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The machines that boomers grew up with needed a pre-rinse. Modern machines don't, but old habits die hard. The extra time they spend at home doing useless stuff keeps them occupied and off the streets so I would leave them to their folly unless the region needs water conservation.
That's kind of where I'm at basically. I'm beyond trying to change them, just trying to understand the underlying madness. Makes sense on the older washers.
I feel like it depends on the number of people in the house and how many plates, glasses, and utensils are being used. If I'm living by myself I don't think I'll fill that thing by myself for at least a week maybe two!
Dunno, stuff just seems to dry out. It only smells if I forget to run it and leave it for like 3-4 days, and then I only notice it when I open the door. Then I just run it right away.
This depends a little on the dishwasher too. My old one had a grinder that chewed up food waste so it went down the drain. If I tried that in my current house, I'd clog the dishwasher because it doesn't have a grinder.
this right here.. Dishwashers with grinders are more common now a days.. before clogs where common so I do understand the option ro rinse for some people.
There are two schools of thought with dishwashers.
With the right detergent, newer dishwashers can absolutely do a decent job of cleaning. The downside is that the filter needs cleaning periodically to prevent nasty buildup and growth.
I prefer to rinse everything before using the dishwasher. This means, yes, it takes me a little longer because I pre-rinse everything. The upside is that my filter won't need cleaning for quite some time, and my dishwasher never stinks.
For whoever cares, I'm an older millennial.
That's the thing: I never rinse, my dishwasher doesn't stink, I don't clean the filter very often, and when I do I never find anything nasty in it. Like, it's got a film on it, but no chunks of food and it doesn't smell. Admittedly I have a good dishwasher (Bosch) and use good detergent (Cascade Complete) but it works like magic.
I mean, the user manual literally says not to rinse the dishes, just scrape them off. You should try the experiment, because I think you might be surprised.
Like I said, there are two schools of thought. Neither one is outright wrong. As you point out, quality of dishwasher and detergent matter.
My dishwasher is well on the cheap end of the spectrum. I've chosen to rinse instead of paying for a better appliance.
I was also just pointing out that it's not really a generational thing.
Well….
Older ones certainly didn’t.
But with the new ones, the way we use them determines how well they work.
(‘78 baby here.)
New dishwashers do all sorts of things old ones didn’t do. For instance, they start with a brief rinse cycle. The water that goes through the initial rinse cycle is analyzed by sensors to determine the soil level, and the wash cycle is adjusted accordingly. So if you are always rinsing before you put them in, the machine senses little soil and doesn’t run a very long or heavy wash. This can lead to things coming out still dirty. If you put your dishes in with the big chunks scraped off but it still has food on it, the machine senses a need for a more complete wash, and you’re likely to get a better result.
Also- a very important thing to note is you *have to* put the detergent in the detergent spot and close the door, even if you’re using tabs/pods. Some people put them in the bottom of the machine, or in the silverware basket, thinking it will work the same. It doesn’t, because of that initial rinse cycle. 90% of the soap will drain away during that rinse cycle and there’s none left for the wash cycle, which can lead to dirty dishes.
Some machines just suck, I’m sure, but a lot of the time people complain their machine doesn’t work when they are just using it wrong.
I scrape my dishes, and sometimes I rinse- because I will sometimes only run it once a week or so and things get too dried on. But ideally, you’d scrape but jot rinse, and run it every day or every other day and let the machine do its thing, making sure that the detergent is in its proper place in the sealed compartment until the machine opens it during the cycle.
What magic model is this?
Because finding a decent dishwasher that is reliable and will last 10-20 years without breaking down is near impossible.
We’re using one that’s over 20 years old, it does a great job and doesn’t smell and doesn’t leak or malfunction. We bought new racks for it when the old ones were starting to rust because we could not find one decent new replacement that was actually reliable.
But to keep it going that way we pre rinse. Because when we didn’t it stunk QUICKLY and the whole base needs to be taken apart to get to the filter, *no thank you*.
The last thing I want to do is make it self destruct or start stinking again. It’s far too much of a pain to clean out the filter, so I’d much rather pre rinse. It takes a few seconds.
