Washing dirty dishes seems like a never-ending chore in most homes. No sooner have you finished one lot, but the next one starts piling up. Installing a dishwasher in your kitchen not only keeps the dirty dishes out of sight, it can eliminate the endless arguments over whose turn it is to wash them.
That is why most households install dishwashers in their kitchens because of the convenience that it provides. It eliminates the need for a member of the household to wash the dishes. It saves you a lot of time and effort -two very important things to people who
are very busy at work or in school. The importance of dishwashers is truly evident especially on households where every member of the family has something to do, whether in work or in school.
Choosing dishwashers
The first step in choosing a dishwasher is to check the space you have available. When selecting the location for a dishwasher, bear in mind that, as with a washing machine, a dishwasher needs electricity, a hot or cold water supply, and drainage. Smaller portable dishwashers can be wheeled to the sink and connected to the tap when needed, but most people find it easier to fit the dishwasher into the kitchen under a countertop. This looks tidier, and makes your kitchen look well fitted too.
Dishwashers are categorised by the number of place settings they can accommodate. A large family will therefore need a machine that takes 6 to 8 place settings, rather than the standard 4 settings. A small family may only use the dishwasher once a day, as it is recommended that you only wash a full load to save on both water and electricity.
A stainless steel tub is generally more expensive than a plastic one, but they contain noise better, are more effective at preserving heat for drying, and last longer. White plastic can discolour, although manufacturers have addressed this with gray speckled plastic tubs.
Most dishwashers come with three basic cycles, light, normal and heavy. The heavy cycle is used for pots and pans. Some models come with additional cycles such as steam clean, pot scrubber, china and crystal and sanitizing cycles. These extra cycles should be considered ‘nice-to-haves’, but are unlikely to make much difference to the efficiency of the machine.
Loading Dishwashers
Dishwashers are usually front loading with a door that opens from the top down. Most machines have 2 or 3 pull out racks into which dishes are stacked to be washed. Silverware and stemware holders feature in many dishwashers, and adjustable racks and tines can help to accommodate odd sized dishes and larger items. Dishwashers are generally designed to hold standard household items like cups, plates, bowls and kitchenware. Large platters and serving dishes and some large pots may not fit into the average dishwasher.
Dishwashing machines are fitted with filters to remove particles of food from the water. Self-cleaning filters act like mini garbage disposal units, grinding food down before flushing it down the drain. These increase the cost of the machine and add to the level of noise you can expect from the machine. A manual filter makes far less noise, but it has to be cleaned out regularly.
Because it is more economical to wash a full load, you may find you have dirty dishes tacking up in the machine between meals. Some dishwashers have a rinse cycle that allows you to rinse food particles off a small load while you wait for more dishes to be able to wash them properly. This prevents food from hardening on the plates without using the water and electricity a washing cycle would require.
Today’s dishwashers are controlled by micro-processors with washing cycles regulated by sensors. These sensors can automatically adjust the wash cycle for the quantity of dishes, and a dirt sensor will sense how much soiling is present and lengthen the wash or rinse cycle as required.
Dishwashers use a lot of water, and manufacturers are addressing this issue with machines designed to use less water in certain cycles. This does not solve the environmental issue however, as the result of using less water is often longer washing cycles that use more electricity.
You must use special dishwasher detergent which is low foaming detergent specially designed for dishwashers. Some detergents are in tablet form, while others are in powder form. You should follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for your dishwasher. Rinsing agents can be used as well to help the rinsing process and avoid water spots on glasses. Rinsing agents can help the drying process as well.
Dishwashers must be used with caution as not all kitchen products can be washed in the machine. Some plastics will heat up and distort. Glasses may become cloudy, particularly crystal glasses, and some materials can discolour. Sterling silver, aluminium and pewter discolour in washing machines, and cast iron may rust. Some cutlery with handles glued onto the silver and wooden bread boards that have been glued together should not be washed in a dishwashing machine either. The heat may melt the glue and damage the items.
There are dozens of brands of dishwashers available, with most popular appliance manufacturers having at least one or two models available. Bosch, Frigidaire, Maytag, Miele, GE and Whirlpool are some of the better known brands. Prices vary depending on the features of the machine and the brand.
