To open the dishwasher once it’s started?

[Allfednonedead]

If I’ve just pressed ‘start’ and it has 3 hours to run, and then I find another mug, is it ok to open the dishwasher and put it in?
I think it’s designed for this to happen, DH thinks I’m a vandal.
AIBU?

I do this with pots and pans that need an extra scrub. Put them in as usual, open mid cycle to scrub (after the baked on stuff is softened) then return then to the machine and let the cycle continue.

Jeezz!, just how much water and energy does it take to rinse out one tea mug?.

Yeh, it's fine

We used to run ours at night, then my DPs had a tumble dyer fire in the flats where they live, and now I don't run either the dishwasher or washing machine either at night or when we are out of the house (only ever ran the tumble dryer when we were in during the day). Now the cycles are so long it can be a pain running them to coincide when someone is awake in the house, so sometimes have to run a non-eco cycle.

My MIL does this all the time (and then puts loads of extra things in). Then complains that it just doesn't clean properly....l.

Doing the mug by hand would slightly undo the point of using an energy- and water-efficient dishwasher

How do you figure that? It’s one mug. You wouldn’t need a whole bowl of water just a rinse round with the washing up sponge and some fairy liquid. About as much water as you’d use to wash your hands.

Yanbu to add something to your dishwasher after its started, but yabu to put it on for a 3 hour cycle. There is no need for such a long cycle even with dirty pans in it. Once per week is enough for a long cycle just to keep it clean.

I do this (although my dishwasher also has a pause button that I need to start remembering to use!). My regular eco cycle on my dw is 3.40hr - I never realised that is unusually long!

In the US, you can do this with washing machines too, because they're mostly top-loaders. It's awesome.

Even I was running the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer at the same time, I would still struggle to find a slot to ensure there's someone awake and home!

When you realise how many fires are started by fridges or freezers but people are very trusty with those, and see nothing wrong in letting them run even when they go away.... I have to trust my other appliances too. (Apart from the dryer to be fair, I don't trust that fucker one little bit).

Once per week is enough for a long cycle just to keep it clean

it's not the appliance we are trying to keep clean, it's the dishes, pots and pans inside

“How much effort does it take to wash a mug?” More than adding it to the dishwasher that is already on and may be broadly full, but have just enough room to sneak a mug in.
Gosh people are critical!

@Sugarplumfairy65 - there is a need to run the 3 hour cycle every time if it is the machine's eco cycle. As many have explained, it uses less energy and water, so why wouldn't I?

I'm forever opening my dishwasher and adding stuff, no problem.

Also I use a 30 minute setting quite regularly , it's a light wash and unless something has burnt on food on it, it's fine. I don't think I have an eco setting and get fed up with the 1hr45minute one!

I could not imagine putting the dishwasher on for 3 hours

I sometimes think people wrongly think quick cycles are more eco friendly? Not realising that these actually use more energy.

I think - but am prepared to be corrected- that it is to do with heating the water quicker.

I didn't know you could do this until I read it on here a while ago.

I have an oldish dishwasher, no eco friendly option. I would never have an appliance on for 3+ hours ever, sorry about that.

I would love to see the evidence that having an appliance like a d/w on for 3hours 45 minutes is any saving to the planet or my sanity than a cycle that does everything in an hour.

I think it's all boolocks if you ask me. Talk about chaining people to their kitchens/houses for hours, nah even if I had an eco friendly cycle I'd never use it!

to be fair, no one stays holding the dishwasher's hands until it's finished. It makes no difference to my life if it runs for 3 hours or 1 hour when I am in bed. You just need to compare the water and electricity of 2 different cycles, if you have a smart meter thing it's easy to do.

A washing machine with long cycles would be much more inconvenient, I do the laundry first thing in the morning so clothes can dry outside during the day, I very rarely run them in the evening. No way would I start a cycle at 3am, it would wake me up for a start.

nicola your attitude is the precise reason why our poor planet is in such a mess . Of course it's more environmently friendly to run it for longer on an eco setting, not exactly a hardship.

I will still not use a 3.5 hour cycle at night whilst in bed. Wouldn't sleep for fear of leaks and fires and it would have to be turned on near enough at bed time anyway.

To those of you who feel I am damaging the planet, I'd love to see the evidence of this, a link would be great.

I won't change my mind though!

No I agree I wouldn't turn it on at night either in case of fire but I stick it on at 6am and it just does it's thing. I've no idea about links but all appliances come with energy ratings these days and they (as you can see from this thread) will all give an eco longer cycle. It really is bearable in the scheme of things.

Do people who don't know you can open the dishwasher once it's started not read their instruction booklets?

Permanentlydisaffected,

Thanks, I am not trying to stir things up at all. Just saying what is comfortable for me.

All here gone by 7am anyway, so putting it on at 6am on a 3.40hour cycle won't work either.

To those of you who feel I am damaging the planet, I'd love to see the evidence of this, a link would be great.

This article came top of a Google search and mentions the eco cycle.

those of you who feel I am damaging the planet, I'd love to see the evidence of this, a link would be great.

I'm sure the manual of our d/w compared the cycles - I'll see if it's online.