Guest Katinhat Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm new here but I need some advice. I've been quite frustrated with my dishwasher not getting my dishes clean. Today, even though it is only 4 years old, it quite working. I'm not excited about calling a repairman to come fix it so I'm seriously contemplating how to simply live without it. I have 4 children ages 15, 13, 7, 4. I'm wondering if anyone else living without a dishwasher has some suggestions on how to get children to wash there own dishes after using them. I've considered assigning each child a colored marker and they mark the dish (cup, silverware, etc.) with their color each day. At the end of the day any dishes with their color is their responsibility to wash, hoping they will learn to use fewer dishes. However, washable markers rub off too easily and permanent markers don't wash off of some things. I don't want to have to buy certain color dishes for each of us, so I am trying to come up with other alternatives. What is working for you and your fam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirstenH Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Does it have a warranty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I've fixed our dishwasher 5 different times and it's only 6 years old. Yours may be something very simple like a clogged spraying arm (I once pulled hair and fuzz out of ours) or a chopper that needs cleaning. Describe the problem in detail and I can help you find some videos or a fixit site. Appliance parts are way cheaper if you order them online. You don't want to live without a dishwasher if you can help it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 That sounds way too complicated to me. One thing I did was to get large plastic cups in three different colors-one color for each child. That cuts down on not remembering which cup is theirs and therefore getting twenty cups out throughout the day. We do use paper plates for lunch. I wash the dishes twice a day. I let them dry in the drainer. It doesn't take much of my time. I would love a dishwasher but we are renting and it's not an option right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have never found a dishwasher that does a job I'm happy with. I gave up on them long ago, although there is a top of the line one in the kitchen right now. By the time I got through rinsing them to put in, waited for the cycle and put them away I could have them cleaned, dried and up. Don't buy different dishes and don't have them clean their own dishes. Our rule was that everyone helps until all the work is done after every meal. One clears the table, one washes, one dries and puts away, one sweeps under the table. You work with them and supervise. Switch jobs around according to age and ability. 15 and 13 should be able to clean the entire kitchen by themselves already, btw. If you don't have them trained yet you'd better get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 (edited) double post Edited March 31, 2012 by Remudamom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 The reason you don't have them do their own dishes is avoidance of "not my dish" syndrome. Or "I forgot to mark my dish" excuse. They are a family, get them to work together as a family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have a bunch of kids, and my dishwasher hasn't worked in years. I just tell them to wash the dishes, I don't care whose they are. (Yes, I wash, too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samba Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I haven't read the other replies...I now have a dishwasher at the age of 43. I have discovered that I can live without one. I grew up in a family of 7 and I was pretty much the official dishwasher for the family (my mom worked until late each night). I thoght a dishwasher was going to be the best thing ever. I have discovered that I have to rewash things and that I delay washing things in order to "fill the dishwasher" and end up with more dirty dishes than I did when I needed to wash them quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katinhat Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 (edited) No. The dishwasher is no longer under warranty. We've had trouble with it almost from the time we bought it. I've done the whole cleaning of the spray arms before and cleaning gunk build-up from the bottom. This time there is simply no water coming out of the spray arms at all. I called GE to see if they could troubleshoot me through the issue but after trying their suggestions...no luck. My hubby is out of town and he will look at it when he gets in but his specialty is IT not appliance repair:-) I'm really about to the point of it just being easier to hand wash. We are all quite frustrated with having to either live with filmy dishes or having to re-wash a lot by hand. We are a family who shares the housework-we all pitch in (even the 4 yo) to get the kitchen job done, however, when having a dishwasher one doesn't really think twice about grabbing another spoon or fork or cup, etc. because it will just get loaded in the dishwasher so I was hoping to help them to realize just how many dishes they use in a day-to become self aware-by having them wash their own dishes for a while. They could even choose to wash them right after using them to avoid them building up. We use paper/plastic throw away dishes/cups very little and I repeat that I do not want to buy more dishes in different colors for each of us but I do want them to become more self-aware about how much they are using without me getting on my soap box. I'm hoping for suggestions along those lines. Edited April 1, 2012 by Katinhat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 That sounds way too complicated to me. One thing I did was to get large plastic cups in three different colors-one color for each child. That cuts down on not remembering which cup is theirs and therefore getting twenty cups out throughout the day. We do use paper plates for lunch. I wash the dishes twice a day. I let them dry in the drainer. It doesn't take much of my time. I would love a dishwasher but we are renting and it's not an option right now. We also use different color plastic cups for the kids and it is very helpful on