Mel vs. Dishwasher

 



Dishwashers and I have been battling it out for the better part of my adult life.  I have tried EVERYTHING!  I've tried expensive detergent tabs, liquid detergent, those fancy little containers of "dishwasher cleaner" that go in your silverware caddy that are suppose to descale the inner-workings of the washer, jet dry, homemade dishwasher soap and vinegar in the rinse cycle... in other words, the works!  These various attempts have been done on multiple machines (just in case you were wondering whether I need a new dishwasher altogether).  Despite my vigilance, I have invariably been left with food and soap residue on my supposedly "clean" dishes.

Last week, I went to empty the dishwasher and was so COMPLETELY grossed out by the result that 90% of the "clean" dishes went into the sink and were hand washed.  My frustration was so severe that from that point forward the dishwasher has been as good as dead to me.  It has been demoted to dish rack/drain board status.  

Since the day the dishwasher died (to the tune of "American Pie" if you please), we've been doing the dishes the old fashion way.  We bought one of those handy sink plugs and the sink that use to hold our drain board gets filled with soapy water and the days dishes pile up in there.  In the evenings we scrub down all the dishes that have accumulated (which isn't much when it's just the two of us) and rinse them all at once.  

The dishwasher really makes a better drying rack then a washer.  The epic battle of arranging your over-sized items into the little sink-sized drain board is no longer a problem.  The dishwasher holds an entire days worth of plates, bowls, cups, cutting boards, and pots/pans without breaking a sweat (probably your dishwasher shouldn't be sweating anyway...)!  Leaving it open to let the dishes try is a bit of a hazard if you're moving about the kitchen but since we do our dishes at night we leave it open while we sleep and put them away in the morning while breakfast is cooking.

Having a new routine is actually making the dishes a chore I want to partake in!  I see great results because now our dishes are squeaky clean and we are using less energy and water to boot!  I was contemplating making my own homemade dish soap but so far I haven't found a recipe that suits my slightly germaphobic fancy.  I am not quite ready to let go of the lather you get from store bought soap, either.  To pacify myself until I grow a heart (just call me the cowardly lion) I bought Greenworks soap and Scotch-Brite greener clean sponges.

The true test of our new (but old-fashioned) dish washing method will be this weekend when we have a house full of people.  It's a boys weekend, plus Grandma is coming to visit!  Hopefully we can make it work!
 
Side Note:

I literally just finished making another gallon of homemade dishwasher detergent when the straw finally broke this camel's back.  Anyone want it?!