Monday, July 9, 2012

Diana's Household Diaries- " I Don't Have a Dishwasher "

I don't really know why dishwashers came into my mind. But they did. A few days ago.
For some reason I had an epiphany. I realized that everyone that I know has a dishwasher.
Except me.

It's not that I've never had the opportunity to have one, I've just always turned those opportunities down. 

Every place that I have lived had a tiny kitchen including the house that we own and have lived in for almost 14 years. 


Before we bought this house I vowed to myself that we would find a home with a big kitchen. Then along came this house. It had so, so many features that we loved. Then came the kitchen. Tiny. My husband refers to it as " A two butt kitchen " because anymore than two people in it at the same time is very frustrating when trying to fix a meal.


We do however have a huge walk in pantry, one of the features that I loved. But that didn't really help the limited cabinet space being used for dishes, pots, pans, etc.


This kitchen actually came with a dishwasher. One of those big old portable one's that took up about a quarter of the kitchen!! So one of the conditions to us buying the home was that the previous owner's take it with them. Again no dishwasher.


My husband offered several times to buy me one. I didn't want it to take up precious cabinet space, so I always said no.
Here is my method for dish washing today...


There isn't much science to it. I do like to let mine soak in hot sudsy water for a bit before washing. Soaking makes it a bit easier. If "The Prairie Home Companion" is playing on the radio, I don't mind washing them so much. The show makes me laugh so it doesn't seem like such a dull job.
For many years I had two great dishwashers of the non mechanical type. My oldest son Frank and my oldest daughter Ginny. They would take turns everyday. Of coarse there were days when they would be in school that I would have to do them myself but they got them done for the most part.


Since they have long ago moved away, I do most of the dish washing by myself. I try to keep paper plates in the house but sometimes we just don't pick them up and there are always pots and pans that need to be done.


I do have two teenagers in the house and they will do the dishes when told to. But this is a very different generation I like to call "Lazy". They end up doing them about four times a week and only after several firm reminders from me or Jake. I usually get tired of the reminding and end up doing them myself.


I don't ever remember being Thanked for doing the dishes. I have however Thanked others for doing them for me.


Jake will also pitch in on the weekends when he is home. Although he sometimes doesn't put them away. He will put them away if I am washing them, I like that part!! I always make the kids put them away. Whats the point if you aren't going to finish the job.


Now there is nothing I hate more than waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes. This being something my grandmother, Laverne would always say. So I guess it sort of stuck in my own mind since I was a child.


Dishwashing is one of my least favorite household chores. I , for the most part, love housework. It calms me and makes me happy. The dishes, not so much.


I really think this is the main reason that I don't like to cook anymore, the mess that it leaves. I don't like spending hours a day in the kitchen when I could be here posting about something as silly as dish washing!!


It's a fact that I don't even know how to operate a dishwasher. I still look at them from time to time and my husband always asks if I want one. I still say no thank you.


It probably won't be too long before I am alone and won't have nearly as many dishes to wash. I imagine when that day comes, I will be sad. Or maybe not, we'll see.


Do you have a dishwasher? I have a feeling that most if not all of you do.


Or do you do it the old fashioned way?


Next Monday: Laundry, Pain or Pleasure?

18 comments:

Wanda..... said...

I also soak my dishes in 'very' hot water for a few minutes, Di... and listen to the radio while doing them! I have a dishwasher, but don't use it in the conventional way any more. It's now storage for heavy mixing bowls, pyrex pots and pans, metal sheet & muffin pans and large lids...holds plenty and more convenient than cabinet storage! Just the two of us here now, so not that many dishes to do. At family gatherings, others do help willingly. I tell them they're making good family memories that they'll recall fondly someday! ☺

Rebecca said...

Fun post! First of all, I DO have a dishwasher, but it takes so long to fill it when it's just the two of us (and stinks if I let it set very long), so I frequently do dishes by hand. I wash in the LEFT sink, though, and drain 'em in the right one.

Lately, our dishwasher has developed ghost-like qualities. The light goes on and off, once the sucker cycled through every single imaginable cycle even though I'd only punched in one...Right now it IS sitting quietly and I'm afraid to try it, so am still washing dishes by hand.

I like Prairie Home Companion. Such wonderful humor...

Have a good week, my friend. Wish you lived next door. We'd take turns doing each others dishes - maybe even cooking evening meals?????

Christine said...

Diana I don't have room for one either. So it's just me and my two hands!

Eileen said...

