Vent: washed dishes by hand for 8 years before my fiance showed me the dishwasher trick

I grew up in a house where my mom insisted dishwashers were a waste of water and money, so for 8 years I scrubbed every plate and pot by hand at the sink. Then my fiance moved in 3 months ago and caught me rinsing a casserole dish under hot water for 5 minutes. She just laughed, loaded it into the dishwasher, and hit a button. The next day she showed me how you don't even need to rinse dishes first, just scrape off the big stuff. Now I save about 20 minutes per meal cleanup and use way less soap. The water bill actually dropped by like 12 bucks since I stopped running the tap constantly. Has anyone else had a partner break a habit that just seems normal until you see another way?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugobarnes8d ago

My dad was the same way about the water bill. He insisted the dishwasher used more than hand washing, so I did everything by hand for years too. Actually modern dishwashers are way more efficient, they use about 3-4 gallons per load while the average kitchen faucet runs through 2 gallons a minute. You might want to check your manual too because some models actually need the dishes to have some food debris on them for the sensors to work right. Its a nice feeling when you realize you've been working harder than you had to for all those years.

robinson.jake8d ago

My mom was the same way about dryers. She swore the electric bill would double if we used one, so I hung clothes outside or on racks for like 15 years. When I moved in with my girlfriend she just threw my jeans in the dryer and I freaked out. Turns out modern dryers use way less power than she thought, especially with the moisture sensor things. The shirts come out softer too, not like cardboard from being outside all day. Now I look back at all those stiff towels and wonder why I put up with it so long.