Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think dishwashers are a waste of money and don;t save you that much time/work?

193 replies

MinkSlink · 27/10/2012 19:08

We've just moved into a new house with a dishwasher which I used for the first time today.

The cycle took about an hour and the dishes were no cleaner than if I had washed them myself. It took a while to load/unload, meant we had dirty dishes hanging around in it until it was full, and some of the cups had silt in them after the wash, also ou can't wash pots and pans in there.

It takes me on average about 5 minutes to do the dishes by hand,

AIBU to think dishwashers are an expensive waste of time?

OP posts:
FlaminNoraImPregnantPanda · 27/10/2012 19:09

YABU

I'd rather be without a cooker than without a dishwasher.

WearingGreen · 27/10/2012 19:09
Shock
BigBroomstickBIWI · 27/10/2012 19:10

You can think what you like! I wouldn't contemplate not having one. If they are functioning properly - which it sounds like yours isn't - things are much cleaner than if you wash by hand.

FivePhantomFlowers · 27/10/2012 19:10

Why can't you wash pots and pans in it? I do in mine and they come out lovely and clean.

If you have silt in your cups I think it means your filter needs cleaning.

Flisspaps · 27/10/2012 19:10

I wash my pots in there. Load it up as I go, throw a tablet in, close the door and turn the dial. One hour later, clean and dry dishes!

Way easier than having to empty and refill the bowl umpteen times, rinse everything off, stack it precariously on a tea towel (no draining board in my kitchen) and wait for it to dry.

LittleBearPad · 27/10/2012 19:11

Defo YABU. it sounds like it needs salt, rinse aid and a clean.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/10/2012 19:11

YANBentirelyU.

Does it have salt in it?

I find that if the salt levels are low, it gets silty.

And there's an art to stacking it.

But when it works well, it's great.

squeakytoy · 27/10/2012 19:11

Of course you can wash pots and pans in them!

It sounds like you hadnt loaded it correctly if there was "silt" in them..

Jamdoughnutfiend · 27/10/2012 19:11

If I didn't have a dishwasher I would be divorced! I would neverbe without one now

PiggeryJokery · 27/10/2012 19:12

It sounds like your dishwasher is a waste of time! Mine takes 29 mins to do a normal wash, I put pretty much anything and everything in, and if I load it correctly I don't end up with cups of silty water and everything comes out sparkling. I would hate to be without it but then I hate washing up and drying up even more. Now all I need is a machine to put all the clean stuff away (yes I am fundamentally very lazy). .

WearingGreen · 27/10/2012 19:12

I rank mine above the washing machine, microwave, fridge and freezer but below the vacuum and cooker. Although if it was only temporary, a week or so, then it would outrank the vacuum and cooker too. I could live with takeaway and dirty floors for a wee bit.

WorraLiberty · 27/10/2012 19:12

I've never owned a dishwasher.

From what I read they're more trouble than they're worth.

People arguing over who stacks them/empties them and having to wait until enough dirty dishes etc build up in order to make it worth while running.

We just take it in turns to wash up...even after a full Sunday roast it doesn't take more than about 15 minutes.

MinkSlink · 27/10/2012 19:12

Grin ok I can see I'm in the minority here, will give it another go tomorrow!

OP posts:
CajaDeLaMemoria · 27/10/2012 19:12

Yes, your dishwasher sounds broken/rubbish.

Mine is a life saver. Throw everything in with a fairy tablet, get it out --when you need it- when it's finished and it's clean and dry. No rinsing, no piles of washing up, no wet plates and pots cluttering everything up.

SushiPaws · 27/10/2012 19:13

Yabu

You can put pots and pans in. If its used properly there should be no stuff left on the glass, plates etc.

It's more hygienic than hand washing because the temperature gets higher.

I'd rather have a dishwasher than a cooker too.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/10/2012 19:13

I've just started another thread about dishwashers.

Please come and answer my own dishwasher question thread here

McHappyPants2012 · 27/10/2012 19:13

Yabu, sounds like yours needs a bit of maintances.

charlottehere · 27/10/2012 19:13

I think the cleaness thing depends on the dw and how hard yo water is. Love mine.

cece · 27/10/2012 19:13

I only got a dishwasher in my early 40s. I agree that is is my most essential bit of kitchen kit.

I now only book holiday cottages that have a dishwasher....

Give it a clean, fill up the salt and rinse aid and then stack your cups properly. Oh and yes it can do pots and pans.

SushiPaws · 27/10/2012 19:14

Ah yes, if its old and broken then yes it will leave stuff.

Mrsrobertduvallsaysboo · 27/10/2012 19:14

Yabu.
I love my dishwasher.
You can't get glasses clean and sparkling without one.
My pans come out gleaming...

InvasionOfTheBodyShatners · 27/10/2012 19:15

YABU. Mine saves me hours - I don't have to stand watching it while it runs. It makes my kitchen look tidier too.

MinkSlink · 27/10/2012 19:16

Ours is a baumatic one, is that a rubbish make?

OP posts:
Tailtwister · 27/10/2012 19:18

They are great if used properly, but irritating when it seems you are the only person emptying it. We had one with 2 drawers, which in theory is great as one should be on whilst the other is empty and ready to fill. Doesn't often work like that though. More often than not I go to put something in and they're both needing emptied!

borisjohnsonshair · 27/10/2012 19:19

I had the same thoughts as you after inheriting a worn-out dishwasher. The one I have now is fab though. Load as you go, switch on when full and lovely sparkly and dry dishes (and pots and pans) come out.

They actually use less water than washing by hand, so are in fact quite economical.

My Dragons' Den idea is to have a double dishwasher, so you fill one up, use the dishes straight out of it when clean and when dirty fill the other dishwasher. Hey presto, not only does it wash and dry dishes it also does away with the need to put them away Grin Grin