Blaise Tapp: Rinse and repeat? Settling the great dishwasher debate
It is a rare breed of person who looks forward to undertaking any type of domestic chore; for instance, it’s abundantly clear that our lawn will need tackling soon but it won’t be done with any sort of good grace.
The same applies to vacuuming and ironing, both of which have long been outsourced in our house, largely in the name of convenience, not to mention matrimonial harmony. Millions of us work hard enough these days, meaning that the last thing any of us want to do after a day of grafting is tidy or clean, especially the dishes.
This is where the dishwasher comes in - an invention designed to make modern lives that little bit easier and are so commonplace these days that those without such an appliance are often met with pitying looks. I wouldn’t be without one - I’ve been known to reject otherwise perfectly good holiday rentals on learning that a dishwasher isn’t included in the inventory alongside a coffee machine and a telly.
However, we’ve become so reliant on this must-have item that, perversely, it has become the source of domestic disquiet in homes up and down the country, with two thirds of those surveyed last year admitting that they’ve had a bull and cow with a loved one about it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most fallouts stem from folk disagreeing how to properly stack the thing.
There’s nothing guaranteed to wind up any responsible, bill paying adult than being told that they’ve put the cutlery in the wrong way up or that the hilarious ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ mug would be better served on a different shelf. Which is why I was delighted to find out last week that a new BBC programme appears to vindicate my approach to washing crockery.
Crucially it seems to settle that great 21st Century debate as to whether crockery should be rinsed clean before being stuck on a 90 minute cycle and, I’m pleased to say they shouldn’t. I’ve always regarded pre-washing as an act of extreme futility and those in the know say that filling a machine with clean plates tricks it into lowering its temperature, making it less effective.
Then there’s the question of whether non-stick saucepans should be squeezed into the rack - again a resounding no. Learning that I’ve been right all these years was a small victory for me, one which I celebrated by sharing the accompanying news article to loved ones with whom I’ve temporarily fallen out with over such mundane matters.
It’s nice being right once in a while.