Asked on Feb 08, 2015
Dishwasher or hand washing
by
Michelle
+18
The old house came with a dishwasher. Two of my neighbors have the exact same lay out. The homes were built in the 50's on crawl space. My house's previous owners took out a generous size lower cabinet to install a dishwasher. But I have been in both of the neighbor's homes and neither has a dishwasher. So I am a single person I wash dishes at the end of the day and there is not a lot to wash, I'm thinking of removing the dishwasher and changing the space to a pull out trash holder/book niche for my cookbooks. The question is do you have a dishwasher or hand wash or should I remove the dishwasher? Thoughts? Thanks!
13 answers
-
If you aren't using it the seals and such dry out and will eventually leak.What you plan to do with the space makes more sense.
LaVona Kirkpatrick
on Feb 08, 2015
-
The things you need to think about are 1) is this a home you're going to stay in for several years or do you plan to sell within a couple of years? (if you're going to sell, having a dw is a must); and 2) How big is your kitchen? Is there somewhere else you can put your cookbooks? (Ikea has a wonderful under cabinet trash can that I use in my 50's kitchen, under the sink) My husband and I don't generate a lot of dishes, except when we watch the grand-kids overnight. So I tend to fill our dishwasher over a few days and run it only once or twice a week. Our granddaughter, age two, loves to wash dishes in the sink, so we let her "wash" the plastics. (I generally go over them once she's done.) Every family is different; you need to do what works best for you.
Lisa
on Feb 08, 2015
-
kitchen is 11 x 12 and the overall size of home is 235 sq feet. Two bedroom /one tiny bathroom. My neighbors house sold without the dishwasher and she said she has no intentions of putting a dishwasher in. This dishwasher is only 3 years old and yes I am here in my cozy home for a while. I also don't have many visitors or company to dictate a use of a dishwasher. I live simply a setting of 4 plateware, ,etc. Two good cook ware pots is all I cook with. Under the sink holds two bins for recycling. Thanks for the feedback!
Michelle
on Feb 08, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
I agree with selling the house...a dishwasher is a must for buyers. With that said, if you are going to stay in your home and you want it the way you want it. You can do anything you want with it. If it was me, I would somehow make the existing dishwasher a storage port. I would clean it out really good and remove all the trays etc from the inside, maybe paint the interior (but that's not necessary). I would convert it to a place to house my cookbooks or larger pots and pans. I would somehow cover up that front design.
Elizabeth
on Feb 08, 2015
-
Well, I live on my own and absolutely love my dishwasher. I do a lot of cooking, I make everything from scratch, so maybe I have more dishes than others. I like the fact you can load it with the dirty stuff and this is then out of sight, leaving your work surfaces clear. I hate washing up, I feel it's a waste of my precious relaxing time. So I would keep it! And it is a bonus for house purchasers in the future.
Lesley
on Feb 08, 2015
-
I haven't had a dishwasher in 22 years and have seldom missed it. (Maybe at Thanksgiving and Christmas after cooking for a lot of people!) Maybe I'm weird, but washing the dishes is relaxing to me. I've thought about putting one in, but weighing the pro's and con's, I've always landed on 'no dishwasher'. I'd rather have the space for something else. It's amazing how many dishes you can wash while you zap something in the microwave. lol
Kayte
on Feb 08, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
If you leave the dishwasher there, you can use it as a dish drying and storage rack, and that makes more space in the cabinets for other stuff.
Darla
on Feb 08, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
Wow! I don't know whether to envy you or feel sorry for you (lol)! I definitely admire your minimalist approach to daily living, and wish I had the knack for it. I am an inveterate packrat/keeper of things. I also have a couple little rental houses (I furnish) and neither has a dishwasher. Only one couple ever wanted one, so they purchased a portable. So there is a market for houses with no dishwasher. With less storage space, I think more people would go for the space. That said, if you remove the dishwasher and use a clever design for your trash holder, you would have the best of both worlds. A ready plumbed space for future use, and a more useable space for yourself. I am envisioning a pull-out cabinet the size of the space, and flush with the existing cabinetry. An 'easy' do and convenient also. p.s. I always like my cookbooks at eye-level, so left that aspect out. Even a small kitchen usually has space for a shelf.
Dee
on Mar 26, 2015
-
Are you planning to post the pics of the final decision? I like your idea of a cutting board, as I use mine all the time, and it is really nice to have a 'thin' shelf or space for cookie sheets, etc. :) -D
Dee
on Mar 26, 2015
-
I used to have a dishwasher (when married) now that I am divorced I don't have one anymore. I missed it at first, but now I don't mind doing dishes. I spend what little time it takes just relaxing and washing dishes. I don't think you will mind the dishwasher being gone (unless you host big dinner parties once in a while and have a lot of dishes).
Elizabeth
on Mar 28, 2015
-
I don't think a dishwasher is must at all. There are only two of us in this household and I wash everything by hand. We used to have a dishwasher, but I constantly found myself having to pull out dirty dishes, pots and pans in order to use them. The dishwasher wasn't filling quickly enough to keep up with the daily cooking. And I mean, don't you hate having to wash dishes just so you can cook? Na... I find that as a single mom with a young child, dishwasherless is the simplest way to go. And when we have guests, it is only a little extra work and there is always someone willing to pitch in anyway, so it is simpler and faster every time. Good luck with your decision!
Modern Vintage Chic
on Apr 03, 2015
-
My only thought is if you are doing that, you might as well make sure there aren't other things you want to change in the kitchen...get it all done at once. I can take or leave them, seems to me as a single it's qucker to wash dishes. It doesn't look like its held in to tightly so should be easy to take out and sell!
Karyn Roesler
on Apr 03, 2015
-
Karyn, your correct the dishwasher was not properly placed in there. Eventually I will replace counter top, sink, windows and floor. The space where the dishwasher will be created in 3 sections. First two section, one for cookie sheets, etc , a little book nook for the cookbooks and wine storage and the bigger 3rd space will be pull out trash/recycle. I am thinking someone might have to custom make the cabinet or frame in the space and put two dividers in. I am thinking leaving the door off the first two and small door for the pull out. I can see the design in my head and hopefully can put it on paper to show how I want it to look like.
Michelle
on Apr 03, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
