<p>AstroMom: as my husband and I, along with both dogs, regularly eat oatmeal, I am extremely cognizant of the concrete-like properties of dried oatmeal. I believe that in drier climates, it is in fact used as mortar. However, I find allowing the dish to soak for half an hour or so, then using one of those loosely woven nylon scrubby things, completely removes the debris.</p>
<p>I’ve had my Kenmore Elite for probably a year and absolutely love it. I spent more to get a quieter machine and am very glad I did. We can barely hear it. It has jets in the back which can be used for pots and pans angled that way. It has been a great machine. The top silverware rack on a Miele would have been really nice to have, but it was more than I wanted to spend.</p>
<p>Now if I could only replace my freestanding range. Of course the dream scenario for that would include totally remodeling the kitchen…</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom, LOL. I frequently hear that the dishes are “soaking.” Somehow those dishes (not particularly hard to clean ones) are STILL soaking when I come back to the kitchen, no matter how much later!</p>
<p>I love reading about these dishwasher stories and questions. <em>I</em> am the dishwasher here, with occasional breaks for homeschooling “home-ec.” </p>
<p>One of the primary reasons we have no machine to wash the dishes is the huge amounts of water and power they use. I can do dishes for 6-10 people (our normal house load), 3 meals/day + assorted snacks and glasses and use approximately 4-6 gallons of water, per day. Also, I buy the detergent wholesale and use a case of 12 in about 5-6 months at a cost of $13. </p>
<p>Has anyone actually calculated water usage or power or detergent costs? Besides the price of machine, those costs do add up over time. (Thank you to the Tightwad Gazette)</p>
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<p>From the Department of Energy:
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<p>Actually, we don’t “use” any water at all. We are part of a small water district that owns its own well field. Water comes out of the well, through the house, and back into a septic field where the water filters through the big gravel pile that is the hill we live on – back into the water table. Since we don’t use any water in landscaping, I figure we are water neutral.</p>
<p>Those of you complaining about family not rinsing or soaking dishes prior to loading, you should know that we NEVER rinse dishes prior to loading our 10 year old Maytag (which used to be a full size portable, then converted to builti-in). Oatmeal, Grapenuts, no problem. The dishes come out SQUEAKY CLEAN. </p>
<p>It is a little known fact of chemistry that detergents are actually ACTIVATED by food residue and the more you rinse the worse the dishes come out. All our guests are horrified to see us load the dishes and then marvel at how well they come out. </p>
<p>Only problem with our Maytag is that it is a bit noisy. We’ve been waiting for it to die for at least 5 years but the darn thing just keeps going.</p>
<p>Oh and ever since we switched to Cascade complete powder we have stopped using Jet Dry or other Rinse aids.</p>
<p>My post 25 sounded more abrupt than I meant it to. In the great trade-off between doing dishes by hand or using the machine, I figure water is a wash (sic), and the dishwasher uses more electricity (although we turn the lights out in the kitchen when we aren’t there, so it might not be so bad), but the big winner is time. I figure we get at least a half-hour of our day back, which I can then use carrying the Roomba from room to room.</p>
<p>WashDad,
You made me laugh outloud ;)</p>
<p>lol, what a great, light-hearted post. I only wish my 22 y.o. Whirlpool would die. However, I will be moving in the next year (if the housing market doesn’t completely die), so I will have to wait to get a dream machine. My brother has a top-of-the-line machine, but hand-washes his family’s dishes & uses the dishwasher to air-dry them! W affectionately refer to him as a bit quirky, but I don’t think his wife is complaining–at least he does dishes, as opposed to my H who cannot remember where the kitchen sink is.</p>
<p>Not only does H not remember where the kitchen sink is, he also is completely oblivious to where in the kitchen ANYTHING is. Where’s the ____? ice cream scoop, soup spoons, measuring cups, tupperware, etc…you name it. He’s stopped asking about the knives (in a knife block) or dishes (in a glass-doored cabinet). He is anal-retentive about loading the dishwasher (many similarities to the engineer thread here on CC), but knowing where to put anything IF he ever unloaded it? Not a chance.</p>
<p>My H washed the dinner dishes about 15 times in the 25 years we’ve been married. Let’s see… four babies, but twins, so subtract one for that. Broken leg, couple surgeries, and trips. I hate to have him do them, because while I can finish up with everything in about 25 minutes (includes wipe down counters and floor), he takes about 2-1/2 hours and thinks the floor will be cleaned by the dogs (just kidding!), one of whom will lick up ANYTHING and one (the dog who is Benjie’s deranged twin), will just pick stuff up by dragging her matted fur across the floor.</p>
<p>Anyway, where does one purchase these fancy dw’s? Sears?</p>
<p>Oh, and WashDad, how come the Roomba doesn’t go from room to room by itself? Can’t it just… go?</p>
<p>Fencersmother, it doesn’t go up or down stairs very well, and it refuses to descend into the sunken living room without help. Maybe the Roomba 600 series will do stairs…</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom: My only question is: why does your H want to know where the <em>measuring cups</em> are?</p>
<p>To measure additive for the car’s oil?</p>
<p>ewww…LOL!</p>
<p>
Sounds like a good use. I’ve stolen the turkey baster to suck brake fluid out of the master cylinder before (don’t worry - I don’t put the baster back in the drawer).</p>
<p>My dear hubby swiped my gravy shaker (which has cup measures on it) to mix something or other he needs for his vintage diesal car.</p>
<p>No, I think it was to make sure he had the correct oil/gas mixture for the leaf blower. I lost a turkey baster once to a bathroom remodel…he was removing a toilet from upstairs and wanted to make sure he got all the water out of it before hauling it down the stairs. That baster sure sucked it out! EWWW! I replaced that one. Recently, he purchased a toad to live in a terrarium in his mother’s apt at an assisted living home in town. (THAT’s a whole thread in itself)…anyway, toad is supposed to be misted daily. H decided that a baster-full of water would not only satisfy the toad, but also water the plants at the same time. Luckily I have almost a year before Thankgsiving, so I should have a chance to replace THAT baster, too!</p>
<p>The turkey baster - an all-in-one tool! Now you know what to give him for his birthday instead of a Leatherman.</p>