BOTH, Di! I have a dishwasher, but we are a big family so it is usually full from just plates, bowls, cups, and glasses and there is no room left for pots and pans, so we do them by hand. It's usually Ray & myself and we take turns washing and drying (after they have soaked for awhile in warm water), When we did our kitchen over twelve years ago I made sure to get a VERY BIG sink, and I love it! And I like to see a sink full of dishes soaking in sudsy water! 'Gives me a feeling of nostalgia!
Great post!
Love you!, E

Barb said...

We have one, Di, and when the whole family is spending time here, I'm happy for it. But, I would gladly do your dishes if you would do my house cleaning. Actually, Bob is pretty good with the sweeper, so he is usually the point man for dust bunnies!

Gail said...

HI DI, ya, we have a dish washer that we rarely use, about three times a year, Thanksgiving, Christmas and perhaps anotherholiday we host. We prefer to wash things up right away. and also, with just tow of us in the house it would take weeks to fill up the dishwasher and then everything gets icky, so we dont use ours for the most part.
Stay cool
Love gail
peace...

Dee said...

I appreciate having a dishwasher in this apartment. I did not have one for five years at Secret Haven. My arthritis in my thumbs makes washing dishes painful :( I also listen to "The Prairie Home Companion". I can get it on my radio on Saturday.

Need A Latte Mom said...

I will agree with you completely on the "lazy" generation. My daughter is so lazy when it comes to chores or things that need to be done, and when she does do them it just pisses me off because she does such a crappy job at it.
shaking my head.
sigh.

Bonny said...

I'm right there with you. No dishwasher here. Just me. Although my oldest teenager will do them when asked, and he does a good job. The younger teenager...well let's just say I stopped asking him.

Sandi said...

Oh Di, I loved this post. It brought back great dishwashing memories. I have a dishwasher, but I prefer washing my dishes by hand. So I wash my own cups, bowls, utensils as I go, but the family puts things in the dishwasher, usually in the wrong places!

I am usually grateful for it when I have a crowd, but when I'm home during the summer, it rarely gets used. Even when I do use it, I wash the dishes so well, I could pick them back out and use them. They're already clean!

It does make a good storage space! :)

Debbie said...

Hi Diana, I'm a new visitor to your blog. Our big kitchen didn't have a dishwasher when we bought the house. Not wanting to lose any cabinets we bought a portable one to roll over and hook up to the sink faucet. That got old and when it wore out I didn't replace it. We are empty nesters now and it's more convenient for me to keep things washed and put away. I have a bird feeder right outside my window over the sink, and that keeps me entertained while I do dishes. :D
Debbie

Rob-bear said...

We used to have a mechanical dishwasher, but we could not bring it to our apartment with us. So now we wash dishes by hand.

I actually don't mind doing that too much. The mindlessness involved allows me to plan my blog posts. A very useful process, all together.

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

I like to say I have "3" dishwashers ..... but they all complain!

I don't have a dishwashing appliance; I do it the old fashioned way and I enjoy it. During the week when I'm working and cooking dinner, the girls do the dishes. On weekends, I enjoy doing them (and giving the counters, etc. a really good cleaning.)

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

We have a dishwasher but Bob prefers to just do them by hand! I will hide them in the dishwasher and then turn it on when I feel like there is enough to wash, just to say, I use it once in a while. It is funny though my OCD hubby has to wash them and immediately dry them and put the away and wipe off the counter tops so it looks like NO ONE LIVES in the kitchen. I kind of prefer the look of a "lived in kitchen" lol.

Anvilcloud said...

Really Di, if you don't like the mess or the job, treat yourself for goodness sakes. You'll figure out where to put it, and the reduced mess will help.

Donna said...

hi Diane. I am having fun reading your posts. I especially liked this one because it remonds me of th one I posted long ago. For me dishwashing is a pleasurte and it is very rare thaty I use my dishwasher at all. I wrote a book this winter and the opening scene is about a woman standing at her sink doing dishes!

Jacquelyn Stager said...

I've had some very tiny kitchens through the years but I'm blessed now with a good sized kitchen and good counter space. All of my kitchen appliances are going on 18 years old so I'm holding my breath...I always have a lot of dishes and a lot of pots and pans. I never put the pans in the dishwasher and I soak them for a few minutes in hot water with some Bar Keeper's Friend sprinkled in, and it is unbelievable how quickly they clean up. I run the dishwasher once a day, usually after supper. I try to empty it first thing in the morning so I can just fill it up again throughout the day. BUT when I am cooking or baking, the first thing I do is fill the sink with hot sudsy water and I throw items in there as I work. So I'd say I probably often do as many dishes by hand as I do in the dishwasher. I love your faucett by the way! I hope to get something similar once of these day!