Am I the only one left that washes dishes by hand?
By Rocketj1
@rocketj1 (6955)
United States
October 27, 2008 1:29pm CST
We have moved many times in the years we've been married (18 years) In fact, we moved 7 times in the first 11 years of marriage (we've stayed put now for 7). In all these moves, we have never lived anywhere that had a dishwasher. Well, ........ actually we have. I AM MY DISHWASHER! Every time we have thought about putting one in, we have had to use the money in other ways. I guess that I could complain a little louder but you know what?........... I really don't mind washing dishes by hand. My fingernails are nice and strong because of it. It can be very relaxing, and my kids are learning how to help me too.
How about you? Are YOU the dishwasher too? Or do you have a dishwashing machine in your kitchen? Or is SOMEONE ELSE in your home the "official dishwasher"?
48 people like this
216 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
27 Oct 08
no, you are not the only one. we do not a a mechanic dishwasher, never had (we have been married 21 years). we did have one, but we hardly used it. there are sometimes i wished i had one, but i dont really care. right now, my kids (2 girls, 11 and 15) are the ones that are responsible for the dishes after supper and if they have friends over, they are usually asked to help too.
7 people like this
@duoen521 (2)
• China
29 Oct 08
I'm not pretty sure about the ability of the dishwasher. I used to washing dishes by hand. I feel with my hands to make sute whether the dish is clean or not and wishing dishes is not a hard job for me. I enjoy to do some household work.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
27 Oct 08
What is a dishwasher?? I have never seen one in the flesh, I don't even know what one looks like? Oh I know what a manual one looks like, it's always me! The manual dishwasher me, I am always washing up and it's never ending! I have never owned or even seen a dishwasher. It doesn't bother me because I think they take up too much electricity they make us lazy and it's not really worth getting one unless you have a big family to clean up afterwards, that's just my opinion!
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
27 Oct 08
It's rare to find someone in my part of the US that does not own one. I never had one growing up (although my mom now finally has one). Many people love them because they supposedly sterilize your dishes. But people are always pre-soaking and scrubbing their dishes anyway. I could wash mine completely by the time they are done doing their Prep work. However, sometimes I would like one just so I would have more counter space. The dishes would get out of the way quicker. I think people like them to hide their dirty dishes in. Their kitchen always looks clean, even if they haven't run the machine yet.
thanks:)
6 people like this
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
27 Oct 08
We have a dishwasher and I had one in the house I was living in when I met my husband and actually growing up we had one later on but I still do dishes by hand..We use the dishwasher too mind you but not as often as some ppl who own them.
5 people like this
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I have a dishwasher and I love it. I only wash the things that cannot go into it. I am quite happy about having one, however I did my own dishes for many years.
Thanks:)
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Oct 08
i am the chief cook & bottle washer. i do have a dishwasher but i stilldo alot of things by hand. by the way i'll let u know if the dog treats are tastier frozen soon as i try one. lol
I was thinking maybe your dog would like the frozen treats and start feeling like a pampered pooch! It could go to her head!@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Oct 08
she's spoiled rotten as it is. i should have it so good. lol
4 people like this
@sorchajack (24)
• Spain
28 Oct 08
I too have never owned a dishwasher. I dont see the point. Half the stuff like pans etc you have to wash out before they go in, so you might as well finish washing them. Plates and cups and stuff are easy to wash by hand anyway.
http://sorchajack-dogs-dontyoujustlovethem.blogspot.com/
www.psychicpaws.com
3 people like this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
27 Oct 08
You are not alone! Every time I mention that we need to get a dishwasher, my husband says that he married one. Well, I have asked for years where she is and for some reason she never appears! LOL!! I hope that when we move this time, I can talk him into getting one and putting it in.
4 people like this
It's a good thing you love him, right?
Thanks:) @sid556 (30959)
• United States
28 Oct 08
I do my dishes by hand. I have never minded it. When I was a teen, I babysat some people who had a dishwasher. To me, it seemed almost as much work to do the dishwasher ordeal as to simply wash them by hand. Later on, I worked as a dishwasher in a resteraunt and that only confirmed to me that it is just as quick and simple to just was by hand. by the time I scraped and rinsed the dishes to ready them for the washer, I could have just washed them and be done with it. Pots and pans always had to be washed by hand anyway.
4 people like this
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I hate a dishwasher. We have one here that my wife loves, but I would rather do them by hand. I still do them by hand. It only takes a few minutes to wash, dry, and put them away. It uses no electricity, and water usage is minimal. Mechanical dishwashers use electricity, use more water than doing the dishes by hand, and it takes more time to pre-rinse, load, and unload the dishes than doing them by hand. I guess I am still old-fashioned in a lot of ways, but I still like doing some things the old way...
