Emily H

8 years ago

How do you take care of your dishes at home? Do you hand wash them or do you use a dishwasher?

VOTE and tell us about it in the comments!

Dishwasher

Hand Wash

Featured Answer

Sandi

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Only two of us here. Washing the few items by hand is quieter and done in less than 5 min. I detest having to wait for a cycle to complete, wonder if what is inside is dirty or clean, hunt for an item between its "place" and the dishwasher, put away a load of clean dishes and waste the energy and water. Washing by hand gives my mind a chance to clear and reflect on what the day has brought or what is ahead. I rinse as the sink is still filling and usually all are done well before the shallow sink fills 2/3rds of the way.

Funny too, when we have guests or family and I urge them to "load the DW" they just smile and we end up talking, laughing, washing, wiping and drying together- enjoying each others company. Brings back fond memories of my childhood and the women chattering in friendship as we "cleaned up the kitchen". Only difference today is that both genders clean it up now!

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Comments (331)

CRISTINA ROSARIO
8 years ago
Never seen one in real life. lol
pa linn
8 years ago
I can hand wash,dry,and put away dishes for 15 in less time it takes to rinse and put them in a dishwasher .
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tese
8 years ago
I wash, dry and put up dishes as I cook so it's easier to hand wash them. Job done! After we eat there are only 2 plates and utensils to wash.
bbd1055a
8 years ago
I put everything but my wood handle knives and pots and pans that recommend hand washing.
maggierateye
8 years ago
Don't own a dishwasher and enjoy hand-washing anyway; it's one of those mindless Zen kind of tasks. I'm also the sort who thinks that too many appliances at some point cease to be convenient and begin to own you. And my place is solar; I prefer a small environmental footprint.
Judy Mishkin
8 years ago
maggie, dishwashers take less hot water than hand washing, so make sure you are doing the best for the environment if that is your goal.
Nina Bevels Thompson
8 years ago
Unless there is sticky food I don't rinse before putting in dishwasher. Even if I'm not running the dishwasher at that time the dishes are still clean when I ran it.
Joan
8 years ago
By hand. Of all household chores, I find dish washing to be very calming, and a chance to do some quiet thinking at the end of the day. I keep a tub of soapy water (Mrs. Meyers Honeysuckle is a favorite) in the sink and add dishes to it after wiping off food remnants with a bit of paper towel that goes into the composting bin. A drinking glass full of sudsy water lets me soak cutlery. When the tub is full, I dip a scrubbie in the tub, add a little soap on it and wash the dishes. I use a "trickle down" method of rinsing, so the runoff from whatever is under the tap goes to the items below. Soaking makes washing easier (and therefore faster), and the "tier rinsing" system uses very little water. And I get to "zone out" while washing up.
gordy71
8 years ago
I prefer to hand wash. only takes a few minute.then I can wipe down counters appliances etc.
maggierateye
8 years ago
Nnigrt, thanks for your comment, but that depends on how you hand wash. Besides having a small solar system, I also live on a rain-catchment system, so I'm VERY conscious of my water use. And since there's only me there's so little to wash!
Barbara Holland
8 years ago
Of course I have dishwasher safe china and stainless and glassware for everyday. But I also have several other sets of dishes. the formal china with gold or silver trim is always hand-washed as is the formal stainless flatware (I don't have sterling flatware. Who can afford it anymore?) Also the formal crystal is carefully hand washed. I count the flatware as I go so I know nothing found its way into the garbage can. After a holiday or company meal I put all of the hand-washables on towels on top of my washer and dryer or a folding table in my laundry room and leave them as well as the cooking pans so my kitchen looks fairly neat. I always encourage guests to leave everything on the table after dinner instead of clearing. I like to spend time with my guests and don't like them to have to clear or do dishes while they are there, however sometimes they insist. We usually have coffee and dessert and drinks in the family room so the mess on the dining room table isn't in plain sight. After guests go home I put in one first dishwasher load, clear the tablecloth and napkins to the laundry room, and relax with a glass of wine. The following morning I leisurely enjoy washing my beautiful special occasion sets, drying them and storing them away while the linens are in the washer and dryer getting ready to press. It would drive me crazy to do that every day, but I truly enjoy it several times a year.
goosefairy
8 years ago
We always joke we have 3 dishwashers in my house. Me, my husband and our daughter. All hand wash for us. Haven't used a dishwasher in decades and don't miss it.
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Creative Visual Concepts, Kevin Strader
8 years ago
What is this "hand wash" thing you speak of? Do you mean do we wash our hands? Most certainly we do. They call them "dishwashers" for a reason. LOL ;)
Lori
8 years ago
Cannot believe that someone would be so rude as to imply that people who prefer a dishwasher are "lazy." Maybe these other people have more worthwhile things to do with their time than washing dishes.
cajunliberty7
8 years ago
Just about everything else I do--volunteer at our local food bank & soup kitchen; help with our Neighborhood Watch; mentor high school boys who do not have fathers at home; help with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; and most importantly to me---spend time with my beloved and beautiful bride of about a half century.
eli
8 years ago
Emilia Zavatsky Clune
My hands "are not broken" either, but I go to work.

