# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/61 "2022-11-25T17:45:51Z")
I rarely put anything in after I have started it. It’s usually so full that even if I do see something that I’ve missed, it’s not going to find a home in there anyway. OTOH, I do often open it up to get something out that I need before the cycle has ended. Depending on where it is in the cycle, I’ll rinse it off a bit before I use it. The problem is that if I open my dishwasher, I have to close it again within about 15 seconds, or something expands or contracts or something such that I cannot close it until the whole thing has cooled down. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/62 "2022-11-25T19:32:50Z")
Heh, I’ve always hated dishwashers that had the controls on the front panel. I just don’t like the look of them. Guess aesthetics are important to me. But I’ve never felt the need to know where it was in its cycle. Never. I put dishes in it, when it’s full I run it, when it’s done I remove the clean dishes. That’s as much interaction I either need or want with my dishwasher. ---
**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 25, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/63 "2022-11-25T19:38:37Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I put dishes in it, when it’s full I run it, when it’s done I remove the clean dishes. That’s been my approach. Mostly it gets run just before bedtime after the last of the evening’s glassware has been corralled. By morning it’ll be done and that’s good enough for me. ---
**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 25, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/64 "2022-11-25T19:49:36Z")
Back when cycles were shorter, we often ran multiple cycles during a party, and it was nice to know when it was done washing and had moved on to drying, because we could cycle dishes at that point if a lot had built up. In general we run it when it’s full, which often isn’t bedtime, and it’s pretty common for me to want to know when the damn thing will be finished. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/65 "2022-11-25T19:54:19Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Back when cycles were shorter, we often ran multiple cycles during a party, and it was nice to know when it was done washing and had moved on to drying, because we could cycle dishes at that point if a lot had built up. Aw. That’s a completely cromulent reason. I approve. 🤪 Or you could be like the rich people and have _two_ dishwashers! ---
**Author:** ![alllllz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@alllllz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alllllz)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/66 "2022-11-25T23:02:26Z")
I tried not to, but often I would if there were an item in there I immediately needed. then I moved to an even smaller place, couldn’t store duplicates of everything anymore, and it no longer made sense to run a dishwasher at all, cause I was always pulling things out of it, running or not. it takes longer to handwash but that’s my life now. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/67 "2022-11-25T23:24:11Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Or you could be like the rich people and have _two_ dishwashers! We have a two drawer dishwasher. Each can run independently. Love it. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/68 "2022-11-25T23:28:57Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > My dishwasher is a Bosch, built-in with no visible controls and it projects a red dot onto the floor when it is running My cats would like permission to catch your red dot. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/69 "2022-11-26T03:41:16Z")
Never. But I promise you, by the time I am done loading that thing not one more chopstick is going to fit into it. I hate, hate, hate doing dishes by hand, so have made a science of this over the years. LOL! ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/70 "2022-11-26T13:30:16Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Or you could be like the rich people and have _two_ dishwashers! You don’t have to be rich, dishwashers aren’t that expensive. And it sounds like a great idea. ---
**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 26, 2022, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/71 "2022-11-26T13:40:00Z")
Dishwashers aren’t very expensive, but kitchen space is. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/72 "2022-11-26T13:47:51Z")
Fair, and that’d probably be what would prevent me from having a second one, as my kitchen is very, very tiny. But, the other day, my sister was talking about some people she knew, and she said with some level of derision that they had two dishwashers that they just took dishes out of one and loaded the other. She thought it was silly, I told her I thought it was an excellent idea. ---
**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 26, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/73 "2022-11-26T14:02:22Z")
In other words, they have a self-cleaning dish cabinet. ---
**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 26, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/74 "2022-11-26T14:24:19Z")
That idea is pretty appealing… ---
**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 26, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/75 "2022-11-26T15:05:40Z")
Heh. Long ago when we were all young poor people, we were visiting a couple and they got onto the subject of looking for some kitchen item. One of them said, “Did you look in the dirty dish cabinet?” Conversation ensued. Apparently, they had a cabinet where they would store dirty dishes until they got around to washing them. So, that’s a thing. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/76 "2022-11-26T17:48:32Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Dishwashers aren’t very expensive, but kitchen space is. This. ETA: Discourse accepted this! > [@Icarus](#): > > Apparently, they had a cabinet where they would store dirty dishes until they got around to washing them. When we were poor, my mom made us _always_ wash the dishes. She said it was why she had daughters. I think she was only half-joking. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502/77 "2022-11-27T09:22:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > In other words, they have a self-cleaning dish cabinet. With two teenage kids I find it appealing as well. Though I have trouble enough getting them to put dishes in the first one as it is. (and don’t get me started on the lack of adherence to the stacking protocol) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-dishwasher-usage/975502.md?page=3)