Washing the dishes might be one of everyone’s least favorite chore. It’s definitely the chore that screams, “I’ll do it later”. But not taking care of your dishes as soon as possible might make you get sick over time, and attract those unwanted house guests (yes, I am talking about bugs and mice).
Don’t be the lazy roommate or the annoying employee that leaves their dishes in the sink for days or even weeks at a time. Yuck! No one wants to clean after eating a nice meal, but washing your dishes takes an exceedingly minimal amount of effort.
Just like the trash that seems to be never taken out, dishes left in the sink start to smell after a while, and it’s pretty horrible to live with. Especially if the pots, pans, and plates have leftover eggs, dairy, or meat in it. Also please do not leave soggy food in the sink, no one wants to clean their plates and poke around your baked ziti leftovers that all squishy and gross in the sink.
When washing your dishes by hand here are some helpful tips:
- take a second to scrape off food residue to help prevent clogging up the drain
- soak the pots and pans if they have baked on grime, let them sit for about 10 to 15 minutes
- wash the least greasy items first (start with the glassware and silverware first)
- if you take the time to wash your dishes, take time to put them away
- wipe down the sink and any tools that are used
If you don’t feel like doing your dishes a dishwasher is also a way to go! The standard size of a dishwasher is 35″ H and 24″ W for a built-in model. Be sure to take careful measurements of the available space for the dishwasher to be secure it fits in properly.
When purchasing a dishwasher you also need to consider your budget.
Dishwashers on average start around the $300 mark and can go up to the thousands. But sometimes paying for a higher dishwasher is worth it for all the bells and whistles. However, don’t overpay for your dishwasher for basic features and functionality.
A basic feature of a dishwasher should include the adjustable racks! Having adjustable racks allow you to organize the dishwasher for the maximum room for dishes, silverware and pots and pans. You should have the room for small items to avoid getting them caught at the bottom of the dishwasher. Make your life easier when loading and unloading the dishes with pullout drawers!
As far as washing cycles go, newer dishwasher features more specialty washes! A lot of dishwashers have smart technology allowing you to control the settings start from your Smartphone. While some dishwasher might include a delight wash which is ideal for China and crystal dishware others might include a quick wash which is shorter cycles with hotter water and high pressure to sanitize your dishes quicker.
Other advanced options include but are not limited to having wash types, targeted wash areas, steam clean, bottle jets, and built-in heated water.
Popular colors of the dishwasher include stainless steel, black stainless, white, black, and slate. It is more popularized to have a stainless steel inside the dishwasher because it resists corrosion and is more durable than plastic.
Maximize your energy and dollar savings with energy-efficient dishwashers. When shopping for a dishwasher make sure to look at their technology options. An older dishwasher uses 10 to 15 gallons per load, but newer models use around 5 to 6 gallons per load.
To help save on energy be sure to only run full loads! Just like your washing machine for laundry, no matter how much you have in the dishwasher it is going to use the same amount of water and energy each cycle! There is also no need to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, instead just scrape your food off in the trash. Some newer dishwasher models have a heating dry cycle, consider air-drying to save energy!
Another popular factor when it comes to getting a new dishwasher is how loud is the dishwasher? Major appliances are working on low-sounding dishwashers. Dishwashers with a sound level before 45 dB(a) are considered the quiet ones.