# Do dishwashers actually work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 7, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880 "2013-07-07T17:52:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/41 "2013-07-09T02:45:21Z")
Oh, and my current dishwasher(came with the house) is quite old and works fine. Would a new one work better? Probably, but I really don’t care and it works fine. We rinse the guck off, stick stuff in, and it cleans it.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/42 "2013-07-09T03:16:36Z")
My first job was as a dishwasher (really) in high school, and I worked pretty damned hard.
But for the mechanical kind, we don’t have one, but my family did back in Texas, and it worked well. My understanding was the detergent used in those things will burn pretty much anything off the dishes.
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### Author:  [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/43 "2013-07-09T03:19:02Z")
You can also wash baseball caps (and probably other hats) on the top rack.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/44 "2013-07-09T03:33:08Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> You can steam a lasagna?
I steam a good ham.
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### Author:  [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/45 "2013-07-09T03:50:20Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#):
>
> You can also wash baseball caps (and probably other hats) on the top rack.
While my husband was deployed in 2011 I had so few bleachable clothes to wash I ran it w/ them on the top rack and the dishes on the bottom. (In lingerie bags firmly attached to the rack.)
I forgot to mention upthread that you’re not supposed to put nice knives in the dishwasher, they’ll get dulled.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/46 "2013-07-10T04:05:16Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#):
>
> I forgot to mention upthread that you’re not supposed to put nice knives in the dishwasher, they’ll get dulled.
Knives also dull when you drag them through the flesh of animals or drag them across surfaces such as wood, granite, or porcelain.
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### Author:  [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/47 "2013-07-10T15:39:45Z")
> [@moriah](#):
>
> Knives also dull when you drag them through the flesh of animals or drag them across surfaces such as wood, granite, or porcelain.
And the bones of animals as well; but one can still use knives yet AVOID putting them in the dishwasher. “One of these things is not like the other, one of these things is not the same…”
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/48 "2013-07-10T16:20:27Z")
My understanding is that knives aren’t particularly dulled by dishwashers but that the harsh detergents tend to pit the carbon steel of good knives.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/49 "2013-07-10T16:39:04Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#):
>
> You can also wash baseball caps (and probably other hats) on the top rack.
And bicycle chains (and other parts) come up a treat in the cutlery rack. (Don’t tell my wife this.)
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### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/50 "2013-07-10T18:08:24Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> Many modern dishwashers have both grinders and screens that handle larger chunks. \
>
> What happened with the detergent is that the phosphorus was removed, which made many people with hard water start experiencing a lot of issues with their dishwashers, since the phosphates in the water minimize the effects of the minerals in hard water, and let the detergents do their thing better.
>
> Once they were removed, the manufacturers have to figure out a way to get similar performance without them; most of the big-name premium brands are decent these days.
If the dishwasher has a grinder is usually clear when buying one… most of the “European” versions like Bosh do not… most of the “American” versions like GE do.
As far as the non-phosphate detergents go… I’m still not happy with the new versions of Cascade, etc. (we have hard water). If you have soft water you will be fine, but if not… I’ll just mention that commercial detergents can still contain phosphates. These can be picked up on the internet very easily. “Bubble Bandit” has kept us in nice spotless dishes for the last few years.
Not like I would encourage anyone to skirt local regulations, but it isn’t like they require you to show your “I own a restaurant” id to buy it. There are also many people who will argue that the impact from home use dishwasher detergents is basically non existent.
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/51 "2013-07-10T18:25:20Z")
I’ve owned several, that I bought second hand for under $150, they all proved more than worth the money, in my opinion.
When we bought this house the small kitchen had been designed around one of those half size machines. It wasn’t brand new and I was concerned it would wear out quickly and be more expensive to replace than a full size. Plus I was skeptical about it handling the load.
12yrs later, the thing still runs very well! I’ve had it serviced once, under $150! And it has proven as useful as any full sized one, I have to say. I would never even consider going back to the full sized one now!
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/52 "2013-07-10T19:26:47Z")
> [@bob\_2](#):
>
> Some TV prog here - they cooked fish on a car engine and in a DW. It worked but not worth the trouble.
That was the Mythbusters episode Alton Brown appeared on, wasn’t it? Seeing him on Mythbusters was what got my husband and me watching Good Eats. 🙂
The dishwasher in my present apartment generally does very well, even with store-brand detergent. I have run into having to rinse off a little debris or even having to rewash an item or two, but I think a lot of that is user error on my part. I’d spent most of my adult life in apartments that lacked dishwashers, so I’m still getting the hang of arranging stuff for best cleaning. Still, I run the thing at about two-day intervals normally (two-adult household, we just don’t generate that much on a daily basis) and even melted cheese or dried-on canned cat food come off the dishes nicely. I don’t use the heat-dry, just open the door (and dump water out of lightweight stuff that got turned up as needed) after the rinse cycle concludes (don’t see a need to run up my power bill when air-dry works fine for my needs).
