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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Full or empty dishwasher

54 replies

SimSam · 23/03/2022 18:37

Hi all,

We are a family of 4, most days my dishwasher is 90% full so I run a cycle in the evening.

I wash saucepans, casserole dishes by hand.

Do you run a cycle every day even if the machine is not 100% full or do you wait and only run when it is full? I'm not sure what to do????

Any thoughts

OP posts:
deadlanguage · 23/03/2022 19:28

I put it on when it’s full, usually every other day. I put all the saucepans etc in there though and don’t wash stuff by hand. I got rid of my pans with wooden handles. If it doesn’t go in the dishwasher it doesn’t belong in my kitchen!

Dnaltocs · 23/03/2022 19:29

When it’s full we run it. We wait till it’s full.

MayMorris · 23/03/2022 19:31

@pumpkinpie01

I have stopped using ours completely since electricity has gone up . Rubber gloves are back on 😂
This won’t saving you money. Read up about it. Cost more to heat amount of hot water needed for a bowl full of water. Article in press somewhere 8n last week or 2 I read…I’ll look for the link
Aposterhasnoname · 23/03/2022 19:31

@pumpkinpie01

I have stopped using ours completely since electricity has gone up . Rubber gloves are back on 😂
Cheaper to run the dishwasher on eco mode than it is to heat the water to wash up by hand.
MayMorris · 23/03/2022 19:35

Nope can’t find it…except the which one which is older.

AdaColeman · 23/03/2022 19:35

I usually put my dishwasher on when it’s about 3/4 full, normally about every other day, since I live alone.

I put absolutely everything in, and never wash anything by hand. If it doesn’t survive the dishwasher it soon gets replaced. Though when buying I do check that items are dishwasher safe, so I don’t get many disasters.

I’ve had various dishwashers over the years, since the mid 1980s, and I have to say that my Denby crockery, used daily, still looks as good now as it did then.

It’s interesting that so many put the dishwasher on overnight, where I have always understood it to be one of the appliances that you should monitor while they are on, as they are a high fire risk.

Pascha · 23/03/2022 19:36

Depends. If the dinner bits are the last thing to go in then I put it on at 80 or 90% full. If it's the first thing to go in I wait til after breakfast the following day. I would only not put a wash on every day if I'm not cooking a meal that day.

DetailMouse · 23/03/2022 19:36

I run it every evening unless there's enough room for another full day.

DetailMouse · 23/03/2022 19:38

I know the dishwasher is supposed to be cheaper than washing up by hand, but surely you still run a bowl of hot water most days anyway? There's always something that can't go in the machine and sides to wipe etc. So, if you're running water anyway, you may as well use it to wash up.

Alwayscheerful · 23/03/2022 19:51

Every day , if it's not full I find things to fill it.
Tea pot
Vases
Saucepan lids
Plant pots

pumpkinpie01 · 23/03/2022 19:55

@Aposterhasnoname I have heard that too , but if I have the water sitting in the tank ( we don't have a combi boiler ) I don't see how switching the hot tap on for 5 seconds can cost more . I have made significant cutbacks and this is one of them and have halved my daily consumption. I might read the meter and put the dishwasher on then read it again thou just to see .

FavouriteFortnight · 23/03/2022 19:56

I’m normally furiously reorganising the contents at the end of they day to squeeze everything in!

On the rare occasion it’s not 100% full I still run it - only leave it if it’s half empty.

PrisonerofZeroCovid · 23/03/2022 20:00

Typically every evening. If it's only half full I might wait till after breakfast the next day. Only thing that doesn't go in is the wok and the grillpan. If stuff doesn't fit in, it waits on the side till the dishwasher is unloaded. I hate washing up.

Nanalisa60 · 23/03/2022 22:02

Always wait till the dishwasher is full usually about every second day, only two of us , also wash pot and pans by hand. I’m very good at filling it and get loads in.

stairgates · 23/03/2022 22:19

@AdaColeman

I usually put my dishwasher on when it’s about 3/4 full, normally about every other day, since I live alone.

I put absolutely everything in, and never wash anything by hand. If it doesn’t survive the dishwasher it soon gets replaced. Though when buying I do check that items are dishwasher safe, so I don’t get many disasters.

I’ve had various dishwashers over the years, since the mid 1980s, and I have to say that my Denby crockery, used daily, still looks as good now as it did then.

It’s interesting that so many put the dishwasher on overnight, where I have always understood it to be one of the appliances that you should monitor while they are on, as they are a high fire risk.

Our first one went as it had black smoke coming out from it!
Original poster
SimSam · 24/03/2022 13:40

I've been washing saucepans by hand as I read you shouldn't put tefal in dish wash???
We have a cat so I fill small sink of water and use it to wash casserole dish wine glass etc and then cat bowls.

I'm going to make a concerted effort to put more in dishwasher and run it when it's full at night

Thanks all for sharing

OP posts:
Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 24/03/2022 13:42

We use ours once a day. It gets emptied in the morning and filled up throughout the day. I’ve not stopped using it just yet but probably will once I see the energy bill.

Theoldwoman · 28/03/2022 12:18

Our cheap power is 9am-3pm, so I use the timer for it to come on at 9am each day.
Everything goes in - somehow!
It's always full.

Theforest · 28/03/2022 12:20

Mine goes on after dinner each evening including everything from that day.

RampantIvy · 28/03/2022 12:23

@Orchidflower1

Yes I do. Also why are you washing the hardest things by hand?!
I wash my pans by hand because I don't want to wreck them. They say they are "dishwasher safe", but they last much longer if handwashed.

I only run my dishwasher when full BTW.

JauntyJinty · 28/03/2022 12:25

Usualy only when full, but if it's mostly full at the end of the day I'll put it on

Honeyroar · 28/03/2022 12:27

I barely use mine at the moment. To save a bit of electricity use. I noticed my bills rose when we got it a few years ago, so I don’t believe they don’t use much electricity. And I’m finding it quicker to wash up than load/unload the dishwasher too.

actiongirl1978 · 28/03/2022 12:28

Wash mine as soon as full, or if its a big meal coming up I wash a half load to clear the dishwasher for after the meal.

I put absolutely everything in there. Currently my big le creuset casserole is taking up most of the bottom shelf.

Our takes 1hr5mins on a half eco which I run a full load on. Or 29mins for a quick wash.

Original poster
SimSam · 28/03/2022 12:40

Thanks all. I try to fill it before using it but not everybody in my house follows like 🤣
I also wash out the filter & bottom of machine by hand but very rarely run it empty to clean it ( 1 time every 6 months)

OP posts:
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