Growing up in the “old country” before moving to Australia later in life – yes I finally came to my senses ditching Blighty for the Land of Milk and Honey – there have been many things that I have adapted to and many areas where I have changed my views from that of my upbringing.
I even have Vegemite rather than Marmite on my toast!
In South London, it was always the neighbours who had everything first. They had a “bar” with all the latest drinks (like Cinzano, ugh) – we had an ugly cabinet with an opening mechanism that always got stuck.
They had central heating – we had a gas fire. My father said he preferred airflow as we shivered in the cold while the neighbour’s property was cosily warm even in deep mid-winter.
They had a colour TV long before us, the first on the street. We joked that our black and white one ran on gas….
They even had a sliding door connecting the dining room to the lounge – our rooms were poky and unadaptable.
They also had a dishwasher…..
My dad pooh-poohed this idea risking assault from the matriarch of the household when he joked that he had married one, that was enough.
These days I go out to a bar, have “central cooling”, a sliding mozzie screen onto the patio, a 60-inch flat screen that my parents would have died for, and a dishwasher (even though I’m married….)
So what are the advantages and drawbacks of a dishwasher? It’s not rocket science.
Firstly, the upfront cost of a dishwasher can be the best part of a thousand bucks or more. But in the long run they may be more cost effective.
Sure, doing things by hand means miniscule initial investment and you can control the amount of water that you use.
There’s no need for electricity, you can wash a few items without waiting for a full load, and it is usually better for fragile items unless you’re cack-handed like me.
But it can be time-consuming, ruin your hands and even wrists, and is nowhere near as sanitary as a dishwasher.
Investing in a dishwasher frees up your time for other activities. Modern dishwashers use less water and energy and can run while you’re out – saving time.
They reduce clutter in the kitchen too.
Yes, you’ll have that initial cost and possibly installation fees and of course, there is always the potential for repairs and long-term maintenance.
But you don’t need gloves or hand cream, as “her indoors” shouts out!
They naturally take up their own space but being front loading this can be minimised.
Their disposal can add to your carbon footprint, too, so the environmentally conscious may opt for the work of “doing it yourself”.
Not for me.
I need more time for eating my Vegemite even if I’m still addicted to the English Premier League!
