There are still seven of us at home (down from eleven) and we’ve been doing dishes by hand for perhaps the last six months. This isn’t because we can’t afford a new dishwasher – we can – but I have been uniformly disappointed with all the dishwashers we’ve had here in the past 16 or so years. These are my complaints:
- Even if I thoroughly rinse the dirty dishes first, the dishwasher takes the dirtiness from the plates and silverware and cements it inside the glasses, which were barely dirty to begin with.
- I haven’t met a dishwasher yet which can deal with oatmeal, refried beans, or egg left on plates or bowls.
- Soup bowls have a special immunity to dishwashers. No matter what soup is served, remnants of it remain solidly affixed within the soup bowls (which were practically rinsed clean to begin with – duh!)
- Our water is not smelly, nor does it stain, but our dishwashers have all died an early death. They last about two or three years, max. This could be because we have a large (smaller number at home now) family, and we like to bake, thus producing a large volume of dirty dishes.
This is my question: Do you know of a dishwasher which stands up to heavy usage AND gets the dishes clean? I do not even require that it handle pots and pans. If you know of such a trusty automated servant, please let me know. 🙂 Otherwise, we’ll keep washing dishes the old-fashioned way.
We have a stainless steel (inside and out)dishwasher made by Kitchen Aid. It does the dirty work! I love it.
Thank you for your suggestion, Mrs. Darling. My husband is already checking it out on the Kitchen Aid site! He is so sweet, thinking that I WANT or NEED a dishwasher, but really, that is one chore I don’t mind! Let me tell you, though, how thankful I am to have a washer and drier for clothing. 🙂
I have the same issues with dishwashers. We have never had one last even 2 years. Never. And why are my cups filled with crud when I rinse, practically WASH, every single dish before it goes in there? Why should I wash the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher, and then still have to wash them when they come out?
I NEED a dishwasher, because that is the one chore I just can’t get through. I think its an emotional thing, but I just can’t get them done, I need a dishwasher!
However, I’d happily go without in order to have my washer and dryer back in working order. They are both dead, and I cloth diaper. The washer burned out today, there was even smoke. I don’t think thats a good sign of an easy fix.
I am so sorry, Mrs. Qtpie. I hope you get your washer, dryer AND dishwasher in good working order!
Joyce, you are so very sweet! I am discouraged, but it is only a bump in the road, I know. We do have a van, it is an 11 passenger and it does work now, but it was recently that we had to replace the engine. So it should be good for awhile! It has been about 2 years of stuff like this happening, and we are constantly on the verge of “disaster” in my eyes, I desperately need security, and when it feels like it is slipping away, it gets me down.
Generally I am upbeat, though, and I will bounce back soon. I am off to wash diapers at a friends house, and it is a blessing that I need to use her washer because we haven’t been able to see each other much lately, and we both need the fellowship.
Thanks for your sweet words!
God bless!