Poll: Do you run your dishwasher every night?

[ewatkins]

I have been trained by my mother and environmentalists (especially here in dry Colorado) to only run the dishwasher when it is full. So -- I am always having to grab things out and wash by hand when it's time to set the table. I even bought some more flatware so this wouldn't happen. I do know people who run it every night, just to start the day with an empty machine. Does it matter?

[sneezles]

No way would I run it every day! There are 4 of us most of the time and sometimes 5 (when the big guy is home from college) but it's usually every 3 days. AND I do not rinse before I put it in except for rice (glue factor)! I do wash things by hand every day. Mostly measuring tools but even those I have 3 sets of...

[Beth]

We try to run ours when it is full, but I sometimes run it before it is completely full if the next meal is going to require more handwashing or generate a lot more dishes than the dishwasher will hold. I figure I'm wasting less water and time that way, especially with the newer, more efficient dishwasher. That averages about once a day or two for us.

[Jewel]

Yes! My dishwasher runs every night! He's 6 ft tall, 190 lbs, has curly hair, a devilish grin, an adorable behind, and insists on doing the dishes each night since I'm the one cooking. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Who needs Kenmore when I've got him? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[chefbec]

Good one, Jewel! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I run my dishwasher when it's completely filled, which tends to be once a day.

[BosunsWife]

Only when full, which when DH is home is usually every two to three days. When DH is gone and its just me and the kiddo, its once a week!

[kwormann]

When its full, which is usually every 3 days or so.

Kim http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Zinnia]

I am guessing I will run it every 2 days-I hope to soon anyways! It's my next purchase for the house & recently posted on that topic http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif.
I'm actually starting to get excited & want one tomorrow, thanks to all of you http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif! Family wants one more than I do though; we all have to do them now-& it will be sooo nice to have one! I try to 'conserve' on everything, & you can bet I will be packing that baby until I can't close the door, before I run it! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Zinnia

[csmcnamara]

I only run it when it is full, which is about once a week. It's just me and my DH and I have enough dishes and flatware to get me through--unless of course we have have extra people for dinner! Same thing, I figure it saves on water and energy.

[GayeC]

We must use a lot of dishes! We run it every night -- it is always full (2 adults, 2 children).

[SandyM]

We're probably a twice-a-week couple. We have enough dishes/flatware to get us through, but if we don't, I pull out what I need and hand wash. I can't see running the thing if it isn't full.

[mudpuppy]

I run mine about once a week, it's just me and hubby, and we usually eat out once a week, so there are really not that many dishes, unless he cooks!! Then every utensil, measuring "thing" he can get his hands on is dirty!! I am pretty much like everyone else too, I run it when it is full, sometimes more than my usual once a week, but the majority of the time it is once a week, unless he is gone then I run it for the heck of it once a week -- gets too stinky in there.

[Grace]

This really has me perplexed. There are only two of us, me and my husband, but my dishwasher is always full. I sometimes even run it twice a day. I can see every other day, but how do you go a whole WEEK?!!???!! I just ran it this morning after breakfast (it still had last night's dinner dishes in it - we only had a chicken caesar salad), but this morning I made scrambled eggs, hash browns, whole wheat toast for my husband and steel cut oatmeal for myself. So now I will empty it, and then there will be lunch and dinner dishes again, and I'm going to cook a real meal for dinner tonight, so I know I will run it again tonight. I don't feel badly because it only uses 5 gallons of water to do a load. I used to use more than that when I washed them by hand, since I always washed them under a running faucet instead of filling up the sink. But I don't know how I could go three days much less a week without running the dishwasher. And if I had kids, well, then I'd probably run it 3 times a day! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[sneezles]

Remember, Grace, on the other thread that you put EVERYTHING in the dishwasher! If I did that I would run it everyday as well. But I don't put pots or pans in it!

[Grace]

Oh yeah! That's got to be it. Because mine was stuffed this morning (two pans, several big bowls, etc.)! That makes sense. I must say, though, it sure is nice to have the kitchen cleaned up in 2 minutes flat! I even went back to bed this morning (I make my husband breakfast at 6:00 a.m.), so when I got up again at 8:30, the dishwasher was done, and everything was clean again! I'm still in awe - like a little kid - it's like magic for me! Hee hee!!

[SusieO]

Jewel:
It sounds like you're one half of a very lucky couple. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Wendy w]

I only run it when full-about once a week or after I have done a massive amount of cooking or baking.

[ElinorC]

I agree with Grace on this one! There's only 2 of us but it's full every day. I put everything that I can in the dishwasher and it's usually really full by bedtime. I even wash the large bowls that take up a lot of room and some of the pans but it's still once per day. The only time that it isn't full is when we've eaten out that day.

[LynnSC]

I run my dishwasher when it is full, which is at least once per day. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[lanie]

I too run mine at least once a day and there are only 2 of us here - I put just about everything in there though - and I love that new (at least new in Canada) Cascade Complete!

[luv2cook]

I run it about 4 times a week. But if it's pretty much close to being full and I know it won't hold the next night's dishes, I will run it or go around the house trolling for stuff to put in it!

[breadmama]

We run ours about once a day, usually at night, on a timer. That is, if we've been able to "catch up." If not, watch out...the rinsed-off dishes waiting for an empty dishwasher tend to take over our counter with frightening speed. Two adults and three kids ...it's a triumph when we're ahead of the game dish-wise. It's especially good to start an entertaining event with an empty dishwasher. That only took us several years of marriage to coordinate! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[KristaMB]

I only run ours when it's full, which is every few days.

Jewel~ My friend has a similar dishwasher. One of the funniest things I've ever seen is her husband decked out in a pair of those yellow Playtex dish gloves. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

~Krista

[Danielle]

There's only two of us dirtying dishes, so I run ours about twice a week, three times if we have company. And it *always* has to be full, or I feel totally guilty.

[julia]

I usually run ours from once a day to every two days, depending on what I'm cooking. I put almost everything in it, including stainless steel and Le Creuset pots and my food processor except non-stick pans (of which I only have one and rarely use).

I've heard that running the dishwasher uses less water than washing by hand when you consider rinsing dishes after washing. I wonder if it is true?

[Curleytop]

Just 2 of us, but I run my dishwasher every evening and it is always full. 3 meals a day! When I bake, all those utensils, bowls, cuisinart, ka mixer etc are all washed by hand! Yes, I too rinse all my stuff because Maytag says that anything with tomato will stain the interior! Had a ka with porcelan interior (3 of them over the years), they were much noisier and did not do as good a job as this Maytag does. It has a great feature, "AUTO CLEAN" the machine has a sensor in it and adjust to how long to wash the dishes!

[jms0310]

I'm one of those that runs the dishwasher every single day and it is only my husband and I. I am very lazy when it comes to cleaning dishes so we put everything in except our good pots & pans. There must be something wrong with us because I couldn't imagine one day without having enough dishes to fill it up!
Jessica