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red97tib

15+ Year Contributor
524
4
Mar 27, 2007
Des Moines, Iowa
So this is a completely off the wall subject that I have been trying to figure out an answer to for some time. Can't seem to find a consensus anywhere so I'm turning to you guys. Been debating the cost effectiveness of switching all my plates, glasses and silverware to plastic and paper, stuff that can be tossed after a use or 2. Only thing I would keep would be the pots and cookware for stove and I would hand wash them. Essentially I would be cutting use of dishwasher and have sponge and soap for sink cleaning. Wondering if that would be cheaper in the long run. Obviously end of night cleanup would be faster due to throwing away most everything. Opinions or thoughts? Anyone done this before?
 
Just simply washing your dishes by hand will save money as compared to using the dishwasher every time. And you can buy glass ware at the dollar stores where I live.

As far as efficiency the paper stuff is probably the best but glassware doesn't have to be that expensive

BTW I think it's hilarious that you come to DSMTuners for the answer to that question.
 
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Having lived in both versions of this scenario (currently have dishes and dishwasher) it mostly comes down to your preference, garbage/recycling and water usage/bill situation.

For my roomy and myself, we like having real dishes cuz cutting steak (and eating in general) on a paper plate sucks. It also makes a TON of extra garbage, and while I'm not a green freak with my cars being "known to cause cancer in the state of california", I prefer not to make a ton of unecessary trash over what I already do. Also, we haul our trash around here, and it's nice to go a month before having to haul a load, vs every week. Buying more paper plates all the time sucks and adds up over time also.

We have a pretty good dishwasher, and our electric/water bill is pretty low for the most part, even better now that we have central a/c and not 3 individual units trying to cool the house inefficiently, and the irrigation timer is set properly.

I also washed dishes by hand up until I was about 24, as that's what we had to do growing up and never had a dishwasher till now. That is really the most economical route, though it does take more time and space depending on your routine.

I vote for keeping your grown-up plateware.
 
I have always washed dishes by hand. I use the dishwasher as a drying rack for the clean dishes.
If you don't wanna wash dishes, you need to get you a woman or some kids as they can easily be forced to do it for you..
Keep your silverware. Try eating a steak with plastic silverware.
 
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I have always washed dishes by hand. I use the dishwasher as a drying rack for the clean dishes.
If you don't wanna wash dishes, you need to get you a woman or some kids as they can easily be forced to do it for you..
Keep your silverware. Try eating a steak with plastic silverware.
Throwing away paper plates is much cheaper than throwing away a wife and kids!
 
Throwing away paper plates is much cheaper than throwing away a wife and kids!

Then stay single like me, and don't whine about the dishes :thumb:
 
2 plates, 2 forks, 2 spoons, 2 knives, one dishwashing utensil of your choice and about a cup or 2 of H2O. :)
I have both, as I am single with a roomy too. I have good stuff for good food and paper/plastic for those "Manwich" nights or whatever. You can't stack enough paper to cut steak off the grill without eating some paper too, LOL.
I get what you are trying to do, but "so what does the dishwasher do?" like the little girl says :)
Love the thread by the way!
 
I've been bouncing back and forth on the issue for some time. I think it's most appealing on the nights when cleanup is a simple everything hits the garbage cause it's so simple it's lazy but effective.
BTW I think it's hilarious that you come to DSMTuners for the answer to that question.
As far as this goes, I come here for so much more then car questions. I think it's a balance of the rules of this forum doesn't allow a bunch of B.S. like other forums do so I actually get real answers and that everyone here is a giant community that just wants to hang and talk. I haven't owned a DSM in a decade but this is probably still one of my most visited sites
 
Dishwasher. I live alone and am lazy af when I'm actually home, without a dishwasher I'd basically be forced into having to get paper plates. I can't give up my cutco knives though. I work 6 days a week and most nights when I get home I'm still in the garage til about 8-9 til i finally come in and kick my boots off. by that time food+sleep take over. I have a well so I don't pay for water and my nyseg bill is only like 50/month no matter what I do... so I've never even thought about the cost of it. but just for the simple ease of rinsing stuff, loading it then starting it right before i go to work makes sense to me.
 
Do you wait til it is full to run it? I admit, I leave some of my dishes IN the dishwasher like has been said, as a drying rack after I hand wash small stuff. And if I worked more like you do Joe, I would be doing the same thing, kick off the shoes, grab a beverage and let the machine do its work!
 
Just simply washing your dishes by hand will save money as compared to using the dishwasher every time. And you can buy glass ware at the dollar stores where I live.
I've read that it's actually more efficient to use the dishwasher. They typically use less water and energy to do the same job as washing by hand. It's possible to make hand washing more efficient, but you have to be really careful about how much water you use, etc. If I lived by myself, I'd consider keeping just one plate, bowl, and set of silverware, and do hand washing. Living in a family or entertaining semi-frequently, I'd own enough to fill up the dishwasher and use it regularly.
 
My opinion here. I have owned a home for like 5 1/2 years. So after I remodel my kitchen I bought a dishwasher and to be honest we barely use it. Maybe if we have people over but normally it will be faster to wash it by hand. As far as would it be cheaper to wash by hand then dishwasher then I would say dishwasher because I also believe that it dont use as much water as you would normally but you would have to really fill it up. Not me. As far as using straight plastic and paper things well I think it will be way more money this way. You can go to like marshels and buy 6 cups for like 6 dollars and you will reuse it many times. Plates the same. Now what I think is the problem here is that someone does not want to do anything at home and that needs to change. DSM can wait.
 
I live in a 3 bedroom place with kitchen ,bath, laundry with a roommate and his gf and we dont even have a dishwasher ROFL, my favorite thing to do is the good old
"gotta let em soak trick" hah. Paper plates suck rather wash dishes then use paper products LOL especially with a nice steak LOL only time I ever use paper plates is at the cabin when you dont want to be washing dishes on holidays and it also costs gas to pump up water
From the lake and propane to boil it. As we dont have electricity being in the middle of nowhere, also generators for power LOL

Dishwashers are nice but you just have to keep up with the dishes and your golden
 
We do both, dishwasher and hands for those things that dishwashers will destroy.
However, I will NEVER use one of those cleaning aids, like jetdry or whatnot. I prefer water to be the last compound hitting my eatingware..

I live in a 3 bedroom place with kitchen ,bath, laundry with a roommate and his gf and we dont even have a dishwasher ROFL, my favorite thing to do is the good old
"gotta let em soak trick" hah. Paper plates suck rather wash dishes then use paper products LOL especially with a nice steak LOL only time I ever use paper plates is at the cabin when you dont want to be washing dishes on holidays and it also costs gas to pump up water
From the lake and propane to boil it. As we dont have electricity being in the middle of nowhere, also generators for power LOL

Dishwashers are nice but you just have to keep up with the dishes and your golden

Just wait.. you'll find that later in life, doing dishes is less valuable than time.
 
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