I am cursed.  No, not by a witch or a spirit.  I am cursed by extraordinarily bad luck with dishwashers.  For a family of three, who runs the dishwasher once a day, we seem to need a new dishwasher more often than normal.

Last month, right before I was sick (I believe I’m going to think of my life as BP-before pneumonia and AP- after pneumonia) our dishwasher broke.  You may remember that I burned my arm whole trying to fix it. Now of course, the warranty had ended about six days before the dishwasher washed its final dish.

The same thing happened with the last dishwasher.  Warranty ends.  Dishwasher breaks.  In twenty years, this apartment has gone through five dishwashers.  We’ve had two stoves, two refrigerators and two microwaves, and the only reason we had two was because we remodeled and upgraded.  We’ve had one mixer and one blender and one food processor and two coffee makers.  And five dishwashers.

BP, I was researching dishwashers.  Then I got sick (see how I keep reverting back to that).  So, what I’m saying is, while I was sick, there was no dishwasher.  Get out your little violins and play, because I realize this is the worst thing to befall a family- the workhorse is sick and the dishwasher is broken.

My daughter tried to get out of dishwashing by saying that we were sure to get dysentery if she washed dishes.  My husband went the passive aggressive route and just did a lousy job of washing dishes.  And me. I would wash my one plate and one bowl and one mug and one glass, dry them, and just stare at the amount of crockery and utensils my family could accumulate in a tiny sink.  It sort of became a game.

Which brings us to today.  I have not researched dishwashers.  I have not thought about replacing said dishwasher.  I am enjoying watching my family squirm.  I have enjoyed watching them wash and dry and put away dishes every night.  Enjoyed watching them get to know a sponge and a scrub brush, liquid dish soap and a dishtowel.  Everyone needs a little fun in their life.

Will I eventually get a new dishwasher?

Yes.  I like a dishwasher because I love to cook, but cooking requires getting stuff dirty, and seriously, does anyone like washing dishes by hand?

But for now, I’m enjoying teaching my family a little lesson about what it takes to make a household run.  I should have done it sooner.

46 thoughts on “The Dishwasher”

    1. I would be fine if I didn’t like to cook. Mixing bowls and such are a bit of a pain. The microwave is really for reheating. And it’s above my stove so it has the vent under it. And it makes a good storage drawer…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. When our dishwasher broke, we didn’t replace it this time and we do the dishes by hand. We both like to cook but it is easy to wash the few dishes. Eventually, we may replace it but the money was best spent on other items.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I had to laugh when I read this one! Really- making them suffer washing dishes, oh how evil are you? LOL. I didn’t have dishwasher for years and my kids hated washing dishes with me but it was quality time I got to spend with one or both of them and I do now treasure those memories. Hope you find a dishwasher soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I’ve had good luck with Bosch. Quiet, energy efficient and reliable. Bought a GE that broke right after the warranty expired, and GE wouldn’t stand by its product despite numerous online complaints about the same defect. I love having a dishwasher.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Messed up. Mom had we 5 kids. One to wash,one to dry ,one(unlucky soul)to do pots and pans and one to clear,wipe table;sweep& take out trash. But I’m grateful . I learned clean as you go. And I keep a dish brush thats filled with dish soap by the sink:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. You are proof of the old adage…they don’t make ’em like they used to. We have gone through more appliances in the last 10 years than we did the 40 before. Oh well…get a dishwasher.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. My apartment is so tiny, no room for a dishwasher, even one of those smaller size ones made for apartments or compact kitchens. I would have lost half of my cabinet spaces if they had added one when they remodeled. Being just me, it’s okay, but it would have been a real point to ponder if I still had kids at home.

    Like

    Reply

  10. I used to tell people I had 2 dishwashers…my right hand, and my left hand.

    The current apartment has a built-in dishwasher, and guess what I do?

    I wash the dishes by hand before I put them in the dishwasher.

    I guess my standards are too high for modern conveniences.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Our dishwasher can’t even break properly! It makes a half-hearted attempt at getting things cleans and shrugs its shoulders. John is convinced it isn’t dangerous, that the dishes are clean, just not sparkling. I am resisting acting like Hyacinth Bouquet, trying not to surreptitiously polish the flatware before eating. This may be a contest of wills, and I am apt to be the first to cave.

