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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU not to want a dishwasher?

450 replies

ChloeCC · 19/03/2021 21:22

My DP and I are currently planning our kitchen. We don't have dishwasher in our current kitchen and I'm not too bothered. He thinks it's an essential, and it'll become more essential as our kids grow - they're tiny atm. The new kitchen doesn't have a huge amount of cupboard space so I think we should save the space and go without. What do people with slightly older kids think? Is it something that would put you off buying a place if there wasn't a dishwasher? We might sell the house in a few years. I'm a bit torn - I don't mind washing up - sometimes it feels like a break!

OP posts:
Marmite27 · 20/03/2021 06:46

We moved in our house in october, no dishwasher.

Many many arguments later, after I got a bonus in the March we had one fitted.

Absolutely essential for me.

sashh · 20/03/2021 06:49

You dont pre rinse before putting in the dishwasher. It does its own pre rinse. It gives you a place to put dirty dishes too

This ^

Mine's only a table top. The only things I rise are where something has dried on eg ketchup.

Start with it empty at the start of the day and fill it as you go, once full put on.

I'm on my own so it goes 2-3 days.

LakieLady · 20/03/2021 06:54

@Shrivelled

Why do people pre-rinse their dishes? It’s as pointless as pre-washing clothes by hand before they go in the washing machine. It makes a load of wet sloppy food mess in the sink and takes loads of time. Just scrape the plates, shove them in the dishwasher and rinse the filter once a month.
If you've got a dog or two, you don't even need to scrape the plates. One of ours was known as The Pre-wash.

(I realise some people might find this disgusting, but they wash at such a high temperature that any canine germs are rapidly despatched, and no stomach bugs that weren't attributable to other causes).

Palaver1 · 20/03/2021 06:59

Ours is new as the day it was plumbed everyone just washes after themselves .
I’m so irritated.I’ve tried but can’t justify washing a few things.
Habit has stuck here.

DinosApple · 20/03/2021 07:01

I love my dishwasher - after years and years of washing up it was a treat and I often referred to it as my favourite member of the household Grin.

Unfortunately it broke a couple of weeks ago, and as it is integrated and we are planning to redo the kitchen we've left it. I am now responsible for all washing up (DH arthritic hands). But, it's not as bad as I remember if I'm honest. 10yo DC is very helpful and we chat lots whilst we do it together. My 11yo is not so helpful, but she puts away. It's a bit of family bonding time. More so than loading the dishwasher ever was. I will look forward to getting a new one though!

Flappityflippers1 · 20/03/2021 07:02

I’ve recently turned down a very generous offer of a tabletop one for free, it’s just not an essential for us. However I work part time of an evening and have time to keep on top of the washing up through the day.

If/when I’m working full time again etc, then yes I would absolutely consider a dishwasher and would then consider it essential.

FangsForTheMemory · 20/03/2021 07:07

Honestly, you won’t be sorry when you get one. I’ve got a half-size countertop one because my kitchen is tiny. I’ve had it two months and it has made my life so much easier.

changingnames786 · 20/03/2021 07:08

Glad to see OP is getting one. Dishwasher is firmly in my "necessary" list, it's not a luxury to to me any more than a washing machine is (in 2021 UK).

Daytimetellysucks · 20/03/2021 07:10

It’s an essential for me and I would be put off a house if there wasn’t space for one

Minging teens who hoard dirty plates in their rooms - chiselling 3 day old gravy off plates is not my idea of fun

Trinacham · 20/03/2021 07:11

I'd never used a dishwasher until buying our first home at 24. Now I can't imagine not having one! Just as a couple, we use it everyday. Very handy as we work full-time.

Goatinthegarden · 20/03/2021 07:12

I grew up with a dishwasher, then when I first moved out at 17, didn’t have one again until 23. I would often have to re-wash things my flat mates had ‘cleaned’ because they hadn’t had the soap rinsed off properly, were greasy, or still had bits of food on them. Maybe it’s snobbery on my part, but I think very few people seem to bother washing crockery and glasses as effectively as a dishwasher does.

I still wash quite a few things by hand - my saucepans and knives are not allowed in the dishwasher. I also often wash big things, like the bowl for my stand mixer, rather than take up all the space, but I do think a dishwasher is an important kitchen accessory.

RedRum27 · 20/03/2021 07:19

I grew up without a dishwasher. Had a slimline one put in last year as soon as workers were allowed to do jobs in homes. Working from home with three meals worth of dishes and cutlery was the last straw. We had thought about it for two years previously. Not once do I regret it and agree with PP that it just saves time so I can do other things. It was the cheapest slimline one from Curry’s.

