A Small But Satisfying Purchase

Suzanne

Nov 2

Our new-to-us dishwasher has a little blue light that shines on the floor when it's operating. But when the dishwasher has completed its cycle and the dishes are clean, the light goes off. The light is also off when the dishwasher is full of dirty dishes.

This is a problem. The lack of clarity around whether the dishes are dirty or clean has led to Carla putting dirty dishes in with the clean ones. It has led to my husband stacking dishes on the counter instead of putting them into the dishwasher where they belong. It has led to me being annoyed and feeling like I have become both The Keeper of the Knowledge of the Dishes and The Sole Dishwasher Loader/Emptier which are titles I did not consent to and do not want.

(Sidebar: I think it IS possible to figure out whether a dishwasher is full of clean or dirty dishes, at least most of the time, simply by doing a little investigation. You often find a little puddle of water on the underside of mugs after they've run through the wash, for instance. Or if the dishwasher has only two plates, a fork, and the water bottle you put into it yesterday, perhaps they are dirty. To be fair, since we are a Full Rinse Before Dishwashing family, it can be tricky to tell the difference, especially if the dishwasher is pretty full. But that is only some of the time, not all of the time.)

It is possible to buy little magnets that tell you whether your dishes are clean or dirty. But the new-to-us dishwasher is not magnetic, so the problem persisted.

But I found a little clean/dirty sign that you put inside your dishwasher and I love it! There has been a bit of a learning curve – I need to switch the sign to "Clean :-)" at the same time I add the soap, and I need to switch the sign to "Dirty :-(" right when I open up the dishwasher to empty it, but sometimes I forget. It's helping though! Other people have been putting their dirty dishes into the dishwasher all by themselves.

Is there a 99.99999% chance that I will be the person who unloads these dishes? Yes.

Who is the primary dishwasher loader/unloader in your household? What title do you bear that you neither consented to nor want?

I am kinda sorta attempting to complete NaBloPoMo, with the full expectation that life will make it impossible any day now. If you want to follow along, or join in the fun, check out San's blog here.