    Like

    Reply

  13. Ugh, this is my life right now. Our dishwasher isn’t broke, but it’s certainly on the way. We have to do all of these weird things in order to use it (such as not closing the little detergent compartment door). My wife has given up and like you is washing by hand. Until we get a new one, I’m satisfied just using it with all of the problems. We bicker about this daily! – Marty

    Like

    Reply

  14. Appliances breaking after only 2 years makes me so SO angry, we’re being conned by manufacturers, it’s a fact they actually design components to fail after a pre planned number of operations……………….. and quite possibly days after the Warranty is over.

    Like

    Reply

  16. The dishwasher will be the end of me. So for a family of 4, you’d think by the end of the day we’d have 4 glasses, maybe 8 of we eat at least two meals at home in a day, in the dishwasher, right? Well you’re wrong. We have so many glasses in the dishwasher you’d think we had a party. Each time someone wants some water or other drink requiring a glass, they take a new one out. Sometimes I have to run the dishwasher twice a day because of that.

    The other thing…the dishwasher is next to the sink, under the counter. The dishwasher is often OPEN. The family does not compute this in their brain. They helpfully place their glass or cup or cutlery or plate on the counter next to the sink directly ABOVE the OPEN dishwasher. Ask me what my mental state is by Friday, after a whole week of this. 🙄

    I find myself walking around the house collecting every screen the kids own and declaring: no screens till every dish is clean, out of sight, in the dishwasher, or unloaded out of the dishwasher and in the right cupboard. #MeanMom

    Don’t get me started on the dishwasher. 🙂 😛

    Like

    Reply

  17. I have terrible luck with appliances too! My washing machine sounds like it’s come to come through the wall and take all of the plumbing with it.

    Like

    Reply

  18. The home we bought has a KitchenAid dishwasher that, according to the home’s original owners, was installed when the home was built 15 years ago. It still runs like a top, so when I have to replace it we’ll choose another KitchenAid. It’s by far the best dishwasher I’ve ever had.

    Like

    Reply

  19. Way to go turning a curse into a fun game! I have a curse too and I have also turned it into a game but it is not so much fun sadly. The good news is the curse ends in nine days when my house becomes mine all mine again. Enjoy watching ’em squirm and best of luck in finding a replacement.

    Like

    Reply

  21. I hate doing dishes! I don’t have a dishwasher. Haven’t for 6 years. I have posted ads on Facebook for someone to come do my dishes. I’ve tried to bribe my children, but I ALWAYS have to go in after them and redo them anyway. So that is not a viable option. I am looking for a new apartment and an dishwasher is a must on the list of things necessary. Maybe even before a fridge or oven. I can buy one of those, but if a place isn’t set up for a dishwasher, you won’t even get on in there. Enjoy the squirming!

    Like

    Reply

  23. I have needed a new one for three years. I have no idea why I haven`t got one but I don`t mind washing up now. I just stick a podcast on and get on with it. Apparently, those who wash up at the sink are more relaxed individuals as you get to gaze out of the window and take a moment. Hmmm not sure on that. One thing I will say is when I got my first dishwasher, my eldest two girls who have moved out now, went from arguing who was washing or drying to who was loading or unloading so it was a bit of an anticlimax!! Now there is three of us and as I am a reluctant unexpected SAHM, it is mostly down to me. But there`s no arguing 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  26. That’s something. My dishwasher is going on 14 years old and it’s the original one. In fact, we haven’t replaced any of our appliances since we bought the house 14 years ago in September. I’m guessing everything is going to go all at once, and probably soon. 😔

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. After your post I checked my fridge, stove and dishwasher and they are all GE appliances. My washer and dryer are Kenmore.
        I’d better start anticipating their demise. I know they’re not going to keep working forever. 🤦🏽‍♀️ My air conditioning unit is also almost 14 years old. And let’s not mention the furnace and roof. Oh boy….that’s a lot of stuff to update. 😫

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s