Dishwashers - do you have one?

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Dishwashers - do you have one?
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Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 10 11:20 pm Post subject:

I've just tried this ten minute method for one meal, cooked this evening, along with the milk jugs and cleaning the kitchen surfaces. I've had to have three changes of water (due to temperature and cleanliness) and have got it done (but not put away) in about twenty minutes. There is just a plate (containing a compost pile), a glass and a small plate (forgotten about), a pan & mixing bowl. I absolutely can't identify any slack in the routine (and having a belfast sink would sap even more heat than the plates do).

Well done to the speed washers, but frankly I think you are exagerating (or eating things that don't require much, if any, prep).

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 10 11:33 pm Post subject:
I think I'm a very efficient cook/baker and an inefficient pot washer as the clearing up and potwashing takes me longer than the food prep[I've now timed it] when I had a dishwasher it was a doddle---I prefer not to have one now but it was definitely a lot quicker.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 9:38 am Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Indeed. We've done something similar, although we've already thought about it before this thread as we'll probably not replace the dishwasher now we have a bit more time free.

Really if your happy with your routine and it takes much longer to wash by hand than use a dishwasher then I'm not sure the relevance of other people's timings. For us it would take at least three or four times as long to wash by hand if we want to get things reasonably clean and hygienic.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 10:03 am Post subject:

I'm not particularly happy with my routine- I'd much rather have a dishwasher, if I could afford and fit one in, or for Nat to discover a sudden desire to wash everything as well as cook but that's not going to happen. So, anything that will shave minutes off the routine would be a bonus.

Washing things immediately after they've been used is the obvious one, but unless you're the washer is the one doing all the cooking and never have to rush off after a meal then that's not going to happen. The water losing temperature is one I would like to investigate- do handwashers pre-warm their plates before washing, or just have houses that are so warm that everything is at the same temperature?

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 10:05 am Post subject:

Sorry if posted earlier, but I'm not wading through 10, sorry 12 pages of groundhog day style multiple quite madness to find it out, here is what 'waterwise' say on the subject.

https://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/washing_up_at_home.html

Seems to me that dishwashers tend to last quite a long time, with an average age of 6.9 years.

We only put ours on when it is full, and use the sink for large pots and pans which IMHO take up too much space per unit in a dishwasher and often remain dirty after the wash, or for when only a plate or two is used.

People who are getting hot under the collar about this should take a break and wander round the house turning unused lights off.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 10:12 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Seems to me that dishwashers tend to last quite a long time, with an average age of 6.9 years.

My mother is on her second, the first one lasted about 18 years with daily use.

I think a lot of attention has been paid in recent years to carbon cutting while water consumption is still seen as being of lesser importance. I guess that's because we don't even all have water meters- imagine if electricity was unmetered.

welsh lamb

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 409
Location: Gwynedd

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 11:24 am Post subject:
We left our 20 year old one in our old house - I understand it is still in use.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 11:43 am Post subject:

welsh lamb wrote:

We left our 20 year old one in our old house - I understand it is still in use.

Same here

and it was used every day.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 11:47 am Post subject:

Put away dishes from before New Year (they'd been left out drying on the drainer), washed yesterdays lunch, dinner and todays breakfast, the whole thing took eight minutes, and one bowl of water.

Honestly, if you're able bodied and spending far, far longer doing it than that and using much more water then you're doing it wrong; it isn't that you've got a different way of doing it, its that you've got a far less efficient way of doing it to the point of doing it the wrong way.

And a comparison of using a gadget against doing something the wrong way is spurious.

Silas

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 6848
Location: Staffordshire

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 11:50 am Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Perhaps it is a case of being organised when you cook, and gettuing into a regular routine. Our kitchen ios incredibly small, I am almost willing to bet that is much smaller than anyone elses on here, so we have to be well organised.

On Christmas day, as well as cooking the meal, I also washed up, dried and 'put away' , for a family of six and a four course meal with glasses pot and pans etc, took me much less than half an hour on my own.

We have a belfast sink, but use a washing up bowl in it which does make the job much easier.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 12:05 pm Post subject:

Silas wrote:

We have a belfast sink, but use a washing up bowl in it which does make the job much easier.

Belfast sinks... Great for growing carrots in or dropping a pile of muddy vegetables into, but for the standard urban or suburban home they seem to be almost the ultimate expression of style over substance. Get a proper sink with a double drainer!

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 12:10 pm Post subject:

cab wrote:

Honestly, if you're able bodied and spending far, far longer doing it than that and using much more water then you're doing it wrong; it isn't that you've got a different way of doing it, its that you've got a far less efficient way of doing it to the point of doing it the wrong way.

No, doing it the same way is what we are talking about, not a different way. Repeating it doesn't address the pitfalls of the system- namely temperature stripping of the water and contents of the water that make it impossible to use one bowl of water as suggested, without ending up washing pans in cold dirty water (which usually require hot clean water to be effective). I'd just like to know what it is you guys are doing that addresses these- then I could do them too.

Silas

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 6848
Location: Staffordshire

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 12:22 pm Post subject:

Well what you do is this;

First, make sure the plates and dishes etc are scraped properly, this does help keep the water clean. Stack you bowl before putting the water in.I always put the cutlery at the bottom of the bowl, followed by plates, dishes etc. Squirt some washing up liquid in the bowl and some onto the sponge-scourer that you are going to use and let the water run hot before starting to fill bowl, as the water in filling the bowl, use it direct from the tap to clean thhenon-greasy stuff, glasses, cups saucers and a very quick scour rond with the spongything under the tap as you fill the bowl does this fine. Then its time for the dishes, plates etc, then the pots and pans and finally, half empty the bowl and do the cutlery. Simple and quick.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 12:32 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Seems to me that dishwashers tend to last quite a long time, with an average age of 6.9 years.

Most other countries do and manufacturers are designing their models for such markets. Twenty years ago, when estimating household water consumption, if you had a dishwasher it was assumed you used more water. The question isn't even asked now and as JB's link suggests soon it could be asked again but in reverse as most people don't have Cab's technique and a more wasteful in their strategy and approach.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 10 12:55 pm Post subject:

Silas wrote:

If I was overly botherd about this I'd have to say I'd have to stop half way through to dry and clear the draining board as I couldn't accomodate the crockery glassware and cooking utensils and pans on the drainer at the same time. By which time the water would probably have cooled and not be much help with the pans, roasting dish etc.

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