How often do you run your dishwasher?

[spinbaby]

My dishwasher has given me five years of flawless service, but now isn’t draining. From googling, it seems that either the drain line is clogged or the washer’s pump is shot. A plumber will arrive this afternoon to check the drain line.

But the point of this all is that while I was googling, I came across the statistic that the average household runs their dishwasher five times a week. Five times a week! I often run mine five times a DAY when I’m doing a lot of cooking. Even in our household of just two, I can’t remember a day we didn’t run multiple loads through the dishwasher.

[Croney]

1. We haven't run it in two or three years.

I assume it still works.

For some reason, I started enjoying washing everything by hand. Go figure.

[niyad]

10. It probably doesn't. Many years ago, a repair person told me that they seize up

if not run regularly. An expensive visit.

[multigraincracker]

16. When I had one, I used it

to store stuff. Never liked using one to wash dishes.

[GentryDixon]

32. That's how I use mine.

I never used it much, and now it doesn't drain, so it makes wonderful extra storage.

[snowybirdie]

2. Be prepared

My pump went out and the repair cost was almost as much as a replacement. My dishwasher was only six years old and we used it six months a year. . Built in obsolesence

[Sherman A1]

3. Probably 3-4 times a week

It's just the two of us and even when we are in full cooking mode we get a couple of days out of it.

[MiHale]

4. Never had a dishwasher...

Or microwave. Two totally unneeded machines.

[unblock]

5. 9 times a week (family of 3)

Mrs unblock typically cooks twice a week, making enough food for three dinners, and we get takeout or delivery once a week.

On days when she cooks, that normally means two loads, otherwise just one is enough for the breakfast/lunch/leftover dishes.

[SouthernLiberal]

6. Much less often

First, let me say that my dishwasher has failed, so I am not using it right now.

When it was working, I ran it at most twice a week. I have been living alone for a long time, and I don't cook every day. When I do, it is almost always on the range. My pans all say that they are dishwasher safe, but I have never put on in the dishwasher.

As for the failure, it is the heating coil. I could replace it, but I am planning to move within the year, so I will get a new dishwasher. I have certainly gotten my money's worth, as the failure occurred after more than twenty years of reliable service.

[tishaLA]

7. A few months ago I used it for the first time

and I've lived in my place over 5 years. I should use it more often because commercials in SoCal tell me is uses less water than hand washing and obviously we have a serious drought, but I live alone and I hate the idea of waiting until I have enough dirty dishes to justify it.

Since that first time, I've used it when I use my food processor and make things that require lots of bowls/tools/dishes to prepare.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

8. I run my dishwasher

3 to 4 times a week. Takes some time to build up dirty dishes since I'm the only one dirtying the dishes to make it worth doing a wash. Unless I do a complicated or messy recipe. Or if I have a person over for dinner.

[Binkie The Clown]

9. I live alone and dirty few dishes so I run it every third day on the average. nt

[atreides1]

11. 3 to 5 times per week

But there are some things that we still wash by hand...and there's only my wife and I.

[2naSalit]

12. I live alone but cook regularly...

But I have never had a machine until this past year. All the appliances in this rental are new and since the kitchen doesn't leave room for a drying rack, I decided to use it, probably uses less water than I do washing by hand.

I use it about twice a week.

[ratchiweenie]

13. There are 4 of us and I run it about once a day. Have had it about 5 years. Several times a day

seems like an awful lot. I usually wait until mine is full. I had was the big stuff like pots and pans because I can get them cleaner.

[doc03]

14. I live alone so I wash dishes by hand a couple times

a week don't need no new fangled contraption to make noise and waste water. And that's the way I like it.

[woodsprite]

15. We do a load daily and hand wash pots/pans or small things (family of 4). nt

[Beatlelvr]

17. About 2 to 3 times a week.

We just replaced our old Kenmore after about 20 years of service. Started to leak, got a plumber, he took the whole thing apart, found pieces of plastic at the bottom. Replaced the washer thingy around rim of door. No go. Got a new Whirlpool which works great, but the cycle is 2 hours! The fast 1 hour cycle uses more water do we don't use it. If I have just a few dirty dishes I just do by hand.