getting them to be more aware of which cup is theirs and to not just get a fresh one every time they get a drink. I also do use paper plates for lunch or snacks, but not on a regular basis. I wash dishes pretty much through the day since it seems less of a task if I keep the sink as clear as possible. Once the sink gets full I really don't want to go near it and it takes more determination on my part to get it done. I don't ask each child to wash their own, but I do train each child to wash dishes from a family meal as a normal part of teaching them how to keep a house. My problem is that I'm just more than a little OCD about my dishes and I prefer to make sure they are REALLY clean rather than let the kids wash them on a daily basis. They all know how, and I have supervised them enough to be sure that they can do a decent job, but it really is the one thing I just don't often have the kids do. But, that's just me. We are also more into the 'team' concept of keeping house around here and while I expect people to pick up after themselves, we do pitch in together as a team to do most household tasks rather than leaving it as 'every man for himself'. We all live here, so we all participate in making the place as pleasant as possible. I pick a dishwashing detergent I really like the scent of as an encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 We have 4 children 16, 15, 8, and 4 and have been without a dishwasher for about 2 years. We don't do anything special about limiting dishes. It works best if the dishes get washed twice a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I have a friend whose dish washer broke. Her solution is to wash the dishes by hand then rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher to drip dry. With her technique there isn't ever any dishes sitting in the sink and she doesn't have to dry them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon37127 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I have 4 kids (11, 7, 6, and 4). I dont currently have a dishwasher and have not had one more time in the past 10 years than I ever did have 1. It actually works better for us, I think. We can finish a meal and the dishes can be washed, rinsed, and put in the drainer to dry in 15 minutes. No rinsing, loading, unloading, putting away (I usually just use what is dry in the drainer for the next meal), and messing with stuff cemented to what WAS washed, and all issues that go along with another major appliance that may break. Of course, my 2 oldest wash alot of the time. We don't have a complicated system except everyone brings their own dishes (scraped clear of big debris) to the sink that is filled with hot soapy water prefilled and waiting for the meal to be over. So, by the time the meal is over, the dishes are already soaking for a few minutes. Then you clear the table and time to rinse. I think I spend alot less time dealing with dishes that I would if I had a dishwasher. We also have clear Ikea glasses with each person's name on it. that is the only thing you can drink out of. if you forget to rinse it after you drink milk- you are washing milk crud out of it before you can drink out of it again later. it is rinsed after use and placed on a towel I have sitting next to the drainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffnkids Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I would consider "personal" cups, at least. If you don't have enough different color/design cups to give everyone their own, then . . . Buy a stack of those big red "disposable" cups. Grab a cup for everyone in the family and a black sharpie. Everyone gets to personalize their cup (help the little ones so they don't run amuk with a sharpie :tongue_smilie:). The CUP is now each person's responsibility. If they want a drink, they have to have their cup. There is NO drinking from anything other than their cup! If you have coffee/tea drinkers in your family, assign each person one mug. Our biggest dish problem used to be the cups! I felt that i was living in "cupdom" (I was a slave in a kingdom ruled by evil cup overlords). Assigned cups have solved many of my dish problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I grew up without a dishwasher and it was required that we take turns each and every evening with cleanup. We worked in pairs, one washing and one drying. We all helped clear up the table and put food away, and the washer was the one that wiped everything down at the end. Oh, and by the way, we were taught to do these chores by parents and older siblings so we knew what was expected of us. If we missed something, we had to go back and fix the issue. This was how I handled kitchen help with my older children, and also with my youngest child who is at home now. It has always worked well. Over the years we've had dishwashers, but many years we've gone without. I happen to believe that kids need to learn how to clean up a kitchen, and not just know how to load and unload a dishwasher. At this time we are a family of four: Dh, dd, my elderly mom and myself. We take turns doing the dishes, cleaning up and putting away. It's not that hard, really. Dishes are a part of life, just like any other household chore. I'm in my 50's and have not suffered any illness due to eating off handwashed dishes, and no one has died because we lack a convenience that most Americans think is a necessity. You really can teach your children to help clean up the kitchen every night. I'd highly recommend that you don't have each person wash their own. Sharing this chore is a good thing, especially when you think about the teamwork that is involved. It also teaches children the value and the joy of serving others. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 We don't have a dishwasher and my kids aren't old enough to wash the dishes. DH avoids dishes like the plague, but helps in other areas, so for now the job falls solely on my shoulders. :glare: I don't do different colored cups or anything, but as they get older, I will definitely require them to clean any dishes they use in between meals and they will all take turns washing them after meals as well. :glare: I was at least twice a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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