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### Author:  [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/53 "2013-07-10T20:58:34Z")
> [@Seanette](#):
>
> That was the Mythbusters episode Alton Brown appeared on, wasn’t it? Seeing him on Mythbusters was what got my husband and me watching Good Eats. 🙂
>
> The dishwasher in my present apartment generally does very well, even with store-brand detergent. I have run into having to rinse off a little debris or even having to rewash an item or two, but I think a lot of that is user error on my part. I’d spent most of my adult life in apartments that lacked dishwashers, so I’m still getting the hang of arranging stuff for best cleaning. Still, I run the thing at about two-day intervals normally (two-adult household, we just don’t generate that much on a daily basis) and even melted cheese or dried-on canned cat food come off the dishes nicely. I don’t use the heat-dry, just open the door (and dump water out of lightweight stuff that got turned up as needed) after the rinse cycle concludes (don’t see a need to run up my power bill when air-dry works fine for my needs).
Different models can be loaded different ways to be most efficient; see if the owner’s manual for yours is online and it should give you directions on loading. I don’t mean that in any patronizing way - my mom’s dishwasher loads entirely differently from mine and I was surprised to see it.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/54 "2013-07-10T21:02:03Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#):
>
> Different models can be loaded different ways to be most efficient; see if the owner’s manual for yours is online and it should give you directions on loading. I don’t mean that in any patronizing way - my mom’s dishwasher loads entirely differently from mine and I was surprised to see it.
I’ll have to hunt that down. Trial and error has gotten me progress, but I’d like to see if it gets better than what I’ve worked out.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/55 "2013-07-10T22:28:01Z")
> [@runningdude](#):
>
> If you’ve replaced a working dishwasher every few years, then you simply never owned one long enough to kill it.
The one I have now I’ve had for going on 8 years. The one before that came with the house, I’m assuming it was at least 10 years old. We replaced it not because it didn’t work, but because it didn’t match the other new appliances we bought.
The one I had in the house before was at least 10-15 years old, maybe older. It worked great.
My parents put theirs in when they built their house. That has to be 15 years old. Still works great.
So how long is “every few years” again? When should I plan on the one I have now blowing up?
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/56 "2013-07-11T13:47:55Z")
> [@Athena](#):
>
> The one I have now I’ve had for going on 8 years. The one before that came with the house, I’m assuming it was at least 10 years old. We replaced it not because it didn’t work, but because it didn’t match the other new appliances we bought.
>
> The one I had in the house before was at least 10-15 years old, maybe older. It worked great.
>
> My parents put theirs in when they built their house. That has to be 15 years old. Still works great.
>
> So how long is “every few years” again? When should I plan on the one I have now blowing up?
In my experience, they last a good long time- my parents had one for nearly 15 years when I was a kid, and the one in my house dated from 1998 or so, and we just replaced it in 2011, so 12-15 years doesn’t seem uncommon at all.
(which is a reason to get a good one even if it’s a little bit more spendy)
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/57 "2013-07-11T14:17:58Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> And there’s no law that says you have to use soap or detergent. You’d be surprised how clean they come out without it.
No, I wouldn’t. Our detergent hatch failed to open on multiple occations, and the difference was quite noticable every time.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/58 "2013-07-11T15:11:04Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> No, I wouldn’t. Our detergent hatch failed to open on multiple occations, and the difference was quite noticable every time.
Your observation may have been influenced by your knowledge that the detergent wasn’t present. To prove this one way or the other, we’d have to do multiple double-blind tests.
My conclusions are the opposite of yours, and are subject to the same biases. I’ve forgotten to put detergent in, and dishes looked just fine after the cycle.
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### Author:  [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/59 "2013-07-11T15:25:26Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> No, I wouldn’t. Our detergent hatch failed to open on multiple occations, and the difference was quite noticable every time.
Same here, I’ve noticed that dishes still had stuck-on food after a run, after which I observed that the soap dispenser had been blocked by a large pan.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dishwashers-actually-work/662880/60 "2013-07-11T16:03:10Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Your observation may have been influenced by your knowledge that the detergent wasn’t present. To prove this one way or the other, we’d have to do multiple double-blind tests.
>
> My conclusions are the opposite of yours, and are subject to the same biases. I’ve forgotten to put detergent in, and dishes looked just fine after the cycle.
Nope. It was blatantly obvious. We’d notice the dishes, then look down and see the tab laying in the bottom of the dishwasher. Seriously, it wasn’t a matter of confirmation bias, the dishes were still quite noticably dirty.
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