Is that a problem or am I lazy on top of working all day???

I think we can state our preferences and have a nice chat without needing to be rude to people who do things differently.
D M
8 years ago
I wash the pots, pans, and tupperware and put everything else in the dishwasher.
charleee
8 years ago
Dishwasher. If it doesn't go in the dishwasher I'm not buying it. Period.
Bruce Crawford
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I didn't think of this earlier, but years ago our employees seemed to sharing each other's colds a lot. I suggested to our owner it was from coffee cups not being properly washed. He put in a dishwasher at the coffee station, & problem went away.
Lori
8 years ago
I don't know about other cities, but Houston's health codes requires that any business that utilizes actual dishes must have a dishwasher that reaches a certain degree that is consider "sanitizing."
Bruce Crawford
8 years ago
Lorltx, we didn't have K w/ dishes, per se. We had a double urn coffee maker, a microwave (m-w), small fridge & small sink, almost like a wetbar sink. People warmed brown bag lunches in m-w, etc. If people used dishes, they were their own, but we had coffee cups available on a shelf. They got hand-washed periodically, but apparently not adequately.
laugh3081
8 years ago
Wow--I wanted to read this but it went on and on.........I have had a dishwasher for 43 years but next year I will need to decide to add on or not to where I am moving. Plenty of counter space, but I really thought I would try to live without one since it is only me.
diyteam
8 years ago
I do both. Plates, cups, mugs, silverware etc. in the dishwasher (uses less water than hand-washing). Pots, good knives, wooden spoons and anything non-DW-safe by hand. (I like my pots shiny, and they will get dull in the DW.) I wash and hubby dries.
Susan French
8 years ago
Never had a dishwasher. Just for one or two people, its easier to wash by hand.

When entertaining don't like to put fine china and crystal in dishwasher.

Don't mind plunging my hands in hot soapy water and getting things tidied up in kitchen all at once.
gailgardens
8 years ago
Both! I wash wine glasses, and big pots, bowls and knives by hand~the rest in the dishwasher.
Amy Klein
8 years ago
Dishwashing is my least-favorite chore. I cook and we eat at home most of the time, as well as pack lunches in reusable containers. I run my dishwasher on average twice a day. If I had to handwash all of that? Ugh...
cajunliberty7
8 years ago
In our latest Family Reunion and Christmas Feast we served over 300 people, using large roasters, disposable steamers, buffet servers, platters, knives of various kinds, and stainless serving spoons and utensils, along with silicone and stainless cooking utensils, and all that could be washing in the double drawer dishwasher was, with 6 loads one day, and another 5 loads the next day.

