Dishwashers

[Action_Johnson]

I have a dishwasher at home I never use, a friend told me that I should be running it at least once a week to keep the lines and seals from drying up. Is this true? 

 

I live alone, cook for one most nights of the week, and use reasonably high-end knives, pots, and pans that wouldn't go into the dishwasher anyway. 

 

Meaning the only thing I'd ever put in it are a few plates, silverware, and glasses. I just don't feel like I create enough dishes to justify using the dishwasher. 

 

Should I be trying to fill it up and be running it alot? Or can I effectively ignore it until the next time family or friends come over and I'm cooking for 10? 

[LWM723]

It shouldn't need to be run if not neccessary. After manufacture ir could be sitting dry in a warehouse for many months before actually being sold. A;so, the seals are rubber which doesn't stay soft from water.

[JP!]

I agree with LWM, but what is the issue with high end utensils in the dishwasher?

 

I use my dishwasher for everything except aluminium and don't remember having a problem.

 

JP

[Dr0y]

We are only two and we fill up the dishwasher every day, sometimes twice a day ... we put everything in it ... using it or not is just a matter of preference tho ... if you have time to do the dishes and enjoy it then just keep it the way it is. 

 

Don't put glass or any dishes with golden trim in the dishwasher as they will wear off with time. 

[Lurick]

A couple months of no use and it won't hurt it but a couple years of no use will definitely cause the seals to dry out and crack. I knew someone who didn't use their dishwasher for 5 years and all the seals basically disintegrated at that point so they had to toss it and buy a new one.

 

 

10 hours ago, LWM723 said:

It shouldn't need to be run if not neccessary. After manufacture ir could be sitting dry in a warehouse for many months before actually being sold. A;so, the seals are rubber which doesn't stay soft from water.

The seals do need to stay moisturized in dishwashers, mostly around the motor, not every week but running the dishwasher periodically keeps them in good shape.

 

Edit:

https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=19263

[Intergalacticbits]

I only run my dishwasher like once every three weeks to a month depending and I've never had any problems.

I live alone so I just don't generate that many dirty dishes in a week.

Mainly metal pots and corning ware type stuff that I have to wash by hand anyway because they don't fit in the dishwasher right.

I freaking hate washing dishes.  

 

Also I had a new dishwasher sitting for about a year in the box it came in before I installed it as a replacement.

So I don't know for sure but I'd guess you probably only have to run it a few times a year.

 

 

 

[Action_Johnson]

Awesome, I can definitely run it every few weeks when I have guests over

[Action_Johnson]

5 hours ago, JP! said:

I agree with LWM, but what is the issue with high end utensils in the dishwasher?

 

I use my dishwasher for everything except aluminium and don't remember having a problem.

 

JP

The detergent used in dishwashers will completely wreck and pit good chef's knives, the all-clad's, the cast iron, and my non-stick pans, despite all of them claiming "dishwasher safe". Forks, spoons, butter knives, anything glass, any (fully) glazed ceramics are OK. 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

3 hours ago, Lurick said:

A couple months of no use and it won't hurt it but a couple years of no use will definitely cause the seals to dry out and crack. I knew someone who didn't use their dishwasher for 5 years and all the seals basically disintegrated at that point so they had to toss it and buy a new one.

 

 

The seals do need to stay moisturized in dishwashers, mostly around the motor, not every week but running the dishwasher periodically keeps them in good shape.

 

Edit:

https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=19263

*Nervously rushes to my dishwasher*

[JP!]

On 10/3/2020 at 3:48 PM, Action_Johnson said:

The detergent used in dishwashers will completely wreck and pit good chef's knives, the all-clad's, the cast iron, and my non-stick pans, despite all of them claiming "dishwasher safe". Forks, spoons, butter knives, anything glass, any (fully) glazed ceramics are OK. 

So, the problem is the detergent rather than the dishwasher.

 

Maybe try liquid or powder detergents, reduce the ammount of detergent per cycle and add white vinagre and see if it works better.

 

JP

[greenhorn]

I would run it once in a while because of the issues mentioned by @Lurick . Also, you don't want any water to remain in there for years. If you want to start using it again after a long time, I would suggest running it empty with a special cleaning product (designed to clean the dishwasher itself) before you use it for your dishes. 

[airborne spoon]

I live alone and use my dishwasher about once a week sometimes twice, its an old POS in the house i rent but it works mostly and like others have said the rubber seals wont shrivel up and rot form not being used, unless you have it installed in a super hot or excessively temperature swing area. But a normal house at a reasonable temp you'll have no issues.

 

I always thought the notion of not putting certain items in the dishwasher was silly. I throw everything in there with the exception of my wood cutting boards, but that's only because they wont fit. everything else i need washed goes right in there.

 

[Chrisism8]

I've worked in a store selling large household appliances (lets short it to LHA) for many years. A normal lifespan for a an LHA in use is 8 +-3 years. There are always exceptions to every rule, and I bet many know someone who got a cooler in the basement made in the 70s. But for stuff bought after 2000, 8 years is pretty average. 

Look around your home, what else do you have that is made of plastic/rubber that is around 8 years? I bet you can find quite a lot of stuff and I doubt many of them have "dried" up. With that in mind, most items built today are built to look expensive, but cheap to make. Take washing machines as an example. In the 70s they had metal suspensions that could last a lifetime. These days to afford the nice LCD display and WIFI they have plastic suspension that won't last very long at all.

 

So maybe there is something that could dry up, even though I highly doubt it. And even if it does dry up, it will most likely be towards the "end" of the planned lifespan of the machine, even that it has not been in use much. 

___
 

On an other note, as many others has said it is very good to wash stuff in the dishwasher. If it is relatively new they use very little water/power making it environment friendly. Especially if you compare it to dishing under an open faucet. There are a few things you don't want to put in there, like teflon frying pans, crystal glass and wooden cutting boards. Most everything else is fine though.