You can probably just chalk it up to a life habit that I never gave opportunity… but I have always washed my dishes in a dishwasher. In fact, nearly every day of my life I have used a dishwasher. Go figure. My parents used one. My grandparents used one. It’s been in every home I have lived in…. and when it wasn’t available (broken or kitchen remodelings), it was a source of great stress. Dishwashers get loaded, started, and emptied. End of story. Or so I thought.
Recently, I have begun washing dishes by hand immediately following every meal. Months ago, I read a famous zen story titled, “Wash Your Bowl” (via Leo Babauta) and have considered its meaning ever since.
As a result, I decided to give the mindful practice of “washing my bowl” a literal shot in my life. I began washing every dish following every meal. And since then, I have almost completely stopped using the dishwasher.
I love it. Here are the practical benefits I have seen:
- Less Physical Clutter. How often were dirty plates, bowls, and glassware left on my kitchen counter following a meal just waiting to be loaded in the dishwasher? Far more often than I would like to admit, that’s for sure. Each time, physical clutter was left on my kitchen counter, table, and sink.
- Less Mental Clutter. An unfinished project clutters the mind… always. Even when we were not in the kitchen, the pending responsibility of needing to clean the dishes was always hanging over our evening events. And we were specifically reminded every time we walked into (or even past) our kitchen.
- Seamlessly Transition Between Activities. Once the mind clutter of dirty dishes has been removed, we are freed to move from activity to activity, event to event, and room to room. We are allowed to be fully engaged in the present… however we choose to spend our evenings. There is no need to return to the past and finish the duties of our meal.
- Dishes are Always Clean. Ever need that one mixing bowl, pot, or cooking utensil, only to find out that it’s still dirty sitting in the dishwasher? Yeah, me too. Washing dishes after every meal means the dishes and cooking utensils are always clean and in their drawer.
- Dishes get Cleaner. Perhaps, the age of my built-in dishwasher has something to do with it, but I always hated pulling a bowl or plate out of the dishwasher that didn’t quite get all the way clean. And now I never do. Dishes are cleaned fully, everytime.
- It Takes Less Time. It came as a surprise, but I truly believe that washing our dishes after every meal has taken less time than loading/running/unloading the dishwasher. After most meals, it takes only 2-3 minutes to handwash each item. Cups are a snap. And most plates are a breeze to clean immediately following a meal.
- Example for My Kids. My kids see parents who finish what they start, aren’t afraid to put in a little effort, and leave a room cleaner than they found it. And those are life disciplines that I hope they embrace every day of their lives as they get older.
- It Brings Personal Satisfaction. There is a level of satisfaction in life that accompanies working with our hands and accomplishing a task without the need for mechanical intervention. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against machines. In many ways, they allow us to accomplish and create more than we could without them. I’m just saying there is a simple satisfaction in reminding ourselves that we can still live joyfully without them.
To accomplish the task of washing dishes immediately after every meal, I use three items: a dish wand, a sink rack, and a towel. I wash, dry, and put away. And with every practice in life, I own it – not the other way around. When we entertain or have a large meal that uses a number of cooking pots and pans, we still use the dishwasher.
It’s been a practical step of living intentionally. It’s been a process of choosing to question my life assumptions and live mindfully in all facets. And in that way, maybe it’s more than I just never gave it an opportunity… maybe it’s more honest to say that I never chose to live this intentionally ever before.
Rachel says
http://hold-the-sugar.blogspot.com/2010/08/works-for-me-i-am-dishwasher.html
I have gotten SUCH flak for lack of dishwasher. I find that hilarious :)
Melyssa says
What’s funny is that when I was growing up, we never used the dishwasher. My mom always hand washed the dishes and taught us to do the same. She says that the dish washer could never get it as clean as she wanted. Plus, like many others, she used it as storage.
But after meeting my husband, he was a firm believer in the dish washer. Our lil fam of 3 do use it quite often. We’ve read that it is more economical. But who really knows? I often still wash by hand since I hate watching the dishes pile up.
Maria says
I stopped using my dishwasher a couple of years ago. Originally it was to save money as dishwasher are big users of electricity, plus it saves on water too. I also see it as being more environmentally friendly (less electricity and less water usage is a good thing!).
I was actually brought up without a dishwasher and we always washed the dishes after dinner. So, it’s something I was used to before I moved to the U.S.
I congratulate for going dishwasher-less (at least most of the time).
Niall Doherty says
Very timely for me. I’ve just moved into a house with no dishwasher, and I decided to embrace cleaning up after myself immediately after each meal. It’s working great so far.
It also makes me reconsider how many items I really need to prepare a meal. Before I used to cook pasta and vegetables in separate pots, but I’ve realized that they can both boil away in the same pot. They taste just as good, and I have one less pot to clean.
Thanks, Joshua. Keep doing what you do.
Annie says
I haven’t had a dishwasher in years. Don’t miss it, either. When we did have one during my marriage it seemed to break down often and cause considerable stress while wanting it fixed. Just making the decision not to have a machine that broke down so routinely eliminated a huge amount of stress in my life–and another gadget.
Amy says
It’s interesting that you posted this because I just recently spent a weekend away at a cabin without a dishwasher. My husband and I hand washed all our dishes all weekend. I actually enjoyed the slower pace and having everything clean and put away at the end of the meal. It made me think about incorporating more handwashing into my regular routine, even though I have a dishwasher at home. Because if there’s one chore I detest it’s emptying the dishwasher. Why not avoid it all together? :)
Trudy G says
I have never used a dishwasher on any kind of regular basis. I used to let the dishes stack up though and hated the sight of them and knowing how long it was going to take to wash them all.
Enter our rescue dog who likes to counter surf and explore the sink…. Now I faithfully wash the dishes after every meal. I just love that it takes me 5 minutes tops and can appreciate exactly how you feel about having less mental clutter!!! It feels good.
winterjulie says
I have never had a dishwasher. Unfortunately, not being the most organised person, I quite often have a pile of dishes ‘to do’. Sometimes you have to dash out straight after a meal, or other priorities take over. I do say ‘good for you’, since it’s a new experience for you, and I wish I was in control of this myself, but after 30 odd years of washing up by hand, there is not much joy involved! Next year when we move our kitchen, top of my wish list is a ‘magic cupboard’ as some friends call it!
Jenny says
I’ve lived in an apartment without a dishwasher for 3 years now. Haven’t really missed it.
Lynne says
I found some of the comments quite humorous in a way, that the idea of not using a dishwasher is so Out There!
I have never used a dishwasher in my life – not as the child in my family, not as the mother of a family, and not now as a single again. It floors me when people say they couldn’t conceive of not having one “because they have a family”. What? Why?
It provides amazing one-on-one time with kids (right through to teenagers). I washed – they took it in turns to dry. We had fantastic conversations in the few minutes it took to get those dishes washed, dried and put away.
It takes a lot less time than the cycle of a dishwasher, and uses a whole lot less water and a whole lot less power.