Dishing strategy
Take it for a spin? Direct drive, but a bit cranky. Hand-powered dishwasher invented by Carl Hultenberg, 1860.(Tekniska Museum, Stockholm Sweden/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Completely wired, routinely spinning, but above all else, when it’s their time, they are electric.
Just how much faith do you put in machines?
Box them and label them as you will, running the dishwasher and running for office swish and swirl alike.
Pre-cleaning is debated hotly.
Some recommend scrubbing proactively while others just turn a blind eye and hope for the best? (The latter the most common.)
Positioning is another item that racks up discussions.
You never know whether to stand like ones together or mix them up to get the best results.
How important is it to keep the delicate ones placed high in the machine surrounded by those just like them while keeping the sturdy, able to withstand anything ones down at the gritty bottom level?
While transparency may signal fragile danger, anything can crack under certain circumstances.
How things stacked up then.”Now, Sparky, what do they mean wear thick rubber soled shoes when operating?”(Electric dishwasher, 1917/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Then there’s the disturbing clinking once the machine is started even though you stacked it in so carefully.
Unexpected noise may warn that things won’t wash well. Enough to rattle anyone.
Promoters’ products and claims promise sparkling results before each cycle.
If desired results aren’t what was expected, all sorts of finger-pointing and blame scatters everywhere: It’s always the substance, or poor organization, or outdated procedures.
Recommended heat can go either way: permanently marring with etching or the reverse smoothing surfaces to a Phoenix-like gleam.
Proof machines can hold grudges: Of course there’s a crack. And, of course, that style is discontinued.(USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
After all said and done, you always cautiously examine for crummy flaws before shelving in hope.
May all the salmonella, harmful microorganisms, and invisible threats be washed away so the table can be set for a better day.
Although there’s always a chance that the dish simply gives up and runs away in a swoon.
Phil, the Philosopher of the Hedge.
We have local elections this week: school board, city council, small stuff along with bond elections that determine funding (and taxes). Low level elected officials – some of which are less important/prestigious than people believe; some of which can lead to more important positions with a party in the future. This is where baby elected officials and politicians cut their teeth and hone their political skill and trade. Always amusing.
What do you think? Is a country like a restaurant with menus making you think you have choices, some stuff served to you that you don’t like, and you have to pay for it all anyway.(1940.NARA poster/USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
I had a dishwasher in the timeshare apartment from years ago and never used it.
MSM has one but we don’t use that either as to be honest we don’t generate enough for a load and I don’t like the idea of leaving dirty crockery for a few days until we have. However, for dinner parties/entertaining and when there are a lot of you, I can appreciate it’s a godsend and time-saver.
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We rarely use the dishwasher unless there’s a crowd or it’s flu season/someone’s been sick. This dishwasher is so loud and if you don’t prewash well, roaches will move into for the crummy feast. (YUCK). Might as well wash them to start with sin the sink.
Thanks for adding to the sudsy comment stack
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🙂
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the positioning is a neverending battle between me and my mother… she builds skyscrapers while I prefer to place the dishes randomly :o)
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I don’t like to run the dishwasher daily, so dishes get stacked in carefully to get as much in as possible…usually when we’re out of spoons, it gets run. Maybe I should get more spoons…
Thanks for stacking in a comment
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hahaha same here… seems I’m not the girl what was born with lots of silver spoons LOL
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What a great metaphor. It really does work. As for the elections, did you see the woman who spent all Saturday at the five-point intersection by the school, holding her “vote no” sign? No matter whether in favor or opposed, you had to admire her commitment.
Here’s my dishwashing tip of the day. I always do mine now when I can catch things at the very beginning of the dry cycle, and turn the thing off. It’s one of those power-saving tips I’ve never read about, although it surely must be out there.
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We run the dishwasher maybe once a week – it’s like socks and laundry…you need enough so you don’t have to wash everyday HAHA
Early voting going on now. Actually I was leaning towards voting “yes” until I started reading what the school board said they would purchase…and then started doing more research, so I’m a NO now…partly because it is being sold as a science and technology bond, but actually there’s more “other”: ticket booths, multiple schools get band halls/rehearsal rooms/set shop additions/renovations ($6.5 million at one school, band costs at another: $5.8 million, $3.2 million for a intermedia school rehearsal room…) , lots of weight room and athletic dept equipment replacements (4 million $ worth)….now they area also saying “we’ll buy new school buses! Playground equipment! New auditorium!
I’d like to see a run down on which actual school departments and programs are going to get money and how much – and what is the number of students that will get to use these new facilities (and % of student population.
You know ,maybe they should have held off building that massive football stadium if the district had so many important needs. Weren’t school buses supposed to be bought out of the last bond election?
There vague and changing explanations about what money is needed and where it’s going to be spent is too much of a concern – and it makes it look like they are trying to sneak something by. So No for me this time.
That woman out there was right: do your research and get some facts before voting. We all need to be paying attention to so much right now.
Thanks for washing a comment over into this bay (and I am so far behind)
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Some people don’t bother cutting their political teeth and prefer to jump right into the presidential election. As for dishwashers, they always break when they are full of the most disgusting dirty dishes which you have to unload and hand wash. Then you have to get all the gravy out of the dishwasher. Fortunately it doesn’t happen often. With four cats, it’s really nice to have one. They rack up a lot of dishes in a day.
