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.
MostlySunny says
Perfect timing on this entry for me. I grew up in a house that had a dishwasher that we never used. My mom always did them by hand-we maybe ran the dishwasher at Thanksgiving and Christmas-but never for a regular meal.
Fast forward to my adult life, and I have a family of 4 kids, plus my husband and I-and I used the dishwasher for a while…now I am back to doing them by hand. We have a one cup policy here (that I am always trying to enforce)-you use one cup for the whole day…then I will wash it.
The thing about the dishwasher for me is-I feel like dishes are never DONE. They are in a constant state of limbo-waiting there clean to be put away, waiting for the dishwasher to be “full” enough to justify a load, waiting for them to be “done” and there always seems to be something else that comes up with the kids that derail me from FINISHING. UNLESS I wash by hand-and I am sure they are done and put away-not sitting there in various stages.
I am going to work on paring down my dishes. We recently got back from renting a townhome for vacation where there was a “fully stocked” kitchen. 8 plates, 8 cups…..and I took care to wash and put away everything RIGHT away. I had to. If I didn’t, they wouldn’t be ready to use for the next meal. And I felt so calm about it.
THAT to me just proved that less is more.
Kaycee says
I have to admit I am highly surprised when I hear/read people say that the one convenience they couldn’t live without is their dishwasher. Mind boggling to me. Yes, I have one, but, IF, I for some reason had to do without it, I’d be perfectly okay.
Rebecca says
I really like this post. Not so much the “washing dishes by hand” part – because that just freaks me out, since I have two small children who can’t help yet, and I’m already doing 3-4 loads of laundry a day just to keep up with the messes little hands/feet/mouths/bums make.
However, I, too, take an “intentional” approach to dishes. We use our dishwasher, but dishes are IMMEDIATELY rinsed and placed in the dishwasher, and if the dishwasher is running, dishes are rinsed and placed neatly in a dish pan under the sink, the dishwasher is emptied immediately upon being clean, and the dishes under the sink then loaded. Pots and pans are usually washed by hand, and most often immediately after use (e.g. sauce poured over pasta – sauce pot washed).
I really like the idea of doing dishes (and every other chore) “intentionally” – as you say, “owning” the chore, instead of it owning you. Especially being the mother of two little ones, I have discovered that if I own the chores, it makes them so much more enjoyable, gives me peace of mind (both while I am doing the chores, and after they are accomplished).
I especially like what you say about being an example for your children: “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.” My parents are not particularly proactive people about cleanliness and order. Dishes sit on the counter/in the sink for days sometimes while the clean ones are grabbed straight from the dishwasher for meals. Then, finally, when they absolutely have to, the load the dishwasher. But it’s not just dishes – it’s everything, laundry, messes around the house, etc. My mother-in-law, on the other hand, showed me that life doesn’t have to be that way, and I am proud to say I’ve been able to follow her example and be more proactive about cleanliness and order.
Thanks for the post. It reminded me to own my chores and cleanliness for that peace of mind, and moving on to the next task. Cleaning up after myself with the task at hand completely finished. Thanks again!
eema says
it about not having ‘nuts’, nagging unfinished tasks cluttering your brain (dr oz)
matthew hanna says
Albeit minimal, I would think more calories are burned washing by hand as well.
maryann says
But dishwashers waste much less water & energy! I’m surprised that hasn’t been mentioned…
Two adults, two boys, full dinner everynight, plus breakfast plates and assorted cups. I run a full dishwasher every other night & I unload every other morning. It’s not time consuming at all. And for that washing-by-hand experience, there’s always the pots & pans… :)
joshua becker says
Plenty of conversation to be had about the energy-use question that’s for sure: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/built-in-dishwasher-vs-hand-washing-which-greener.php
And most of the comparisons that I read don’t consider the resources used in production, distribution, and elimination of the the dishwasher in question.
maryann says
Very interesting link, thanks.
” These numbers indicate that it’s possible to be more efficient when hand-washing, but it’s pretty tough. Can you successfully wash and rinse a soiled dinner plate in just over a cup of water? If you can keep the water use low, equal to an efficient machine, you’ll require less energy, but doing an entire load of dishes in 4 gallons of water is roughly equivalent to doing them all in the same amount of water you use in 96 seconds of showering (using a showerhead that emits 2.5 gallons per minute).
So, as long as you don’t often run your dishwasher when it’s only half full of dirty dishes, or unless you are very miserly with your water use (or have an old, inefficient dishwasher), the automatic dishwasher is likely to be more efficient. That is to say, it’s possible to use less water and energy by hand washing your dishes, but it’s not easy. Of course, if you do it just right, it might just be a wash.”
So, to recap:
1. Make sure you have an energy efficiant model
2. Do not pre-rinse
3. Wash full loads only
4. Air dry the dishes
5. Use eco-friendly detergent
Sounds good to me…
Cara says
Interesting. I’m glad you found something that works better for you–definitely do what works! For me, though, I really don’t experience the dishwasher drawbacks you describe. After each meal, I carry the dishes into the kitchen and put them directly into the dishwasher. It’s very quick and easy, no clutter involved. I have lived in plenty of dishwasherless houses, and that was when I let the dishes pile up. Somehow, for me, “washing the dishes” seems like work, and therefore I tend to put it off, whereas “just sticking them in the dishwasher” doesn’t seem like work, so I knock it out immediately.
You do it your way, and I’ll do it mine! :) If you do end up going back to the dishwasher at some point, the discipline you’ve developed with washing them by hand immediately all the time will serve you well.
it seems you can't spell seamlessly says
It’s seamlessly, not seemlessly.
joshua becker says
Thank you. And nicely played, I might add.
Matthew Hanna says
I have not completely gone to hand wash only but that is surely my preference. All of these statements you make are very true. All are the reasons I choose this method. Get it done with an extra 5 mins MAX and BE DONE WITH IT!
Shannon says
Has your cooking style also changed during the Becoming Minimalist process? I end up with so many dishes during the cooking/serving/eating process that its a full load that runs after we are in bed plus some pots/pans/knives that get handwashed. I’d love to have less dishes to wash in general but haven’t figured out how yet.
joshua becker says
Hasn’t changed much. Generally speaking, we do eat healthier. But we still prepare many of the same meals that we did in the past.
Marjorie says
I use the dishwasher as the drying rack, that way I don’t have the extra dish rack cluttering the counter.
joshua becker says
Cute. I hadn’t considered that option.
Di says
I use the dishwasher to store the dish rack. lol I’ve always preferred to do dishes by hand. Only use the dishwasher when we have people over.