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Original poster

If you're a family of four and have a dishwasher...

227 replies

Comedycook · 01/04/2023 22:12

How many times a day is it put on? Let's say a weekend day when you're all at home.

Because mine has been on 5 times today...and it's like this most days. Is this normal or am I going wrong somewhere?!

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 02/04/2023 06:36

DDs like pancakes for breakfast. They use a jug, whisk, spatula, pancake pan plate knife and fork each. Takes up a quarter of the dishwasher. They make their own so no chance to get cold!

Dishwasher is on average of once a day.

Caspianberg · 02/04/2023 06:51

Jeepers. 3 of us here, plus anyone popping in for coffee etc.

Dishwasher goes on once a day on average, sometimes if we haven’t baked to prepped something complicated once every 2 days. Probably averages out at 5 times a week.

We don’t put saucepans or wood in, but everything else goes in. We bake a lot, and make most things from scratch.

Most dishwashers are 14 place settings - so 4 people should easily fit 3 meals of basic crockery, cutlery then some
extras like jugs, whisks, grater, odd baking dish.

Forgottenpeeves · 02/04/2023 07:03

2 times. Family of four.

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Original poster
Comedycook · 02/04/2023 07:12

Wheelz46 · 01/04/2023 23:51

Once a day for our family of 4 and we WFH too.

How long is your dishwasher cycle? Ours takes a minimum of 2.5 hours, it would be bedtime by time I got to the fifth load 😄

It has lots of cycles but one is a fast one which takes 30 mins which I often use if nothing is really dirty

OP posts:
Lancasterel · 02/04/2023 07:15

Once a day!

Very occasionally twice if there’s been baking etc.

HamstersAreMyLife · 02/04/2023 07:18

Once a day max. Not every day either but we hand-wash big things and reuse mugs.

AnImaginaryCat · 02/04/2023 07:20

Simonjt · 01/04/2023 22:48

That wouldn’t even come close to filling a slimline dishwasher, nevermind a fullsize one.

Show quote history

I think this is the glaringly obvious thing.

You're running it when it's not full.

The standard practice is to put things into the dishwasher until there's no room left to add things. For most this tends to result in once a day.

Mine goes on once a day (pur on at night by the last person going to bed). Sometimes it'll go on less (usually after the next day's breakfast). Less often twice (when we have guests).

Don't reuse mugs, unless drinking hot drinks back to back. Have two hungery teens who cook multiple extra meals for themselves. Minimum of three lunch boxes during the week. Everything goes in bar sharp knives, seives and non-stick pans.

RollingInTheCreek · 02/04/2023 07:21

Jesus that must be expensive but also think of the planet! You cannot fill a dishwasher 5 times a day!

Caspianberg · 02/04/2023 07:46

Even if it’s Christmas. A dishwasher has 12-14 place settings ie should fit 12 lots of plates, bowls, knifes/ forks etc minimum

So at Christmas even with 12-15 guests, that’s just 2 loads? 3 if you load every dish and pan also. But if your cooking for 15 large pans probably don’t fit so you would just hand wash 2 large pans and load smaller stuff.

We make pancakes and waffles often. Would just be small nutribullet pot ( electric part hand washed), spatula. I just pour a bit of mixture from nutribullet jug straight into pan. Plates and cutlery. Pan would hand wash as it’s large and easier to just soap and wipe and put away straight away.

Pans shouldn’t really go in dishwasher anyway as loose coating quicker so need replacing more often

Skyeheather · 02/04/2023 08:07

Every other day - everyone takes a mug and a glass and uses the same one all day, we don't have a new one for every drink. I use the same chopping board all day and one or two knives. I'm very good at stacking, making sure the dishwasher is full before it goes on and everything is well stacked so it all comes out clean, DP just throws everything in on top of other stuff and I have to rearrange.

mamaduckbone · 02/04/2023 08:15

Once a day, family of four. Occasionally twice at the weekend if everyone has been in all day. Five times is loads!

manontroppo · 02/04/2023 08:18

SkyandSurf · 02/04/2023 06:06

To the people saying they wash pots etc by hand- if you have a modern dishwasher that's usually much less water efficient than just running the machine.

