Melissa in CA Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Ok, my dh is putting in our new kitchen sink today and I am wondering where I want the garbage disposal. I have always had it on the side I wash dishes in...I do have a dishwasher, but I often prefer to wash dishes by hand. There have been countless times in my life when I wish the disposal was on the rinse side, so when I encounter a dirty plate after my sink is already full of soapy water, I can scrape the food parts into the disposal and then put the plate in the soapy water. But, I also know that when I drain my soapy water there is often a lot of food particles, so I must use the disposal on them. But I also know that my strainer would catch them and I could then transfer them either to the trash, or the disposal side. BUT...haha...I also know that them strainer plugs are not always the best at holding water so I'm not sure it's the best choice for the wash side. Arg. I searched online and it seems the vote is split. Some have it on the rinse side, some on the wash. I can see the benefits of both, but having never had it on the rinse side I am wondering which I would prefer. Which would make me happier. ;) Can you tell me your experiences, especially if you've had it on both sides at some point in your life? I need to make my decision today and soon! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I tend to wash and do the initial rinse on the same side--post wash rinse on the other. I prefer to have the disposal on the wash/rinse food off a plate side. It is important to look at the kitchen and know what is your comfortable workflow in that kitchen-which side is wash, which rinse and where the drying rack and dirty plates will go, etc. Having a left/right preference and then getting a kitchen that doesn't accommodate it can be annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have 2/3 split sink, with the larger side being extra deep. We have the garbage disposal on the 1/3 side because it won't fit under the deep side. My original thought was that I wanted it under the wash side, so I could use it to clear out the dishwater. I am glad now it didn't fit. I find that I do prefer it on the rinse side. Like you, for late additions to the wash water it is really nice, but mainly because I often start the dishwater while I am still cooking and that way I can continue to use the disposal. There are times when I am washing out a single very dirty dish, and I will wash on the smaller side, just so I can dump the water in the disposal and go on. It isn't a big deal, because on my sink even the small side is the depth of a traditional sink. It works great to have this option. I don't know if I would like it on this side, if my sink was one of the ones with a smaller/prep sink for part of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endurancerider Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I like the garbage disposal on the side nearest to wherever the switch for it is at. It bugs me when the switch is on the opposite side. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 The sink next to the dishwasher. Which side I wash dishes in depends on the arrangement of the kitchen. Some kitchens are left-handed, some are right-handed. In either case, it's more efficient to rinse/scrape dishes into the garbage disposal and on their way into the dishwasher. In my current kitchen, the only place the dishwasher can go is to the right of the sink, even though dishes and glasses are in overhead cabinets to the left. So my garbage disposal is in the right-hand sink. In my last kitchen, the dishwasher was on the left, which also happened to be where dishes and glasses were put away, but the garbage disposal was in the right-hand sink, and there was no way to move it without doing major plumbing. So I had to wash dishes in the left-hand sink, after rinsing/scraping the dishes in the right-hand sink, and put them back into cabinets on my left, or rinse/scrape them in the right-hand sink and zoom them dripping over to the dishwasher on the left. Very inefficient. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have 2/3 split sink, with the larger side being extra deep. We have the garbage disposal on the 1/3 side I find that I do prefer it on the rinse side. . QUOTE] :iagree:This is how our sink is too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have always wanted it on both sides, but this has never been an option. (It would block the trash can I keep under the sink) I like mine on the rinse side close to the dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Ours is on the rinse side, which makes sense to me. I can scrape plates and then stack them in the side that gets filled with soapy water. That way, if any dishes escaped being scraped before the washing begins, it's easy to do it. Not that MY teenagers would bring plates with stuck on macaroni after I"m nearly done washing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks ladies! I've decided to put it on the rinse side (left) because that is also the side of the dishwasher. Then if I want to use that side to hand wash, I can put my dish drainer on the other side (right) or keep it on the left as it's been for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have 2/3 split sink, with the larger side being extra deep. We have the garbage disposal on the 1/3 side because it won't fit under the deep side. My original thought was that I wanted it under the wash side, so I could use it to clear out the dishwater. I am glad now it didn't fit. I find that I do prefer it on the rinse side. Like you, for late additions to the wash water it is really nice, but mainly because I often start the dishwater while I am still cooking and that way I can continue to use the disposal. There are times when I am washing out a single very dirty dish, and I will wash on the smaller side, just so I can dump the water in the disposal and go on. It isn't a big deal, because on my sink even the small side is the depth of a traditional sink. It works great to have this option. I don't know if I would like it on this side, if my sink was one of the ones with a smaller/prep sink for part of it. I don't think I've ever seen one of these sinks with the disposal on the large side. But now I'm dreaming of a kitchen with a small island prep sink with a disposal! Ooooh...disposal and direct deposit compost bin!! Ok-I'm out of fantasy land now. Thank you for joining me on that brief journey.:auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLDoll Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 When I had a double sink, I wanted it on the side closest to the dishwasher. But then we redid the kitchen and we just have one big, deep sink, so there was just one option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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