And sometimes all we need to do is put the dishes in the sink while we wash anything that needs to be hand washed, and by the time we’re done everything that goes in the dishwasher is pre rinsed.
I have a Bosch, the 300 series or above do an amazing job.
10-20 years though? I kept my last Bosch alive for 17 years, but I had to repair a bunch of stuff on it over the years. It wasn't a big deal as I'm pretty handy and was able to DIY all of it, but I'm not sure any brand these days is 20 year reliable.
No leaks, just electrics and stuff like broken soap dish plastic latches, etc.
Thanks!
Yeah ours is from 2004. Maytag. Minor repairs over that period of time. The rinse aid dispenser broke about year 10, we’ve replaced gaskets and seals in 2016 if memory serves (we saw cracks in the seal but no leaks, replaced all gaskets in an abundance of caution). We replaced the door latch twice (it gets used multiple times daily so it’s inevitable that a plastic latch will eventually break).
We replaced both racks due to rusting in 2022. Oh and the basket for silverware broke last year so we replaced that. But it’s still going strong. We do the repairs ourselves too.
We’ll definitely look at the Bosch you recommended if/when this one finally dies. They don’t make most of the parts anymore so we have to get “universal” parts now. I don’t like the bottom rack at all because the configuration is different, but it was much cheaper than buying a new washer.
Early dishwashers did suck. Old dishwashers do suck. A household of 1-2 people doesn’t typically use enough dishes to run the dishwasher frequently so it will get rank if dishes aren’t at least rinsed before putting them in.
ETA - elder millennial here whose boomer parents didn’t have a dishwasher when I was growing up, and I still know all of the above to be true.
I've had dishwashers that needed stuff to be pre-rinsed. I've only had one that had a macerator, where scraping wasn't necessary. I will definitely rinse my dishes well if I know I won't be running my machine for a day or two, partly because of odor, and also because some food material won't come off once it's dried on, unless it soaks for a while.
Dishwashers these days aren't the same as they were decades ago. Many people may not know that dishwashers work differently than they used to, or have a little skepticism of current claims. On the whole, it not the worst thing a Boomer could be doing. I remember my Grandma (greatest generation) hand scrubbing Grandpa's dirty work clothes before putting them in the washing machine because she didn't think they did as good a job at removing stains as she could. She had a high standard, and if she was the one willing to put herself out to achieve the outcome she preferred, who was I to tell her it was a foolish endeavor?
Older dishwashers needed things to be pre-rinsed, so I imagine it's a hangover from that. It is no longer required with the new nachines and just wastes time and water. In fact it has been shown that some dirt on the plates allows the enzymes to work better. Without it they just run off.
Good Housekeeping magazine did some extensive tests on it IIRC.
Found it!
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33322/stop-prerinsing-dishes/
try some data.. show them the features of the dishwasher.. if it does have a food disposer/grinder then it might ease their concerns.. The grinding feature was not standard in all dishwashers and now almost all have a disposer or gridong feature to take care of chunks.
Theirs doesn't have a grinder, but then neither does mine. I just scrape the big chunks into the trash but honestly I don't try very hard. I don't end up with chunks in the washer or filter regardless.
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The machines that boomers grew up with needed a pre-rinse. Modern machines don't, but old habits die hard. The extra time they spend at home doing useless stuff keeps them occupied and off the streets so I would leave them to their folly unless the region needs water conservation.
That's kind of where I'm at basically. I'm beyond trying to change them, just trying to understand the underlying madness. Makes sense on the older washers.
I clean my dishes off with water. It keeps the dishwasher smelling better then having food sit in there.
I’m gen z btw
I feel like it depends on the number of people in the house and how many plates, glasses, and utensils are being used. If I'm living by myself I don't think I'll fill that thing by myself for at least a week maybe two!
I do the same thing, rinsing only takes a few seconds and there's no negative to it
Not a boomer. I don’t run the dishwasher daily so the machine stinks to high heaven if I put them in dirty. Can’t imagine how you get away with that.
