Dishwasher vs. Hand-washing?

**kae** · 12-31-2011, 04:46 PM

My dishwasher is crap and I usually have to run it more than once, so I've recently switched to hand-washing my dishes.

Has anyone made this switch and seen an increase/decrease in their utilities?

Which do you use?

**bunnys** · 12-31-2011, 05:21 PM

I think you use a lot more water by hand washing and the dishes are much cleaner if you use an operable dishwasher bc the water is much hotter.

I have a working dishwasher but there have been times when I didn't. My kitchen was ALWAYS DIRTY. Which meant the house was always dirty.

I hope you work it out soon so that you can get your dishwasher back in order or get a new one.

**Contrary Housewife** · 12-31-2011, 05:22 PM

Ours was crap too and we went to Sears and got a new one pretty reasonably. I can't do a lot of hand washing (I only do the plastic by hand) due to skin sensitivity.

I didn't notice that it used a lot of water. It doesn't register on our daily usage chart like using the washing machine does. Our biggest waste of water is when the toilet runs....

**ladykemma2** · 12-31-2011, 05:28 PM

if you use sink/pan of soapy water and a sink/pan full of clean rinse water i think the water usage is about the same.

i do not let the water run when i wash dishes.

as a single person i rarely use the dishwasher, only when things pile up.

**ladykemma2** · 12-31-2011, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by kae

My dishwasher is crap and I usually have to run it more than once, so I've recently switched to hand-washing my dishes.

Which do you use?

are you overloading the machine?

**bookwormpeg** · 12-31-2011, 05:36 PM

Hubby does the dishes and for 14 years he did them by hand. I used the dishwasher for storage. He finally got tired of doing them and went out and got a new dishwasher. Had to find a new storage place for things I had stored in old one. He loves the new one...I don't even know how to turn it on to be honest. He's a good hubby....

**Ssindi** · 12-31-2011, 07:16 PM

When I had the regular sized dw my electric bill went up $10.I stopped drying them in the machine and air drying and the bill came down. We have a small one now and there's just the two of us.DH only eats dinner at home,so I rarely use it. He wants to get rid of it since it is free standing and takes up space in our small K. I say keep it since we are both seniors and don't know what the future may bring.

**kae** · 12-31-2011, 08:43 PM

I'm in an apartment, so will not be buying a new one. I could complain to maintenance, but don't see them bringing in a new one, either. It's been bad since I moved in.

I don't think I'm overloading, but could try a load or two with a little less and see if it makes a difference.

Truth be told, I also hate loading and unloading and would rather wash them as I use them. I just wasn't sure if this was a good option, financially.

Thanks for the responses!

**ladykemma2** · 12-31-2011, 08:54 PM

i always thought it was double work, double handling. i also really don't "get" the people who wash the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher....

**khaski** · 12-31-2011, 09:04 PM

Had a dishwasher in our apartment for years- bought a house without one almost 9 years ago, intended on getting one, never did. Been handwashing only for almost a decade now, don't miss the dishwasher one bit. We have a well, so makes no impact on our water bill, but it does use oil to heat the water...I usually keep it running while I wash, dishpans full of 'dirty' water kinda skeeve me out. Hubby and I discuss getting a dishwasher once a year or so....I always so no. I really don't miss it, it's just as much work loading and unloading as washing what's in the sink a few times a day- might take me 5 minutes at time unless something's really caked on. With the amount of dishes our family of 4 goes through each day, I imagine the cost of the washer soap would add up.

I am really good about not letting dishes pile up...I wash them 2-4 times a day, not a big deal, as I keep up with them it doesn't take me long.

**Palooka** · 12-31-2011, 09:19 PM

Our dishwasher crashed over a year ago and we haven't bought another one...yet. Our water bill did go up some.

**Nana2two** · 12-31-2011, 09:47 PM

Before my husband and i married he would wash the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? I have a Plastic tub in the sink full of hot water in the morning to put dirty bowls, spoons cups in it. Lunch stuff then dinner items. the use the same water to rinse the remaining dinner dishes before they go in the dishwasher.

**Frufru** · 12-31-2011, 10:08 PM

Dishwasher all the way here. With 5 of us, I run it at least once a day, sometimes twice.

**MissSeetonFan** · 12-31-2011, 11:12 PM

The dishwasher is difficult for us. It can take up to a day and a half to get a full load which means I sometimes have to hand wash some bowls or spoons for breakfast or whatever. At the same time, I've had surgery so I can't stand and hand wash everything all the time. Other times, I can run the dishwasher more than once a day but it all depends.

Guess I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't.