Dishwasher dilemas.

Dear Srilak,

We are anti-war in IL. We love each other.

I was totally dependent on my dishwasher for ten years and cannot live without it. I am rather proud that I used it to exploit its capacity well with lower power bills. So listen to the expert:

1) Sorry, I dont know.But my solution is- remove the plastic ware as soon as the cycle is completed. And dry it with a towel.Do not leave it in the dishwasher to self dry/air dry.

2) Yes, I put knives- the shiny ones used as cutlery, and the ones for cutting vegetables etc. Have done so for three years and more now. No decrease in shining or sharpness.

3) You can put pressure cooker- but there is a danger. I put both my pressure cooker vessel and the lid. The ridges in both (that have to align to get pressure build -up) got slightly out of shape. My suggestion is- if possible put them in the top shelf of the dishwasher.

4) Once in a month, I run the dishwasher empty with full cycle in hot water. I don't use any disinfectant or bleach inside. I clean the spill saver first, then run the dishwasher. Keeps it very clean.

Hope all this helps a bit.

regards
Vidya

 

hi vidya , i saw ur ans . i too hv question abt dishwasher though i don't hv dish washer . but i am planning to get . so before buying i want to clear my doubts .

does it increase the electricity bill ?
does it need more power ?
does it clean very greasy pan and wok also ?
can i put big utensils also inside .
does it need any specific dishwashing liquid ?

txs in advance .

 

Hi Heena,

The answers:

1) does it increase the electricity bill ?

Yes, it does. But my husband says that it is not a major increase. Besides, there are some associated savings. If your dishwasher is big, you may do the washing only once in a day or once in two days. If you look at aggregate costs- the water (or even hot water) you use to manually do dishes, it will more or less even out. Esp in winter, if u use hot water to do dishes manually, the bill can be very high.

Dishwasher soap is usually not expensive.


2)does it need more power ?

I have noticed the dial for power consumption go high when the dishwasher is on. So, I assume it consumes high power.

Questions 1 and 2- I will check with my tech and eco savvy husband and tell you next week.

3)does it clean very greasy pan and wok also ?

Yes, I put greasy pans and woks inside- like the ones used to fry pappad, the gravy stained ones etc. Please remember, that effectiveness of the dishwasher varies with the brand used, the water type, soap etc. I am talking of general usage here. When I have a very oily wok or a pan that has burnt food sticking inside, I try to soak it in hot water with a few drops of regular washing soap. Then I run the dishwasher in the hot cycle. Usually oily vessels clean well. If there is much burnt residue, it will need a couple of washes. But one good thing, I have noticed is that with each dishwashed turn, the burnt residue falls off,making it easier to clean even manually the next time.

If using greasy pans, place in lower rack. At times, to optimise space,I used to place them on upper rack. I found that this makes the dishes in the lower rack greasy and queasy.

4) can i put big utensils also inside .

Yes, you can. I even put my big cooker inside (though not anymore since the edge got a bit distorted). Depending on the size of your machine, you can put big dishes.

5) does it need any specific dishwashing liquid ?

Yes. We cannot use foamy, regular liquids or soap tablets. There are specific soaps for dishwashers- as powder, tablets or liquid. You can choose to your convenience. A different liquid is used to give glassware a shiny, shimmery finish. This also avoids watermarks. Finally, in places where water is hard, some de calcifiers may need to be used.

Q1 and 2- I will get back.

In all, a dishwasher is very useful,time and labour saving esp for the Indian kitchen. I am enslaved to mine. It has made my life far smoother (and hands too). I would recommend it for everyone.

Goodluck with your purchase!

 

This is very interesting. Vidya seems to be the resident expert on dishwashers!

Jokes aside, I think Vidya has given an excellent info about dishwashers. Just like Vidya, I am also a fan of my dishwasher. It surely will raise your electricity bills, but I do not think the increase will be a shocker.

If one is living in the western world or wherever in the world where house help is almost not known, how can one grudge the dishwasher and other labour saving gadgets that assists the already busy housewife? Dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner ....they are all my friends and my own Bhai

L, Kamla

 

Hi Srila,

Vidya has given you excellent info. As a fellow Californian, let me tell you that my electricity bills have not gone up because of dishwasher use. And i have been using them daily for many years now. I find it easier to keep loading the dishes and run it in the night.
In house or apartment , the max energy consumption is from the heating source. I always find my energy bills peak in the winter. So go ahead and use the dishwasher to the max. It has very little impact on the energy consumed.

With regard to the dishwashing soap, Cascade has come out with a new dishwashing pouch. You use one pouch for each load . It is a mix of powder and liquid. And the dishes come out sparkling.

So happy dishwashing.

Vandhana

 

Hi Srilak,

It seems that you have got a lot of info from savvy ladies here.

Cascade has a dishwashing detergent called 2in 1 action pacs. They are very good. I am using them. Morevover they are not messy like the liquid or the powder and the dishes come out with very clean with no dry spots....
Cascade also has Plastic Booster, which according to them takes away stains from plastic containers. Cannot vouch for that. I have not used that one.

Hope this helps.

Jothi.

 

Dear Srila

I have also noticed these lines on some plastic containers.My feel is that those plastic containers are not suitable for the dishwasher.Those I wash by hand these days.

I wash my cooker in the dishwasher only after removing the gasket and weight.It comes out real clean.Infact,I had got a lot of stainless steel vessels from India which I had already used in India many times.Even those come out shining in my dishwasher:-D Have you tried putting the tea strainer with the nylon mesh in the DW.WOW is the only word for that.The mesh turns white just with one wash.

I have never put my knives there simply for safety reasons.Sometimes,my son starts playing with the cutlery in the DW and so I keep the knives away.But I think you can put the knives there.

I have never used JETDRY.When we moved to the U.S initially,we were staying in a company provided guest house.A house-keeping lady used to come twice a week to clean up the house.She was the one who taught me to use the DW and she told me 'NEVER USE JETDRY'.I don't know why she said that,but since then I have never tried using it.

 

txs to vidya and all . the information u guys hv given is realy useful :2thumbsup: .
txs alot .

 

Just thought of adding something...

Do not wash non-stick pans and cast-iron pans in DW. This will destroy the non-stick coating on the non-stick pans/skillets and the cast -iron pans/skillets will lose their seasoning.