[Freddie]

28. My daughter's dishwasher is 2 hrs 45 min!

I do my dishes and also hers when I watch the kids. 3 kids, lots of cereal bowls, sippy cups for the toddler. I run it every day. It’s just DH & myself at home and I run ours also every day except when we get takeout. Had our Amana dishwasher for 16 years and it still runs great.

[samnsara]

18. every night so i can have clean dog bowls in the am...

...dont get a Samsung as i splurged BIG get one with a black stainless finish..it came with a huge dent on the front panel that we didnt notice until there was a very sunny day. Since we had to install it ourselves they said they wont repair it..so we have a 'second' they sold us for full price


it washes pretty good tho...

[spinbaby]

19. My son pointed out our cat bowls

We have five spoiled cats plus a couple of regular visitors, so probably half of most loads is cat bowls.

[Polly Hennessey]

20. Three to four times a week.

I love my dishwasher.

[Kali]

21. pretty much daily

occasionally skip a day or two loads in one day. as long as the husband isn't rinsing (completely cleaning ) it uses less water than hand washing.

[Emile]

22. We removed ours years ago and replaced it with a cabinet.

We wash our dishes by hand after every meal. It's not that big of a deal.

[TygrBright]

23. Daily. Learned the hard way years back...

...that the seals will dry out and various moving parts are in danger of seizing up if it isn't run regularly.

Also meticulous about cleaning the filters as that, too, can shorten life.

After learning that, the next dishwasher (a Kenmore) lasted 13 years. The next one, a Bosch (we chose it for the user-cleanable filters that don't need to be replaced with disposable ones) is going strong 4 years on, cross fingers.

I use it for a lot of things in addition to just dishes. It has a "gentle" cycle that's very good with various gewgaws and decorative items from walls, shelves etc. I wash tools (screwdriver, putty knife, pliers, trimmers, comb and hairbrush, plastic storage boxes, etc.) and put mesh bags of glass marbles I use in flower vases and sprouting jars in the dishwasher.

I pay attention to the user manual and don't put etchable crystal, plastics with low melt points, etc. in the dishwasher but as long as I take care of it, it's doing a fine job.

informatively,
Bright

[Fix The Stupid]

24. Love my Bosch...

Had a GE before that...garbage.

An older couple bought a "demo" house or whatever it's called, maybe a "Showcase" house, that perspective buyers would tour before they signed to build their new house.

This BOSCH dishwasher was just set into the cavity - never hooked up, never used. They bought the house and in the kitchen all the appliances were white - his wife wanted everything black.

The unit had an MSRP of $1350.00...I got it for $200.00.

It's so quiet you have to be up close to it to hear it work. Dishes come out sparkling and I have VERY hard water.

I am now a Bosch fan for life and recommend them to everyone.

This was 5 years ago - unit is still top notch.

[Auggie]

25. Once or twice a week

Do a lot of stuff by hand

[lillypaddle]

26. I'm single & live alone

but I do a lot of cooking. I run mine at least every other day, and sometimes every day.

[Luciferous]

27. Once a day, sometimes twice if everyone is home.

[Retrograde]

29. Whenever it fills up

which depends on what we're cooking. During the pandemic when we weren't going out it averaged about twice every 3 days.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

30. I live alone, run mine about three or four times a week.

Not only do dishwashers use far less water than washing by hand, the high heat essentially sterilizes the dishes, which tends to cut down on things like colds, or spreading flu among family members. That's not really a concern now that I live alone, but it mattered when I had a husband and two kids at home.

[Phentex]

31. 3 to 4 times a week when in service. Mine died in January...

will have one installed middle of next month

If my son is home and cooks, we might run it once per day. But in general probably every other day.