Hand vs. Machine

When the kiddoes were much younger I remember feeling that most of my time was spend standing at the sink, while the rest of the time was either preparing food or washing clothes. Buying my first dishwasher was such a thrill: doing all of that research about water and power, and comparing powder and tablets. (I think I may have mentioned before that I am a bit of a 'Numbers Nerd' so researching gives me a bit of a buzz.) Since then, we have lived in a few different places, some with dishwashers and some without. It wasn't until our last trip away that I actually found great pleasure in washing dishes by hand.

Here's a few things I have noticed.

• Washing as I go keeps the kitchen much tidier.
• Kiddoes are definitely of a washing and putting away age.
• Washing with the kiddoes is a great way to have a chat and find out how they are feeling. (I remember reading an article about working side-by-side with kids is a great way to get them chatting. Keep away from the eye contact.)
• It is amazing how many songs can be sung and dances can be danced with a kitchen full of people doing the dishes after dinner. Thankyou, Pandora.
• I am definitely a drainer not a drier.

We had a bit of hot water system failure over our long weekend so instead of boiling water each time there were dishes I thought I would spark up the dishwasher again. It hadn't been used in about 6 months so fingers were crossed when I pressed the start button. It worked. Dishes were washed in hot water. 

There were a few downsides for me. It took all day to get a full load and we actually used more dishes than normal because everyone kept getting out something new each time they needed a drink or a snack. When the machine was on after dinner, all of the dishes used after were stacking up in the sink. We have had a bit of an ant problem lately so I kept looking out for the ant army that could probably smell a crumb a mile away.

With the service of a fabulous local electrician, we now have hot water. (You don't know how much I have missed a hot shower). I think I will be going back to washing by hand.

Hand washing or dishwasher: what do you do?

Take care