I solved the problem by not having a dishwasher. And yes, there had been arguments. I like doing dishes -warm water, quiet time, contemplation -what's not to like?

There's a story and I'm not sure if it is an urban myth but when the first dishwasher salesmen were trekking from farm to farm trying to sell these, they met with poor reception since dishes were practically the only time that the spouses were able to spend together.

In fact, I may write a little article about that (if interested check at http://flann4.wordpress.com/ for developments).

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When we renovated our kitchen a few years ago, I tried to convince my wife to avoid the expense and space for a dishwasher. No go. We got a well-rated Kenmore.

Dunno if it's that I'm just extra picky or if our water here is extra crummy, but the darned thing just doesn't work worth a hoot. You have to thoroughly rinse - and in some cases scrub - the dishes before you load them. Then you have to pull them out as soon as they're done and hand dry them or they'll be spotted like crazy - even with plenty of Jet Dry. Wife & I have gone round & round about this, with her claiming that I load the dishes improperly and that's why they don't get clean. But the dishwasher does no better a job when she loads the silly thing!

So, I'd rather just spread a cuptowel on the counter and hand wash dishes after each meal. That way, they're completely clean the first time and immediately available for reuse. And I use the hottest water our facet will kick out, so there's never any spots and the dishes practically dry themselves.

So, to me, the dishwasher was just a huge waste of some very valuable kitchen real estate.

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I wouldn't know what to do without my dishwasher. It is usually loaded to the gills, and I still have pots and pans to handwash, so I know I'm saving time and effort. And mine works just fine. No, my husband does not know how to load it. I reload it when I can (I'm not always around when he starts it). What drives me nutty is putting the clean dishes away (no matter how they were washed). He more often than not fails to return items to their normal resting places, leading me to hunt for them for 10 minutes the next time I need them. AAARRGGHHH!!

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Rob O, where are you from that you use the phrase "cup towel"? That's a localism I've never heard.

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I have solved the question of how to load the dishwasher by simply doing it myself and never, ever complaining about it. Rob O, your dishwasher is probably working just fine. It is your expectations that need fixing. Can anyone remember a dishwasher being advertised without the promise that there will no longer be a need for prerinsing? Going back to the fifties, not one machine has been brought to market without this promise and yet not one machine can clean a casserole dish without cleaning it by hand first, or clean dried egg from a plate etc. Its not your water, my friend and its not you...its life.

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doodoolemonque,

Your comment brought to mind that dishwasher commercial where they load in, among other things, a complete chocolate cake. When they open up the dishwasher, all of the food is gone and the dishes are sparkling clean. I've long thought that someone (Mythbusters, perhaps) should try to replicate that stunt and see just how realistic it is.

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The house we moved into 6 years ago didn't have a dishwasher, and after a brief flirtation with the notion of getting one, we passed. It has been wonderful. I suspect the minor quibbles we've had with "who is doing dishes tonight?" are just as prevalent as "who is going to load/empty the dishwasher?" Plus, it really is relaxing to "have to" stop and work in some warm water while gazing outside.

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My roommate has had her dishwasher privileges revoked. Somehow, I don't think she minds.

I'd been living on my own for quite some time, with all my own stuff, while she had always lived with her parents or boyfriend. Everything in the apartment outside of her bedroom is mine.

She puts glasses too close together, breaking an entire set of them within a week. She stacks bowls and tupperware in configurations guaranteed to shield dirty surfaces from the jet of water. She puts ladles bowl-side-up on the top rack and wonders why they collect dirty water. To top it all off, if she ever decides to put anything away, she always puts it in the wrong spot, even though I have given her a tour of the kitchen on more than ten occasions and have even labeled cabinets and drawers with the contents. Under what circumstances should a serving bowl migrate from the designated serving bowl cabinet to the cabinet with the glasses and mugs?

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Your spouse sounds awful. You should leave him.

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