# Witty suggestions for a "dishwasher is on" sign **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 21, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821 "2026-07-21T00:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Latimera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/latimera/32/497_2.png) [@Latimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latimera)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/1 "2026-07-21T00:40:03Z")
When we run our dishwasher we place a sign on the handle to alert the rest of the family that it is on or that the dishes are clean but unloaded (hint hint). We have been doing this for several years. The first sign said “The dishwasher is like, real on man.” Eventually that sign was battered and torn so I made a new one which read “If the dishwasher is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’.” Well, its time for a new sign. But I just can’t think of anything witty. Any great suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/2 "2026-07-21T00:54:15Z")
“after you unload the clean dishes, rinse and load the dirty ones!” ---
**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:** [July 21, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/3 "2026-07-21T01:06:58Z")
I’m boring, and bought a magnetic sign that sticks to the front of the dishwasher, and has a little slider that switches between “clean” and “dirty”. Right not it says “clean”, so maybe i should put the dishes away. 😆 My prior dishwasher told you that by the state of the visible buttons and whatnot on the front of the door. I’m surprised you have an old one that doesn’t. I thought it was a modern thing to hide the actual function of appliances. How about, “dish spa in use”. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/4 "2026-07-21T01:09:33Z")
🎶 “you put the smeared ones in, you take the clean ones out, you take the box of soap and you shake it all about”🎶 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/5 "2026-07-21T01:12:10Z")
**Clean Dishes Inside** Please rescue them before they develop abandonment issues ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/6 "2026-07-21T01:15:29Z")
Either upside down/right side up or front and back (dirty)Biohazard experiment in progress (clean) Biohazard experiment terminated ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/7 "2026-07-21T01:27:32Z")
_For dirty_ Give me your soiled, your greasy, Your dirty pots yearning to be clean The wretched refuse of your teeming kitchen _For clean_ Send them back where they came from! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/8 "2026-07-21T03:40:53Z")
_If it’s rockin’_ _DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!_ ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/9 "2026-07-21T07:39:00Z")
WAIT… Wait… wait AND NOW! EMPTY… Empty…empty ---
**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:** [July 21, 2026, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/10 "2026-07-21T09:54:30Z")
These sorts of signs have always confused me. People / families who lack the discipline to put all the dishes away when they first open the door the first time after a wash cycle are supposed to be disciplined about setting the sign correctly and later noticing and obeying what it says? ISTM if you / y’all could do the latter 3 steps correctly every time, you could more easily put all the dishes away every time. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2026, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/11 "2026-07-21T10:21:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > These sorts of signs have always confused me. People / families who lack the discipline to put all the dishes away when they first open the door the first time after a wash cycle are supposed to be disciplined about setting the sign correctly and later noticing and obeying what it says? My dishwasher doesn’t indicate whether it’s just been run or not. If you didn’t run it, and didn’t hear its “I’m done” beep, you can’t tell without examining the dishes whether or not it’s been run. Usually you can tell by looking at the dishes, of course, but it’s nice to know before you open it whether you should be putting dishes in it taking them out. Thus the purchase of the indicator that we switch when we turn it on and switch back when we empty it. Prior dishwasher in my household didn’t have this problem. You could tell you were unlocking it or whatever. We aren’t perfect about setting the sign. But it’s a huge improvement over not having the sign. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/12 "2026-07-21T11:27:50Z")
Now I kind of want a sign. My dishwasher has a display that shows you what the status is, along with which part of the cycle it’s on and the remaining time. Once it finishes, a “Complete” light stays on until you open the door and then close it again. Very boring. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2026, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/13 "2026-07-21T11:34:35Z")
All my prior dishwasher had that. I miss it. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/14 "2026-07-21T11:34:38Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > These sorts of signs have always confused me. People / families who lack the discipline to put all the dishes away when they first open the door the first time after a wash cycle are supposed to be disciplined about setting the sign correctly and later noticing and obeying what it says? Sometimes it’s not about discipline. It’s necessary when your spouse considers “ready for open heart surgery” as the bare minimum for cleanliness. In our case, there is no visible difference in the dishes before or after the machine runs. Everything is pre-cleaned and scrubbed so thoroughly before loading that I, quite literally, can’t tell whether the machine has been run by looking inside. On multiple occasions, I have unloaded the dishwasher and put the (presumably) dirty dishes in the cabinets. So we have a magnetic sign which can be rotated to either “Clean” or “Dirty”. This is why I groused about this in the “argument that never resolves” thread, and mostly just leave the dishes alone. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/15 "2026-07-21T12:45:17Z")
There are just 2 of us in the household and it usually takes 2 or 3 days to accumulate a full load. I prefer to handle the dishwasher duty myself for many reasons. And as soon as they’re clean, pop the door open and let them dry, usually overnight since we tend to run the machine after supper. Then I put them away after I have breakfast. So signs aren’t necessary, plus I don’t think the door is steel anyway, so magnets don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/16 "2026-07-21T15:44:49Z")
With a two-person household, there is no need for a sign, although I can see the sense when there are several adults and children and the machine might be run more than once a day. We run ours at night, mostly every second day. When it’s finished, the door opens a few centimetres, while a fan blows the damp air out and dries the dishes. Seeing the door in that partly open position is signal enough that it needs emptying. ---
**Author:** ![papermache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@papermache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papermache)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/17 "2026-07-21T21:46:24Z")
When you put away clean dishes An Angel gets it wings. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2026, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/18 "2026-07-22T03:20:58Z")
I do the dishes and I still need the sign to know if they are clean or not. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/19 "2026-07-23T11:23:47Z")
The dishwasher is where we store our frequently used dishes. Whoever decides the sink is too full of dirty dishes puts away the stragglers before loading for the weekly wash. Yes, it’s a battle of wills. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821/20 "2026-07-23T11:36:39Z")
> [@pirviii](#): > > I do the dishes and I still need the sign to know if they are clean or not. Same, but i consider that a defect of the dishwasher’s user interface. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witty-suggestions-for-a-dishwasher-is-on-sign/1031821.md?page=2)