At the same time, we had to hand wash the knives, platters, larger serving pieces, large roasting pans/inserts, and wipe down all the heat lamps and pieces we used. Everyone who helped was glad for the double drawer dishwasher which lessened our hand washing, saving us all many hours of hand washing everything. I would not be interested in cooking for so many people if we did not have a KitchenAid double drawer dishwasher on extended warranty until 2020.
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User
8 years ago
I use the dishwasher for basics (ie. plates, cups, bowls, tupperware, flatware/utensils), however all bigger and misc. items I hand wash for two reasons. 1. I go through pots/pans/etc. faster than plates. 2. I feel they are cleaner when I am done and it reminds me to clean up the kitchen everyday as I'm already at the sink.
Ava Williams
8 years ago
Honestly, they are both tied. Here is my theory. The dishwasher does miss some spots, and you can get a those spots with hand washing. Hand washing does take forever. I don't like hand washing, the doom of the dishes!
Michelle McFarlane-McKellar
8 years ago
I'd rather use the dishwasher but I hand wash because the dishwasher makes the dishes and glasses dull. I run the dishwasher sometimes if I have a lot of dishes and add vinegar to keep dishes sparkling.
Kathi Steele
8 years ago
Because I do the cooking, my husband and boys do the cleaning. Most things go in the dishwasher, but my knives and pans get hand washed. While one is washing, the other is drying and the other is wiping down all the countertops. Quite a system!!!
Diana Pargnelle
8 years ago
Both. Many things don't fit in dishwasher.
Sally Hess Keys
8 years ago
I just had a repair done to my oven. The repair guy was telling me that we should run white vinegar thru our washers and dishwashers occasionally. Since phosphorus was taken out of the soap.. things can gunk up the pipes. Just thought I'd pass it along to everyone on this link. Seems like a good preventative thing to do.
cajunliberty7
8 years ago
Absolutely, use white vinegar. I posted this earlier in this very long thread. We just had our fans in our dishwasher replaced by two great appliance repairmen. My wife and I sure hope they will come out and repair any other appliances we have that break down. They checked the sprayers and drains in our dishwasher while replacing the fans and commended us in having them so clean.

When we told them we were faithful in running cycles of the dishwashers with white vinegar, they told us it was the best thing to do to avoid problems with our sprayers and drains. We also use white vinegar for many other uses as well in the kitchen, bathrooms, and outdoors, and take apple cider vinegar each day.
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Giancarlo Massaro Architect, AIA
7 years ago
Hi Mitchell, How do I send you an email ?
flgirl53
7 years ago
I do both, a few dishes I hand wash, if I have a lot I use the dishwasher.
doreycrouse
6 years ago
We always use our dishwasher. Just comparing my Tervis cups compared to my grandparents (who do not put theirs in the DW) is enough for me to use one for life. Our new Bosch has absolutely babied me. It cleans like you wouldn't believe. Also, it is more efficient contrary to popular belief.
cajunliberty7
6 years ago
We're having a large Easter dinner and family reunion Easter night and if we did not have a double drawer very good dishwasher, we would recommend everyone to go to a restaurant. No one else in the extended family is able (or willing) to host these large extended family meals/reunions and I would not be willing or able if it were not for my dishwasher.
38240
6 years ago
It depends......

