Dishwasher owners - tell me about your usage

[LouiseHeather]

Am trying to decide whether to get a dishwasher but not sure about eco crdentials vs time saved etc. Have read a few studies on dishwahsers claiming that they use less power/ water than hand washing but not 100% convinced.

So dishwasher owners, can you tell me for family of 4 having breakfast, kids tea and adults tea plus 3 meals a day at weekends (usually with a roast dinner):

a) how many dishwasher loads
b) how many handwash loads you also need to do e.g. for large pots, fragile non dishwahser items etc.

Ball park figures are fine. Just trying to get a handle on the general picture.

There are 3 of us and I have the dishwasher on every other day and do about three lots of handwashing up per day on average (small amount).
I would recommend one, you just need more crockery and cutlery.

I put ours on once a day on average, I usually hand wash the odd saucepan though.

Family of four. The disher goes on about 5 times a week I should think. So not quite every day. But I also do one handwash every day for glasses and pans, which takes about 20 minutes.

Exactly your pattern of people / meals. We load dishwasher throughout the day, run each night on eco wash, unload next day. Occasionally might do a second load one weekend day if loads of mugs and glasses have somehow distributed themselves around the house during the week and get collected all in one go on Saturday. May wash the odd pan by hand, not every day though.

And it transformed my existence getting it I did all the washing-up and reckon it saves me an hour a day. And the kitchen stays tidy all the time! And when I'm knackered in the evening, I can face loading the dishwasher when I couldn't face washing-up.

family of 5 - dishwasher goes on twice every day; 3 times at weekends!

Don't have any non-dishwasher stuff, so don't wash up by hand, apart from some roasting dishes (but line with parchment, so no mess, just a quick swish around)

dc age 7 and 9 have to empty the thing at weekends cos I get so fed up! Best time is just as meal is ready, so dishwasher ready for next load (groundhog day here)

Dishwasher on once a day, sometimes twice a day on the weekends or if we have lots of friends round.

Handwash once a day a few big saucepans, baking dishes etc.

Def recommend a dishwasher!!

You are tempting me ladies (throws hand woven hair shirt on compost heap)

Once a day on average, If I've also made a huge cake and used the mixer etc sometimes 2, but this is rare. I hardly ever handwash anything, even our huge wok fits in the dishwasher. Oh, and I still have one child at home during the day, so that's breakfast for 4, lunch for 2, kids tea plus adults tea everyday. Sunday roast plus breakfast dishes normally takes up a load on it's own.

Five of us. Dishwasher on once a day, every day. Sometimes twice a day at weekends but not often. Do bits and bobs of handwashing. I honestly don't think a dishwasher is a "luxury" these days. The tablets are a bit expensive though. I only use half for each load as we're in a soft water area. Works fine for me.

2 adults and toddler.
Dishwasher on 2-3 times per week.
Usually at least 1 handwash per day, mainly because I'd run out of pans otherwise. Only tend to wash larger things by hand.

Definitely recommended!

Once a day for us too. We are a family of 4. Only wash the odd saucepan if they don't all fit. Very occasionally might do an extra wash on a Sunday but not often.

Will I need many more plates etc? I have got a set of 8 of big plates, small plates and bowls plus set of 8 knives and forks plus numerous mugs/ horribly mismatched glasses etc.

Does it make your plates go funny - my sisters seem to have got strange kind of scratches on them plus saucepans have all lost their shine.

(feebly attempting to resist on spurious comsetic grounds)

Think I'll probaby be the only one who says don't bother!
We moved into this place which had a dishwasher. We use it only now and again (like this weekend when we had visitors and it was lovey) but in general we don't use it much.

However we may be slightly different in that dh doesn't rush out to work early so he does all the breakfast stuff (and the evening before mugs/glasses)when the rest of us have gone, then I do it after tea while the kids are homeworking. I actually find dishwashing relaxing and love the water (deprived as a child I think!!!) and listen to the radio while I do it.

5 of us here.

Three meals a day most days, roast on Sundays.

EVERYTHING goes in my dishwasher; as well as the plates, pots and cutlery I also put the hob racks in it, the washing machine drawer, kids bath toys when they go slimy, vases, pretty much everything. I only wash up kids plasticky plates and the wooden breadboard.

I put it on nightly when I go to bed, on the eco programme, unload it each morning and then fill it throughout the day. It rarely goes on more than once a day.

I buy Lidls dishwasher tablets as they're cheap as chips but do a brilliant job.

I wouldn't be without mine; when our old one broke down (non-repairable) I found washing up so tedious and I spent so much time on it. Dishwashers certainly free you up to do better things than washing up.

Four of us here, and it goes on once a day, in the evening. I wash up pans (because they're not supposed to go in the dishwasher) and wine glasses, which are too fragile.

Re tablets - Sainsbury or Tesco Basic/Value dishwasher tablets are every bit as good as the horrifically more expensive ones. And at £1.72 for 30 tablets there's no way I'm going back to more expensive brands, ever! Just make sure that you also use Rinse Aid and Dishwasher Salt.

A necessity IMO not a luxury.

I am amazed that everyone can fit so much into their dishwasher. When we have one on hols I can't seem to fit in saucepans etc and am always worried about things breaking. Do you have microwaves as well, thereby using less saucepans or am I just a novice dishwasher?

I sympathise with you Posey. Our kitchen is in the basement well away from other living areas and I sometimes use dishwashing as an excuse to get rid of everyone and lurk around listening to the Archers.

Once a day, overnight usually. We only wash chopping boards & the odd left over pan.

I have a slimline dishwasher (lack of space). I handwash pans, overn trays etc, and use dishwasher for plates, cups, cutlery, containers, bowls etc. I put it on every night (there are 4 of us).

More importantly, I can HIGHLY recommend it as a storage device. No more piles of dirty crockery, manky cups and mucky cutlery by the side of the sink waiting to be dealt with. It makes your kitchen look tidier, and makes you feel more serene!!!

We have cheap tablets, salt & rinse agent depend on your water type I think

Get one!!

We just got one about 6 weeks ago when new ktichen was fitted. It's a slimline one and I use it once per day for family of four (one of us is only 6mo though, so not using loads of crockery yet!).

I love it!

Louise I found one gets better at loading it over time! I now have a range of top tricks for getting as much crammed into mine as possible

i use mine for 4 or 5 people. once a day.

i use whatever dishwasher tablets are on offer.

4 of us, dishwasher novice (got it installed only a week ago).
so far we have put it on automatic each evening. hand wash not suitable items like breadmaker tin and certain pans.

We only have half size one due to lack of space, there are 6 of us, everything goes in and I usually end up putting it on twice a day. Uses a fraction of the water I'd use to wash up. I couldnt live without mine now. DD(11) stacks it after tea.Will train the others too as they get older.I use sainsbury basic tablets. Very reasonable but you do need salt and rinse aid. It does scratch some glasses. Apparently bags of powder with scoop even cheaper but i dont want the mess that that might entail!

I would say it was my favourite kitchen appliance but my 8kg drum hotpoint washer dryer wears that crown!