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Another reason to avoid gravy! That’s true about cat dishes…one alone creates quite a pile. RC has a bunch of little white sushi bowls from Cost Plus World Market. She nibbles only tiny bits at a time…don’t even think about dumping food out to nibble on all day long…if it gets crusty, nose turns up and the complaining begins (those little paws can really batter you). It was crazy city with Moly, RC Cat, The Germans and her side kick, Ella visiting….thought about using paper, but the cat would flip it onto the floor out of annoyance and the dogs would have grabbed the paper bowls/plates and chased around the house playing dish frisbee. No wonder zoo’s have concrete floors and hose things down.
Thanks for messing around here
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Gracie is just like RC. She like small frequent meals. Nothing stale either! Her wails sound like someone is skinning her alive. She has me trained. Sushi dishes. Never thought of that.
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RC recommend the dishes: elegant and sophisticated. Purrfect (and, don’t tell, cheap)
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My contention, proven by demonstration but hotly contested by the ladies, is that it is quicker, more economical, and more efficient to wash dishes in the sink.
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I think so too, unless there’s more than 4 people at the meal. Not spending a bunch of time hand washing…and people are so squeamish about dog Molly cleaning up plates. Thanks for dishing up a comment
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🙂 Always glad to dish play my brilliance!
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Good serve.
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I’m in charge of the dishwasher in my house, so I am always rearranging the dishes to try to make sure everything gets washed well. Someone likes to put the knives blades up and has almost cut me a few times. We may need a family meeting about this. 😉
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Knives down. Knives down – how difficult is it? I ask…while searching for bandaids. To the point of insisting all sharp knives must only be washed by hand (carefully).
Thanks for the sharp remark
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Uh oh, now I’ll be worried if my dishwasher is getting rid of all the salmonella. I do make a lot of chicken… 😉
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During flu season or when anyone is sick, that dishwasher is getting used….before all the hot water is used up by showers. HAHA.
Always glad when you drop by (and your posts appear). Get ready for summer!
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See if you can open this article about local female docs. Thought you might find it interesting
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/medical/article/Women-doctors-in-Houston-earn-much-less-than-men-11099223.php
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Oh wow, that’s terrible. At first I thought the study didn’t control for factors that could influence results like specialty, hours worked, etc., but they did. So disappointing. I thought medicine was one area this didn’t happen. Crazy too when you consider the study that showed patients treated by women physicians had better outcomes!
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Noticed that outcomes study, too. Sigh.
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Kate is right. Dishwashers only break at the worst of times. My brother was visiting, so there were probably eight of us in the house when the machine broke. After a marathon dish washing session, we switched to paper plates.
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Like the child who gets sick at the worst possible moment…
Nothing worse than turning on a full dishwasher only to see a flood seeping out of it faster than you can turn it of.
Paper is good. We can plant trees and ask for forgiveness.
Thanks for dishing up a comment for this rack
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Groan!!!
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That 1860 dishwasher is a bit scary! We are pre-washers – with our old machine it’s the only option. My husband says we’d use less water if we washed dishes by hand, but then, he doesn’t wash them, so how does he know? 😀
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That’s a really fun piece – wonder if the inventor thought “Hey, you can cook meat on a rotating rack over fire, so why not clean up with the opposite element, water?”
We prewash ’cause if you didn’t you’d be hosting armies of roaches since we only fill up and run the thing every 5 days or so. Wow could just wash by hand, but then there’s question of where to rack the drying dishes with limited counter space….Who’s got time/energy to dry with a cloth?
Thanks for stacking in a comment
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Nothing beats the human element.
Nothing.
But it’s nice when man and machine can come together to produce something of beauty. Like this post, for example.
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Have you ever seen the giant crossbow invented by Leonardo? He knew intimidating appearance was one of the greatest weapons ever…huge, about 27 yards across moved by 6 wheels under the arms. but really Hollywood …apparently tossed flaming loads and rocks. Just seeing the monster roll up terrified enemies. Sounds really Mel Brooks movie material?
Writers and artists are such jokers. (and the jokes are on – writers have a 3 year agreement. No strike this time.)
Thanks for serving up a comment
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Just read an article bemoaning the fact hardly anyone will show up for elections next week even though the people in question are running for offices that have the most direct impact on us. It isn’t surprising to see the numbers of voters (lack thereof) in the Presidential election years considering we vote even less frequently when things that directly impact our pocketbooks and quality of living in our area are on the line. We always wash our dishes thoroughly before putting them into the dishwasher. I can’t explain why. I also can’t explain why it sounds like a jet engine during operation. That hand-powered model looks quieter.
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We get pretty good election turnout here as the area is changing from a sleepy small town into a growing suburb of those fleeing Houston and who are willing to commute. So it’s the old timers (we like things was they are) vs the newcomers with new ideas and concerns..like we want sidewalks, bike trails, and parks and don’t consider tattoo parlors great new businesses. And then there’s the no more taxes vs the whatever-it-cost-ers. Mayor and city hall elections are quite a riot.
I think we have the same dishwasher model…I’m sure a cement mixer and a dump truck are quieter.
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My dishwasher is my secondary drying rack. I do a lot of cooking and baking and the turn around time is just too slow to wash dishes with it. I need most of the items long before they’d be clean and dry. I do run the unit every month or so to keep the rubber parts working… and to pump the water out that channels in from my drip dry rack!
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You know, I end up washing most by hand – we just don’t use that many dishes unless it’s the weekend. Using it as a drying rack is a super idea. Thanks for adding a plate load of good sense
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