We're officially down another kitchen appliance on what will likely be a permanent basis. About three months ago it became apparent that our dishwasher was toast. The age of this appliance is uncertain; all we know is that it was here when we arrived nine years ago and it was old then :)
Once it became clear that it was futile to try and extend its life, the discussions began. Do we really need a dishwasher? I know a good portion of you will commence questioning my sanity right here (if you haven't already ::grin::). Just remember that when our microwave died roughly seven and a half years ago, we decided not to replace it and we've never looked back. We've been living microwave-free quite happily ever since then and I can't remember the last time I even remotely wished we had one.
One of the main reasons we really wanted to give this some careful thought (aside from the expense of replacing a major appliance) is that our kitchen is of the very-modestly-sized variety, which means cupboard and counter space is at a premium. We've been planning to do some renos to the kitchen anyway, and eliminating the dishwasher altogether would free up a large amount of space and allow us to have both more cupboard and more counter space.
Yes, having a dishwasher is convenient - to a point. I've always thought that hand washed dishes were much cleaner than those that come out of the dishwasher, with all their cloudy buildup and baked on crud that didn't quite come off during the washing process. Plus it's just plain hard on your dishes - glassware can get pitted or permanently clouded, plastic containers get warped. Not to mention the ongoing frustration of trying to find an environmentally-friendly dishwasher detergent that actually works *and* doesn't cost a fortune!
While there are certainly still days when I'd be happy to toss everything in the dishwasher and walk away, overall I haven't minded our return to exclusive hand washing of dishes. The dishes are all sparkling clean, for one. A couple of side benefits have also become apparent: Firstly, we are more likely to minimize our dish dirtying (by reusing a barely-soiled glass or plate) so we cut down on the amount of items being washed on a given day. Secondly, I'm having more in-depth conversations with my husband and kids. Doing the dishes is one of those household tasks that is naturally suited to being a two-person job. Since it takes more than a couple of minutes, we have time for more elaborate conversations rather than a couple of quick sentences scattered in here and there before we dash off to various activities. I've even found it to be a wonderful mindfulness practice (when I remember not to think of it in terms of how-quick-can-I-get-this-done). I have the time to be grateful for each dish, spoon and platter, to consider how it came to be mine (wedding gift, yard sale find, etc.) and to really appreciate its presence in my life (because who knows how long I'll have it, stuff is known to get broken once in a while around here!)
So here we are, now happily dishwasher- *and* microwave-free, and down to half the number of appliances found in the typical kitchen, which is fairly ironic since I'm sure we do more than twice as much cooking as the average family!
While I know choosing to go without a dishwasher might not be the right choice for every family, it's another example of how it can be helpful to think through what you and your family truly want and need before going out and buying something just because that's what everyone else has.
I have a love-hate relationship with our dishwasher. Sometimes the dishes look clean and other times they don't. There don't seem to be any good dishwasher detergents-green or otherwise!
ReplyDeletegood for you!
If we didn't have so many people living here, I would consider ditching ours. We have space for a nice sized rack. Someday when it's just he two of us, we will live a simpler life!
ReplyDeleteGood stuff!! :) That'll save you some money I'm sure! That being said, I have a dishwasher in our home for the first time in my life & I *HEART* it! lol! With a family of 6 being here pretty much 24/7 it's soo useful! I'm not willing to give up it up just yet... ;)
ReplyDeleteIf my water cost was cheaper I might consider it, but its not so the dishwasher is the best option. Mine is only 3 years old and is a water/energy saver which I love! Sorry, at this point in my life, I love my dishwasher. To be honest, even when I didn't have one, Hubby never helped with the dishes anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteBravo for you! I would ditch the micro as well, but my hubby works 24 hrs on call and so dinner is often reheated when he gets home really late, he likes to be able to pop it in and have it ready quick.
Melissa, we reheat a LOT of leftovers around here without a microwave. I found some single-serving sized casserole dishes, two of which will fit perfectly together at once in our toaster oven. It usually takes about 10 min to reheat vs maybe 3-3 1/2 in the microwave, but I've found two advantages with the toaster oven: the food stays hot MUCH longer after reheating, and the texture is much nicer (you don't get that "rubbery" texture that so often happens when food is nuked)
DeleteMy dishwasher died about two years ago. My husband was ready to go out and buy a new one, but I talked him out of it as I always washed the dishes beforehand anyway because I never felt the dishes were really clean otherwise. I have not missed it even one day. I actually enjoy doing the dishes by hand as it is quiet and rather peaceful. Guess I'm just odd.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks the dishwasher's not worth it. I find that handwashing only really feels like a "chore" when there is a huge stack that needs to be done at once :)
DeleteOne of the big differences in living a frugal and green lifestyle here in the UK is that I don't think we've become as wedded to our dishwashers as people have in the US. I cook a lot from scratch, and use a lot of pans, but washing up still only takes a few minutes, especially if you tackle it as you go along - often I have a clear up mid bake and that way I don't have a mound to tackle at the end. Karen hit the nail on the head when she said it only feels like a chore if there's a huge stack. One person to wash, one to dry, and very hot water will tackle most family pots in 15 minutes or less. I have a dishwasher that I inherited with the house, and have used it about 5 times in 3 years, mostly when we first moved. I found it frustrating because for a big party it wouldn't take everything so I had dirty dishes sitting around anyway, and for three ordinary eaters it was too big because all it really cleaned well were plates and cups - glasses got cloudy and anything tough to clean didn't!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had had the sense you do, about a year ago when we replaced our dishwasher. I won't be doing that again. I would definitely prefer storage space to the hunk-o-junk we have now. Oh, it is pretty, and sleek, and very quiet. It even claims to save water. Unfortunately, I have to prewash, and even then sometimes rewash so that I don't end up with seven miniscule crumbs baked into the bottom of the most difficult to hand scrub glass or bottle, that I cannot fathom even a tablespoon of water saved. I hate the thing. I am still considering taking the racks out, having a piece of plywood cut to cover the heating coil and spray arm so I can at least use it for storing some bulky cookware. Did I mention I hate the thing?
ReplyDelete