We use the dishwasher for dinner plates, flatware, drinkware, etc. but I cook a lot with cast iron, so that is hand wash as are regular pots, pans, sharp knives & plastic items like my lock & lock containers. I will also wash larger bowls, cutting boards & other things I just as soon not take up space in the dishwasher with. Also, if we have a dinner, bbq, holiday meal, etc. we always end up doing some of the dishes by hand just to get them cleared up & put away.
Lori
6 years ago
38240, I used to not put my regular pots and pans in the dishwasher either until I read an article by Martha Stewart that said the dishwasher is actually beneficial to stainless steel pots and pans. She is right, they come out looking brand new. Of course, my Bosch dishwasher plays a part in that. I am just amazed at the job it does with no rinsing first—just scraping of excess food. I have even put my crock pot bases in the dishwasher with cooked on food, and they come out spotless. Also, modern dishwashers are actually more efficient and use less water than hand washing (per Heloise).
Toronto Veterinarian
6 years ago
Survival of the fittest.........if it does't fit in the dishwasher, it doesn't survive, LOL.....not entirely, but virtually everything goes in the dishwasher except knives. And as has been said, washing by dishwasher is more water and energy efficient.
krazynntreal
4 years ago
Dishwasher! Every day of the week. I HATE handwashing. Longest I've gone without one is 3 month when I moved house and it was horrible.
st5330
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
to the people saying dishwasher do not save time bc you have to pre-rinse- that may have been true a long time ago, but not anymore! in fact, my new whirlpool dishwasher instructions specifically said NOT to prerinse. It actually is better if you dont. if all the dishes are pretty much clean to start thats how they get etched and dull! We dont rinse beforehand and even caked on spaghetti sauce comes off no problem. I also put my china in it and trust it with those pieces too! theyve also come along way in design. somehow our old one had to be run every day or every other day, this one with the same overall dimensions runs just twice a week. I also love that it can sterilize all our bottle parts.
Erika
4 years ago
Our last apartment didn't have a dishwasher. We spent years hand washing everything. Now that we have a house with a dishwasher, we take full advantage. The only time I hand wash is when I encounter something that's too fragile for the dish washer, or if we cook a big meal and not everything fits in the dishwasher.
Kathy Tobacco
3 years ago
I know this is late but I put my dishes in a rubber basin and load them into the dishwasher from there. I hand wash the rest in the basin. I highly recommend using a basin so you never have dirty dishes in your skin. Someone commented that she dislikes hand washing because she dislikes dishes in the sink and that it makes her cranky. It makes me crazy. So I keep my beautiful sink empty, clean and dry and use a basin for gathering dirty dishes for the dishwasher and for hand washing, which is more sanitary and practical not to mention portable. I highly recommend getting two basins actually. I clean the basins with Fels naptha soap.
Toronto Veterinarian
3 years ago
"So I keep my beautiful sink empty, clean and dry...."

So, why do you have it if you don't want it to get wet or have dirty things in it, even temporarily? I truly don't understand people who get something supposedly useful, and then don't use it because it's too nice, like having gorgeous dishware that you only use once a year. I am serious about the question - is it a sink, or a piece of art?

If I have dirty things in my sink, I just wash it afterwards.
gschives
last year
I hand wash my dishes using two plastic tubs (1.5 gallons per tub). The rinse tub is filled first with the cooler water as the water is coming from the hot water heater, then I fill the tub for washing with the hotter water. It only takes 10 minutes to do them up. I put flatware at the bottom to soak and work my way from the cleanest items to the grundgiest. I get a chance to wipe down counters and appliance or put away leftovers while a new round of dishes or pans soak a bit. I love working with my husband he does the rinse and stacking in the drying racks, or with the kids when they come home. When my husband reworked the kitchen cabinets, one upper cabinet was changed to become drying and storage for my dishes (like a Swedish drying rack), and he changed the sink doors into drawers - so I have room for the tubs, drying rack, towels, soap and scrubbers. Where the dishwasher was at is now four beautiful drawers positioned in the prime real estate position between the sink and cooktop.

When we are visiting our daughter I do the dishes - as I do the fragile glasses, mixing bowls, knives and pans. Her husband puts the plates, bowls, glasses and flatware in the dishwasher. The next morning invariably the dirty dishes are all still sitting in the DW - as he forgot to turn it on. So I wash the plates, bowls, glasses and flatware after they have sat all night and hardened the food on. Because of course he reassured me they did not need to be rinsed. If we get lucky and someone actually started the machine after dinner - just remember it will be three hours before we can grab forks or spoons for dessert.
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
I'm still in the dishwasher camp. There don't seem to be enough hours in the day as it is and hand washing/hand drying just adds to an already overloaded chore list.
Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
We are a family of five, entertained a lot, working parents with busy lives, etc so a diswasher allowed us to move on more quickly to other things. (I remember not being allowed outside after dinner in the summer until my sister and I helped with the dishes.)

We asked that our kids put their items into the dishwasher, taking two minutes, and they learned that the chore shouldn’t fall to one person. Now there are 3 of us at home and the routine has remained. As day goes on, we put our own dishes into dishwasher (so nothing on counter) and all help to clean up after dinner, husband washing pots, etc., me drying, and our son loading. When entertaining, much more has to be hand washed, therefore didn’t vote as we do both.
wishiwereintheup
last year
Didn't vote because the decision is only based upon convenience and available time at the particular moment, although with house guests, the dishwasher is always used. Saving water doesn't enter into the decision.

POLL: Dishwasher or Hand Wash?

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