4 people like this
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
28 Oct 08
I let them air-dry myself sometimes, too, but I don't mind drying them by hand and putting them away either, especially if I am about to start cooking and may need to use the counter space for something else.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Oct 08
There is a television commercial that I love. It shows a picture of a dishwashing machine and says "this is a dishwasher". Then it shows a woman and says "this is not". I don't do most dishes by hand,just pots and pans. My mother-in-law does many of her dishes by hand. More power to her!
4 people like this
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
27 Oct 08
No you're not alone. I handwash my dishes. It's just quicker and easier for me. I actually do own a dishwasher but I never use it. Most of the time it is just me and hubby eating because my kids are older and never home and it would take me a week to fill it up! LOL Who wants their dishes to sit in a dishwasher that long?
I have used it for Holiday dinners or special occasions but to be honest if it was gone tomorrow I wouldn't miss it.
Have a great day!
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
27 Oct 08
My MIL is a freak about cleanliness and runs hers 2 and 3 times a day when it is only she and my FIL. I'm sure she must run it sometimes with hardly anything in it! Seems like a tremendous waste of electricity and water. As I said though, she is obsessed.
3 people like this
@agrant10 (1476)
• United States
28 Oct 08
No, you are not the only one that does not use a dishwasher. I use to wash the dishes now that job has been passed on to my three children who also wash them by hand. When we purchased the house the dishwasher never worked and I did not get it fix. I figured I have 3 human disher washer so I did not need to get it fixed.
5 people like this
@iamcdy (1119)
• Philippines
27 Oct 08
No, you're not the only one. Not at all! Here I am, a living proof. I am a dishwasher at home, and my assignment is after every dinner. I share the duty with either my father or mother, they do the dishwashing after lunch, when I am not usually around. I have seen a dishwasher before but I have never tried using it. Actually, it is not a "common" appliance in a usual Philippine home. Maybe, only the really rich have them here or not if they have enough housemaids to do their dishes. 
4 people like this
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I am fascinated with the fact that many Filipinos have house maids. That would be very expensive here. Only the very rich do that here. Sometimes someone can afford a maid to come in for a couple of hours a week if they are a working woman. I see that Nannies are very common there too. The same applies for that here.
Thanks:)
3 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
28 Oct 08
nope,i'm the house dishwasher too.
i hate doing it,but the washer broke and i can't afford another.
i just wish once in awhile someone else in the house would take the incentive and do it for me.took me over an hour to clear the counter/sink today.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Oct 08
rocketj1 hi I am the official dishwasher although our apt.is
'equipped withone. there are only the two of us so its kind
of silly to use a dishwasher for only two p eople then to,anything electrical that we use seemsto shoot up our electric bill something fierce.
4 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I haven't had a dishwasher in 2 years. Right now I'm just happy to have water to wash dishes with. It was a lot more difficult when we first moved in because I had to run cold water in the tub, and heat it on the stove to wash dishes. We had no running water in our kitchen sink faucet.
My husband helps with the dishes now and then, but mostly it's just me.
3 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
27 Oct 08
No, it's a very old house, everything is falling apart. We had some broken pipes, but we got them fixed. This was over 2 years ago.
3 people like this
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
28 Oct 08
I wash dishes by hand, I once had a dishwasher where I lived, but I did not use it that much. When I was working, my husband would wash the dishes. He then stopped, and I am the primary dish washer. Funny I ran across this post, because he is now in the kitchen washing the dishes. Surprise, suprise, but I am glad he did. I like that break every now and then.
4 people like this
@Humbug25 (12540)
•
27 Oct 08
Hey there rocketj1
I too wash my dishes by hand and have no problem with it. When I lived out in the US for a while my boss had one and I hated it. It was one of my jobs to fill it, put it on and empty it. I think it has put me off dishwashers for life! I have a friend who says she couldn't live without hers but I think that by the time you have rinsed everything off, put it all in the machine waited an hour and a half for it to it's thing, emptied it and put it all away you could've done it all 4 times over by hand!!!
3 people like this
@dreamweaverjan (3471)
• United States
28 Oct 08
Don't feel bad, I too am my own dishwasher, and I hate it (G)!! I used to have
one when I had my mobile home, but it konked out like a year or so before I had
to move and sell my home, so for the last say three years I am back to washing
my own stinking dishes I miss my dishwasher so badly;
Its one thing to have to do them when you are healthy and are "able too", but
when you have really bad neck and back pain I do mine more or less leaning
on the sink to wash them while I have one muscle spasm after another;
maybe some day I can afford to have another one, will have to work harder
here in my lot I guess???
4 people like this