Was going to point this out - rinsing a pot or plate under the tap will use litres of water, more so if everyone is independently rinsing out their breakfast bowl, for example. A modern dishwasher uses between 9 and 14 litres per load

00100001 · 02/04/2023 08:23

Comedycook · 01/04/2023 22:23

Ok so for the pancakes...I use one mixing bowl, a whisk, a ladle, a fish slice, a spoon to add chocolate spread to the pancake, then there will be a plate, plate cover whilst it's sitting on the table, knife, fork and spoon and a glass for ds drink whilst he's eating it .

Show quote history

Just rinse the mixing bowl :/

Plate cover? Just use a clean tea towel.

What's the spoon for on the table?

Scarlettpixie · 02/04/2023 08:25

There is only 2 of us and ours goes on once or twice a day. We are both at home and eat hot food twice a day. It occasionally goess on 3 times if I batch cook or bake or it is Christmas.

I don’t understand all this hand wash this hand wash that advice. I have a dishwasher so I don’t have to hand wash pots and pans. If there are too many when it is full, the rest wait on the side until next time!

We do seem to use a lot of plastic tubs which take up room. I batch cook but also anything open, cheese, tofu, dog food trays, beans etc all go in a tub. Also partly used pepper, onion, fruit. I try to avoid single use plastic.

crochetmylifeaway · 02/04/2023 08:27

Family of 5 and once or twice a day.

If I'm baking or batch cooking then it's up to 3 times a day but never more than that.

I don't know how you can have enough dishes for it to be in 5 times in one day.

AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 02/04/2023 08:28

Fill size dishwasher and it’s in every other day

whenthelightsgoout2 · 02/04/2023 08:29

We are a family of 5 with a slim line dishwasher and it's on once a day/ every evening.

Floofydawg · 02/04/2023 08:30

What?! Ours goes on every 2 or 3 days. Are you all running them with one plate in or something?

fedupathome · 02/04/2023 08:30

Family of 5 and we have it on twice a day sometimes it needs running 3 times!

bluechameleon · 02/04/2023 08:30

Family of 4. Once a day, occasionally twice if we have guests or do a lit of cooking/baking. My parents fill theirs more often because they use a different cup/glass for every drink- maybe you do that? We keep them same if we are having the same drink.

Fatkittythinkitty · 02/04/2023 08:35

fedupathome · 02/04/2023 08:30

Family of 5 and we have it on twice a day sometimes it needs running 3 times!

Same. And yes it's full every time. 3 times a day is rarer though, that's more if we've been baking. I have teens and my son in particular uses a lot of plates and pans, he likes too cook himself snacks.

OhSnakesandBastards · 02/04/2023 08:35

Family of 5, once a day. Occasionally twice if we're having people round.
Honestly cant understand hand why you'd need it on more than once per day!

Passthecake30 · 02/04/2023 08:36

Family of 4 here, once a day, sometimes twice if we have family round. Dp is a master dishwasher loader and manages to squeeze so much in.

AndrexPuppy · 02/04/2023 08:36

Once, twice on a big day like a Sunday or over the Christmas period.

Now that we’re down to 2 with 1 returning outside of term time, it runs every other day. We don’t (and have never) washed big pans, roasting trays or massive things that take up loads of space in there and are easier just to wipe over in the sink.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 02/04/2023 08:36

It seems like you're using as much equipment as possible to cook some pretty basic meals.

You don't need a mixing bowl or a ladle to make pancakes - you also don't need a special plate cover! If your DS can't be arsed to come downstairs in time then he can have cold pancakes.

You don't need multiple mugs and glasses either - I use one mug and one glass a day and just rinse it in between if I want a different drink.

Is the dishwasher even full when you run it?