OP just do it, I think you’ll look back and laugh why did I not do it sooner 😊

Nothingyet · 20/03/2021 07:20

I never used our dishwasher when we had one. I found loading/unloading it more hassle than washing up. I'd pay to get rid of one if I had one.

MaryIsA · 20/03/2021 07:23

Grew up without one. First thing we did in new house was take a cupboard out to put a dishwasher in. There’s only 2 of us but it’s used every day. I cook a lot and it’s so nice tidying everything away in there.

Don’t mind emptying it.

Aprilx · 20/03/2021 07:25

I wouldn’t buy a house without space for a dishwasher. Nothing to do with children, I don’t have any, I just don’t want to wash pots by hand.

Templetree · 20/03/2021 07:29

@Nothingyet

I never used our dishwasher when we had one. I found loading/unloading it more hassle than washing up. I'd pay to get rid of one if I had one.
I really dont understand this. You open the dishwasher and put what ever you have just used in. Takes seconds. Put a tablet in and switch on. Mine has a timer so runs overnight when its cheaper. DS unloads in the morning. How is that difficult or more time consuming that sinkfuls of dirty stuff 3 x per day?
RitaFires · 20/03/2021 07:53

I'm not a germophobe but when I was living in houseshares I often took a supposedly clean plate out of the cupboard and had to wash it again. Some people either just splash things with a little water or use tons of washing up liquid and don't rinse it off, then there's people that dry the plate with a dirty teatowel and attach dirt that way.
I love knowing that the stuff from the dishwasher is actually properly clean. I didn't buy one straight away when I bought my house but the fact that there was a space plumbed in for one in the kitchen was a definite plus for me.
I have issues with my hands and wrists so loading and unloading is so much easier than actually washing up but I can see why someone who finds it easy and is used to it wouldn't want to change.

Snog · 20/03/2021 07:56

I don't have one and don't want one.

HeronLanyon · 20/03/2021 07:59

I do fully understand the benefit of tidying dirty dishes away by sitting the door on everything !

I don’t want a dishwasher and haven’t ever had one other than in holiday villas etc. Found myself looking at my kitchen the other day and looking up sink covers to maybe deal with some of the visual chaos of cooking/eating everything at home now.

BigRedBoat · 20/03/2021 08:10

We moved into a renovation project recently and I am really missing my dishwasher! We looked at a house with a lovely new kitchen but they didn't have a dishwasher or a suitable sized cupboard to put one in, it completely put me off!

I find washing up such a chore, you either have to do it several times a day or else look at the dirty dishes piling up, I have to replace bubbly water more than once per meal washed up as it's too gross to keep using, you then have to do a balancing act with the drainer or wash by hand which makes the job take twice as long and you still have to put them all away!

With a dishwasher you just load as you go throughout the day then put it on in the evening after dinner. Unload it first thing (takes 5 mins) then it's ready to go again. The dishes are cleaner than by hand and I'm not tied to one place while it's washing.

TikaSarnie · 20/03/2021 08:24

We went around eighteen months without one when our dishwasher broke and we were waiting for our extension and kitchen refit... it was a massive PITA! Constantly washing up after kids was very annoying, especially during school holidays. We use our dishwasher around twice a day, although it is being constantly filled after meals, snacks, teen baking whims etc. Dishwashers are much, much more convenient than having to wash everything by hand !

TheWitchersWife · 20/03/2021 08:33

Washing up has always been the job I hated the most. I had the soggy bits in the sink, my hands and nails going soft, scrubbing, always soaked myself, couldn't get it super clean.
Hated every second of it but never looked at getting a dishwasher.
Went on holiday to a little lodge in Wales and it had a dishwasher. I thought brilliant, no washing up on holiday. It was so amazing we got home and immediately bought one and haven't been without one since. Its a must for me.
Now I just need a machine machine fold and put away clothes.

BrieAndChilli · 20/03/2021 08:50

We’ve just moved house and the kitchen is a bit smaller than our old one. They had washing machine and next to it a slimline dishwasher. We have a full size (family of 5) so we got a plumber to put plumbing for washing machine and tumble drier the other side of the wall in the conservatory so we could fit in our dishwasher! Bonus is we now need to get a cupboard or drawers to go in the space where the slimline dishwasher was so extra storage!!

TheKeatingFive · 20/03/2021 08:54

Dishwashers are considered so much of a necessity in our house that we put in two when we designed the kitchen.

FlyNow · 20/03/2021 09:07

I used to think dishwashers were pointless, I had one in a rented place and didn't even use it for two years. Then I started using it, and yep, now I'm totally in love and would never be without one.

However, it's your house so yanbu. Have or don't have whatever you want. Unless you are planning on selling very soon, I don't like to worry to much about what the next owners may want (within reason). You are the one living in it so it's not worth being annoyed for years just in case.

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