# Poll: Dishwasher usage **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502 "2022-11-24T19:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/1 "2022-11-24T19:05:06Z")
Do you open your dishwasher while it is running? All of my life, once I have turned the dishwasher on, I leave it alone until it is done. I don’t recall ever being instructed that this was necessary, but that is just what my family did. I have observed that my daughter’s husband, and his family, are quite comfortable opening the dishwasher while it is running in order to add or remove items. In fact, it seems to me that they relish the idea and would never let the dishwasher run a cycle uninterrupted. I suppose there is nothing wrong with this, but I just find the behavior to be odd. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/2 "2022-11-24T19:08:36Z")
I sometimes open the dishwasher to add an item, but this is very rare, so I voted “no”. I try to make sure everything is loaded before starting because opening it cools the interior, and in all the heat and steam it may be hard to place the item properly. But otherwise, if necessary I don’t know why anyone would hesitate to open it while running, since the cutoff switch at the door immediately stops the water flow. There’s never been any leakage from doing this. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/3 "2022-11-24T19:12:04Z")
Let it do its job, and leave it alone. That’s what I always say… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/4 "2022-11-24T19:14:54Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I sometimes open the dishwasher to add an item, but this is very rare, so I voted “no” Ditto. But only very early in the cycle. ISTM no matter how diligently I chase down wayward coffee cups I’ll sometimes find one 3 minutes after starting the washer. So in it goes slightly late. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/5 "2022-11-24T19:16:08Z")
I don’t currently have a dishwasher, but when I did, I would never _think_ of opening it while it was running. Wouldn’t it spray hot detergenty water all over the kitchen (and in my face)? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/6 "2022-11-24T19:17:33Z")
My thinking was the exact opposite. I do it rarely, but I do do it occasionally if I notice an item I meant to load, but forgot to. So I voted “yes”. Actually there are other reasons I might open it, too. If I notice it sounds like the wash arm isn’t spinning (which has happened often enough that I’ve learned how to tell), I figure I’d better resolve the issue, otherwise the dishwasher will just sit there and use a bunch of water while the dishes won’t get clean. So I open the dishwasher, clear the blockage or resolve whatever the issue is, close the door, and let it resume the cycle. My dishwasher actually has a cancel/pause button for this exact purpose. You press the button, the cycle stops. You open the door, add an item or do what you need to do, and then press “start” again and the cycle resumes. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/7 "2022-11-24T19:19:52Z")
I might _very_ occasionally open it to add an item in the first couple of minutes of running, but after that I would feel that the new item isn’t getting washed as thoroughly as the other items, so I wouldn’t do it. And removing an item before it’s completely washed seems gross. But I’m kind of OCD about stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/8 "2022-11-24T19:20:33Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > My thinking was the exact opposite. I do it rarely, but I do do it occasionally if I notice an item I meant to load, but forgot to. So I voted “yes”. > > Actually there are other reasons I might open it, too. If I notice it sounds These are my two main reasons for opening it. If I’ve just started a load, and find another dish, I’ll try to get it in there, but not if it’s been running for a while. Plus, any kind of out of the ordinary noise will be investigated as soon as I hear it. Sometimes some dishes get out of place and start knocking around, or something, and that’s usually not healthy for the other dishes. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/9 "2022-11-24T19:22:13Z")
I don’t open it while running, but sometimes, after I close the door, I see something that was left out. By the novel, for me, approach of reading the instructions, I found that holding the start button for 3 seconds resets the cycle and empties the machine. Then it’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/10 "2022-11-24T19:26:27Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Wouldn’t it spray hot detergenty water all over the kitchen (and in my face)? Unlatching the door instantly stops the water pump. The door latch has an electromechanical interlock. I had to replace the door latch once and there are four wires coming out of the assembly. By the time you swing the door open water is no longer spraying. Everything inside is wet and dripping but the design of the door and the interior prevents any water from leaking out. Oddly, my current dishwasher doesn’t start up again immediately when the door is closed again. It needs to think about it for a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/11 "2022-11-24T19:28:05Z")
I don’t run it until I can’t get anything else in. There’s no reason to open it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/12 "2022-11-24T19:32:14Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Oddly, my current dishwasher doesn’t start up again immediately when the door is closed again. It needs to think about it for a few seconds. That’s the machine’s way of being sarcastic, “Are you _sure_ you’re ready this time?” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/13 "2022-11-24T19:38:51Z")
Yes, modern appliances are quite capable of sarcasm, and sometimes outright insubordination! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/14 "2022-11-24T19:42:30Z")
I can “pause” my dishwasher, mid-wash, to add things. I do it all the time. I own a countertop dish washer. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/15 "2022-11-24T20:02:04Z")
I really only open it if it’s early in the cycle and I’m inserting something I missed. Otherwise I leave it alone. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/16 "2022-11-24T20:05:57Z")
At this risk of going slightly off-topic, I have another question: Do you wash your dishes _before_ you run them through the dishwasher? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/17 "2022-11-24T20:06:47Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > My thinking was the exact opposite. I do it rarely, but I do do it occasionally if I notice an item I meant to load, but forgot to. So I voted “yes”. Ditto My prior dishwasher even had a notification “okay to add dish” if it thought it was early enough in the cycle that another dish would be fine. The thing my current dishwasher doesn’t have is a “cancel/drain” button, for when your realize your didn’t want to start it after all. Very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/18 "2022-11-24T20:07:29Z")
Nope. I scrape off the chunks, to and maybe give them a quick rinse. Or not, depending. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/19 "2022-11-24T20:14:29Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Do you wash your dishes _before_ you run them through the dishwasher? I used to be in the habit of rinsing them well. But when I started using pods (Finish brand Quantum Ultimate) I decided to take the package advertising at their word and try putting in dirty stuff without pre-rinsing. It has worked fine, they come out spotlessly clean. I do, however, brush off anything that looks hardened and scrub any pots or pans with burned-on guck. But the ability to put in ordinary dinner dishes, cutlery, tongs, and the like without pre-rinsing makes cleanup just one small step easier. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I scrape off the chunks I definitely scrape off any large chunks of anything into the garbage. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > My prior dishwasher even had a notification “okay to add dish” if it thought it was early enough in the cycle that another dish would be fine. The current dishwasher has a noticeable point in its cycle when the detergent dispenser opens. My rule of thumb is it’s OK to add something prior to that event, or very shortly thereafter, but not later in the cycle. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/20 "2022-11-24T20:19:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I do, however, brush off anything that looks hardened and scrub any pots or pans with burned-on guck. Of course you do. I have never accused dishwashers of being miracle workers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502.md?page=2)