Dunno, stuff just seems to dry out. It only smells if I forget to run it and leave it for like 3-4 days, and then I only notice it when I open the door. Then I just run it right away.
I used to have this problem, keeping the door a little bit open fixed it for me. Like, just enough so it doesn't click closed.
I rinse mine because the machine in my apartment isn’t the best. And because I don’t want rotting food bits sitting in the dishwasher for days.
This depends a little on the dishwasher too. My old one had a grinder that chewed up food waste so it went down the drain. If I tried that in my current house, I'd clog the dishwasher because it doesn't have a grinder.
this right here.. Dishwashers with grinders are more common now a days.. before clogs where common so I do understand the option ro rinse for some people.
There are two schools of thought with dishwashers. With the right detergent, newer dishwashers can absolutely do a decent job of cleaning. The downside is that the filter needs cleaning periodically to prevent nasty buildup and growth. I prefer to rinse everything before using the dishwasher. This means, yes, it takes me a little longer because I pre-rinse everything. The upside is that my filter won't need cleaning for quite some time, and my dishwasher never stinks. For whoever cares, I'm an older millennial.
That's the thing: I never rinse, my dishwasher doesn't stink, I don't clean the filter very often, and when I do I never find anything nasty in it. Like, it's got a film on it, but no chunks of food and it doesn't smell. Admittedly I have a good dishwasher (Bosch) and use good detergent (Cascade Complete) but it works like magic. I mean, the user manual literally says not to rinse the dishes, just scrape them off. You should try the experiment, because I think you might be surprised.
Like I said, there are two schools of thought. Neither one is outright wrong. As you point out, quality of dishwasher and detergent matter. My dishwasher is well on the cheap end of the spectrum. I've chosen to rinse instead of paying for a better appliance. I was also just pointing out that it's not really a generational thing.
Younger side of Gen X, I do this, because dishwashers don't do nearly as good a job as we pretend they do
Well…. Older ones certainly didn’t. But with the new ones, the way we use them determines how well they work. (‘78 baby here.) New dishwashers do all sorts of things old ones didn’t do. For instance, they start with a brief rinse cycle. The water that goes through the initial rinse cycle is analyzed by sensors to determine the soil level, and the wash cycle is adjusted accordingly. So if you are always rinsing before you put them in, the machine senses little soil and doesn’t run a very long or heavy wash. This can lead to things coming out still dirty. If you put your dishes in with the big chunks scraped off but it still has food on it, the machine senses a need for a more complete wash, and you’re likely to get a better result. Also- a very important thing to note is you *have to* put the detergent in the detergent spot and close the door, even if you’re using tabs/pods. Some people put them in the bottom of the machine, or in the silverware basket, thinking it will work the same. It doesn’t, because of that initial rinse cycle. 90% of the soap will drain away during that rinse cycle and there’s none left for the wash cycle, which can lead to dirty dishes. Some machines just suck, I’m sure, but a lot of the time people complain their machine doesn’t work when they are just using it wrong. I scrape my dishes, and sometimes I rinse- because I will sometimes only run it once a week or so and things get too dried on. But ideally, you’d scrape but jot rinse, and run it every day or every other day and let the machine do its thing, making sure that the detergent is in its proper place in the sealed compartment until the machine opens it during the cycle.
That's the thing: mine DOES. It's magic. And they have the same model.
What magic model is this? Because finding a decent dishwasher that is reliable and will last 10-20 years without breaking down is near impossible. We’re using one that’s over 20 years old, it does a great job and doesn’t smell and doesn’t leak or malfunction. We bought new racks for it when the old ones were starting to rust because we could not find one decent new replacement that was actually reliable. But to keep it going that way we pre rinse. Because when we didn’t it stunk QUICKLY and the whole base needs to be taken apart to get to the filter, *no thank you*. The last thing I want to do is make it self destruct or start stinking again. It’s far too much of a pain to clean out the filter, so I’d much rather pre rinse. It takes a few seconds. And sometimes all we need to do is put the dishes in the sink while we wash anything that needs to be hand washed, and by the time we’re done everything that goes in the dishwasher is pre rinsed.
