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Original poster

living without the dishwasher

168 replies

tippyteapot · 18/03/2019 20:16

Ive got a dishwasher, had it years. Ive got used to having it....

How common is it to NOT have one? 1 or 2 houses Im looking at dont have dishwasher space and Im thinking about how Id manage without one again. I think I would be fine. First world problem I know!

OP posts:
Teddyreddy · 20/03/2019 04:27

I couldn't see the point when it was just me until I had a tiny rental kitchen that had one. It gave so much worktop space back as i had somewhere to put dirty dishes rather than piling them up and meant that when cooking I could use the draining board as overspill work surface because it wasn't full of drying dishes.

Now it's me plus DH and 2 DC I'd never go back voluntarily. I don't understand how people say it only takes 10 minutes as that's how long it takes to wash the bits and pieces that can't go in the dishwasher (hand wash only sharp knives, wooden utensils and bread board, cast iron frying pans) - which are usually enough to fill the draining board. How do you not need to dry up part way through to make space on your draining boards for everything?

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 20/03/2019 06:38

We have one, only for the last 4 years, there’s so many of us in the house it would take a bout 2 hours to wash up every time we have a family meal. Although Mum picked us new plates last year, all dishwasher safe but too big to go in the dishwasher properly . So we end up having to wash them up but everything else literally goes in there 😂😂

burritofan · 20/03/2019 07:02

I don't get the "oh, all the unloading is so much hassle" comments. Unloading a dishwasher is no different than putting stuff away from a draining board? Faster even, since it doesn't have that weeble-wobble Buckaroo factor of a high stack of stuff. Ditto loading it – no slower than putting dirty stuff by/or in the sink until you have enough to justify filling the sink, and it's tidier!

Ours has definitely made a difference in our teeny-weeny kitchen, so much more counter space and much less time spent putting the kitchen to bed each night. Hand-wash the non-DW things, wipe down worktops, sink & hob, plonk tablet in DW & switch on. Gaze lovingly at the neatness and caress DW door gently. Unload in morning while coffee brews.

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Home improvement
QuirkyQuark · 20/03/2019 07:34

1For mine's A rated and very economical with the water. It's cheaper than washing up by hand especially if you use the eco programme.

IAmNotAWitch · 20/03/2019 07:51

I would not with to contemplate a diswasher less existence.

Unloading is no trouble at all once you have a child old enough to want pocket money. You do the jobs, you get the money. Just like real life.

sleepwhenidie · 20/03/2019 08:21

Yes-dishwashers can actually be better from an environmental point of view than handwashing. And you should not rinse before loading Smile! Scraping you’d do anyway Confused?

ginghamtablecloths · 20/03/2019 08:55

I've never had one and my present kitchen is far too small. I'm used to washing up by hand (with rubber gloves) at least twice a day. With an 'in and out' draining board and a rack it's not too much of a problem.

It can be a pain if I do any baking as it obviously adds to the quantity and needs an extra session but it's not a big deal.

mastertomsmum · 20/03/2019 10:14

I'd opt for one in preference to a tumble drier if a choice needed to be made. We had a washer drier once but did not replace it with same. We had a sep drier in the US but I found it easier to buy and use a concertina airer.

Dishwasher is great for pans and pots.

anonymousbird · 20/03/2019 11:54

Saves time, water, power and mess. No brainer, and no longer a luxury item!

I have a couple of friends who have two, wash in one, use items directly from it and load into the other. Repeat.

userxx · 20/03/2019 12:07

Love my dishwasher, not a chance I could go back to washing by hand.

BlackInk · 20/03/2019 12:15

Those of you who are saying that a dishwasher is more environmentally friendly than washing up by hand (which I agree, superficially, it can be) have you considered the environmental impact of building, transporting (probably halfway across the world) and disposing of a hulking great, mainly plastic, dishwasher every few years? That has to be factored in, surely??

Sparklingbrook · 20/03/2019 12:18

Would have to investigate where it was made but I got our dishwasher in 2003 and it's still going strong.

Lweji · 20/03/2019 12:18

There's also rubber gloves and detergent plastic bottles vs cardboard boxes for tablets.

My DW is still doing well after 8 years and I don't intend to replace it any time soon.

BlackInk · 20/03/2019 12:33

I don't use rubber gloves, get my washing-up liquid bottles re-filled and use washable cloths / scourers, but I know I'm the the minority...

Sparklingbrook · 20/03/2019 12:43

I have a dishwasher and rubber gloves. Cleaning wrecks my hands. Sad

Bananasarenottheonlyfruit · 20/03/2019 12:47

My DW is still doing well after 8 years and I don't intend to replace it any time soon.

I read this to mean Darling Wife and was about to get outraged at the implied sexism of dish washing being a female task. 🤣

Would hate to be without a dishwasher. Don’t have a tumble dryer though. And don’t miss it.

nomad5 · 20/03/2019 12:51

We didn't have one for about a year and a half and it was godawful. Frankly almost as bad as being without a washing machine. Such a waste of time washing dishes and less hygienic too.

Our house had a nice (dated but perfectly usable) kitchen when we bought it. But it had no dishwasher. DH was adamant we wouldn't be without one. So pulled out the kitchen and it required complete replumbing to enable a dishwasher to be fitted and be the right distance from electrics etc. That in turn required the old bathroom upstairs to be pulled out upstairs to match up with the downstairs new plumbing.

So as you can see it was quite expensive to get a dishwasher in our place Grin BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Currently listening to it gurgling away now.....

MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 20/03/2019 12:53

Slight aside but I have always associated dishwashers with Jan from 'Howard's Way' .

She was forever 'popping something in the dishwasher' just to let the audience know how absolutely filthy eighties rich they were. I loved Jan Howard. And I bought a dishwasher as soon as I could afford one as a result.

If I couldn't save it in the event of a housefire, I would definitely thank it as I ran out.

Don't do it, OP.

nomad5 · 20/03/2019 12:53

Actually I would consider the dishwasher more essential than the washing machine. Because I could go to the coin laundromat nearby if the washing machine was on the blink. And I have small children!!

Dishwasher the most essential appliance in the house, tied with the fridge!

ijustdontunderstandher · 20/03/2019 12:55

I have 4 young DC and I don’t have a dishwasher. I just do the washing up, has never bothered me.

madcatladyforever · 20/03/2019 12:56

I live on my own and have a half size one which is the only way I can get one into my small kitchen.
I thought my life had ended when it broke down last year Smile also much valued is the washing machine and carpet spot cleaner.
But yes first world problems, you can live without but check out small size and work top options.

Keletubbie · 20/03/2019 13:41

I took a cupboard out to put one in. I have shaky hands and loathe doing dishes, so it's essential to me!

BluebadgenPIP · 20/03/2019 13:50

Hebe 😂😂😂

BMW6 · 20/03/2019 13:51

I'm 61 and have never had one. Only DH and I so if we had one we'd either have to waste electricity washing two place settings and pots, or we'd have to wait till it was fully loaded, so would need lots more pots!

As it is we only wash up once a day after the evening meal.

BarbaraofSevillle · 20/03/2019 13:59

Don't you have breakfast at home BMW and do you only have 2 plates? Don't you ever have guests?

We usually have 2 meals a day at home, and once the cat bowls and pans etc have gone in, it's full at least every other day, and we have 6-8 of everything, which is only 2 sets of 4 place settings, which doesn't seem particularly excessive.