CleaningDeclutteringHouse & HomeKitchen

Dishwasher vs. Hand Washing

Dishwasher vs. Hand Washing

Anyone who knows me ‘in real life’ knows that I HATE washing dishes by hand. I will do anything to not wash one and will make things fit in the dishwasher just to get out of it. I’ve even had dishes piled up in the sink if the dishwasher was too full to add more and soaked pans “overnight” so they could be added to the next round. Because loading and unloading the dishwasher is my most hated chore, the sinks and counters will get piled up with dirty dishes. Even though the 2 younger nerdlings work together to unload it and the teen or I will load it, sometimes I just don’t feel like hearing the complaining when I tell them it’s chore time. (This is something I am working on!) You’ve seen my counter space – it’s practically nonexistent – so it doesn’t take much at all for the kitchen to get super dirty and cluttered.

Since I ran out of dishwasher soap about 2 weeks ago maybe, I started washing dishes by hand. My mindset has completely changed since starting this cleaning/decluttering journey and so I couldn’t imagine the sinks filling up while I waited until I got more soap for the dishwasher. My nerdlings are old enough to wash their own dishes so a new habit has been formed for us – wash your dishes as soon as you are done with them! This doesn’t leave a sink full of dishes to tackle later and a load full of dishes to put away in the dishwasher! The sinks stay empty, counters spotless, and a small load to put away in the morning!

For me, this is a HUGE deal because I could never live without a dishwasher before. I have a few times and always thought, “If I had a dishwasher, this wouldn’t be so bad!” HA! I would laugh at my mom when she said she preferred washing them by hand instead of the dishwasher…she was crazy! Well, hand washing them has been keeping my kitchen so nice and clean and I would have never in a million years thought it was the dishwasher that was preventing me from keeping it that way.

Even while cooking dinner, I wash the dishes as I go. After dinner, everyone usually finishes at different times so they walk straight to the sink, wash their dishes, and then place them in the dishwasher to dry. This habit continues throughout the day. No one dares leave a dish in the sink or counter. Hubs did the other day. He left his plate and fork in the sink and his pan and spatula on the stove. I texted him a pic of it with the word “GROUNDED“. He replied “sorry! love you!” Mmhmm…he knew better and hasn’t done it since.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a drill sergeant standing at the sink making sure everyone does their dishes. Somehow, someway, they just caught on and do it themselves. Sometimes I give them a reminder as they walk towards the kitchen to not forget to wash it but not that often. I really hope this sticks. I’ve heard many times that a habit takes 28 days to stick. We are halfway there!

I should mention that the hubs bought more dishwasher soap 2 days after running out. I haven’t even opened it.

How do you prefer washing your dishes? Dishwasher or hand washing?

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Jess Benoit

Jess is a homeschooling mama of 3, wife, gamer, Whovian, Nerd

21 thoughts on “Dishwasher vs. Hand Washing

  • OMG! I almost spit out my coffee I was laughing so much. This is so me! I also get annoyed when someone does load the dishwasher and they “waste space” and don’t get it all in. It also gets on my nerves when I see the dishwasher got fully loaded, except for maybe space for one cup and they didn’t run it and then I discover it is pretty much full after I make the next meal and now we have a sink full of dishes again and if they had just started it I would have been able to not have a sink full.

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    • Yes! Yes! Yes! My teen is known for loading it and then walking away without starting it and I wouldn’t know until much later. With our new method, I don’t have to worry about that anymore!

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  • This is an interesting perspective. httpI have an apartment without a dishwasher and I just hate it. But I always do my dishes right away and my roommate almost never does. Sometimes they even let them sit overnight and it makes me so mad. There is only two of us so I don’t think we have as many dishes that pile up, but I can see how a family would cause that problem.

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    • That would definitely make me mad. With a family of 5 and us homeschooling, basically every meal is at home so that adds up pretty quick!

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  • I don’t really have a choice as I don’t have a dishwasher! I grew up with one and always complained about loading and unloading it–what is it they say about payback? At any rate I also do my dishes immediately!!

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    • Haha..yes, that was my main chore after school – unloading and then loading the dishwasher. I hated it so much!

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  • The man is me always wants a dhishwasher…… did I say man maybe I meant laziness

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    • So funny, the hubs makes a comment after every meal that he’s not washing his dishes yet he does it anyway. He loves to give me a hard time!

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  • Erica s

    I’m the same way! I learned a long time ago to watch as I go, and that weather is a lot less mess by the time we’re done eating.

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    • Totally agree….and you aren’t dreading going back into the kitchen to clean up.

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  • I hate dishes sitting in the sink – drives me crazy. I always rinse and put them right in the dishwasher or hand-wash them and put them on the drying mat immediately. Getting hubby to do the same isn’t easy, but I have been working on it 😉

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  • Our dishwasher broke, and I’m devastated. It stinks having to wash everthing by hand. I don’t like having dishes in the sink, but I feel like I’m constantly washing.

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    • I was the same way before when we moved and the dishwasher wasn’t working. I hated it and didn’t stay on top of them. For some reason it is totally different for me now.

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  • I think Handwasher is better than Dishwasher, I grew up in a family that all things that we do aren’t easy.

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    • I think the thing is that we are used to what we grew up with. I had a dishwasher growing up and could never imagine living without one. My, how times have changed!

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      • Actually, we didn’t get a dishwasher until I was 13. I was one of the dishwashers before that…LOL

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  • Personally, I prefer using a dishwasher than my hands. More convenient that way. Especially when I’m busy with gambling and sports-betting.

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  • I grew up doing dishes by hand in our house, which led to me wanting a dishwasher more than anything in life. Every time I told my dad that we needed a dishwasher, he said, “Why? I have one!” So when my husband and I were buying our home, I was thrilled to finally have a dishwasher for the first time in my life. I use it quite a bit, but I also hand wash many dishes, especially when I’m baking. It’s just faster, and some of the dishes and tools I use for baking aren’t dishwasher safe.

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    • HAHA, yes, before I was a teen I was hand washing dishes with my stepdad or mom after dinner. I hated it so so so much. Those items you speak of that can’t be placed in the dishwasher would have soaked for a day or two for me. It was horrible!

      Reply

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