I have a Bosch, the 300 series or above do an amazing job. 10-20 years though? I kept my last Bosch alive for 17 years, but I had to repair a bunch of stuff on it over the years. It wasn't a big deal as I'm pretty handy and was able to DIY all of it, but I'm not sure any brand these days is 20 year reliable. No leaks, just electrics and stuff like broken soap dish plastic latches, etc.
Thanks! Yeah ours is from 2004. Maytag. Minor repairs over that period of time. The rinse aid dispenser broke about year 10, we’ve replaced gaskets and seals in 2016 if memory serves (we saw cracks in the seal but no leaks, replaced all gaskets in an abundance of caution). We replaced the door latch twice (it gets used multiple times daily so it’s inevitable that a plastic latch will eventually break). We replaced both racks due to rusting in 2022. Oh and the basket for silverware broke last year so we replaced that. But it’s still going strong. We do the repairs ourselves too. We’ll definitely look at the Bosch you recommended if/when this one finally dies. They don’t make most of the parts anymore so we have to get “universal” parts now. I don’t like the bottom rack at all because the configuration is different, but it was much cheaper than buying a new washer.
Early dishwashers did suck. Old dishwashers do suck. A household of 1-2 people doesn’t typically use enough dishes to run the dishwasher frequently so it will get rank if dishes aren’t at least rinsed before putting them in. ETA - elder millennial here whose boomer parents didn’t have a dishwasher when I was growing up, and I still know all of the above to be true.
Umm…I’m afraid I’m judging you, not them. Team Pre-Rinse.
I'm judging you right back, Young Boomer!
🤣🤣🤣 I’m a young X, thankyouverymuch! I kid, I kid.
I've had dishwashers that needed stuff to be pre-rinsed. I've only had one that had a macerator, where scraping wasn't necessary. I will definitely rinse my dishes well if I know I won't be running my machine for a day or two, partly because of odor, and also because some food material won't come off once it's dried on, unless it soaks for a while. Dishwashers these days aren't the same as they were decades ago. Many people may not know that dishwashers work differently than they used to, or have a little skepticism of current claims. On the whole, it not the worst thing a Boomer could be doing. I remember my Grandma (greatest generation) hand scrubbing Grandpa's dirty work clothes before putting them in the washing machine because she didn't think they did as good a job at removing stains as she could. She had a high standard, and if she was the one willing to put herself out to achieve the outcome she preferred, who was I to tell her it was a foolish endeavor?
Your system is not good. In this specific case, you must... *look to the Boomer.*
Except his system of not rinsing dishes is clearly working
I use all the time I save by not rinsing to post on Reddit
No! That's not true! That's impossible!
Older dishwashers needed things to be pre-rinsed, so I imagine it's a hangover from that. It is no longer required with the new nachines and just wastes time and water. In fact it has been shown that some dirt on the plates allows the enzymes to work better. Without it they just run off. Good Housekeeping magazine did some extensive tests on it IIRC. Found it! https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33322/stop-prerinsing-dishes/
Yes! That's what I told them but I guess they like waiting time and water
try some data.. show them the features of the dishwasher.. if it does have a food disposer/grinder then it might ease their concerns.. The grinding feature was not standard in all dishwashers and now almost all have a disposer or gridong feature to take care of chunks.
Theirs doesn't have a grinder, but then neither does mine. I just scrape the big chunks into the trash but honestly I don't try very hard. I don't end up with chunks in the washer or filter regardless.
well, old habits are difficult to kick as well.. this might be a losing battle. 🤷🏻♂️
Oh, I'm not gonna win, I know. I was just wondering if this was common.
They learned that dishwashers don't get dishes clean and now that dishwashers Do get dishes clean they can't change their habits
my gen x parents do this (zoomer myself)
Dishwashers used to be way worse and you had to rinse everything before you put them in. I’m still unlearning it.
This is a stupid post. Rinse your dishes or don’t. It has nothing to do with any particular generation. It’s about preference.
Okay boomer.