Dish Washing Sponge Vs. Brush

[John1017]

I've never had a dishwasher here in Argentina and all the apartments I stay in have always provided sponges not brushes which is why I started this post. I guess they use a lot of water, can be noisy, but I'm not sure, not a lot of real negatives with having a dishwasher. All the major appliance stores have them, but it haven't looked at the prices, maybe they are a status symbol and only wealthier argentines have them.

 

[internationalguy]

I'm not all that worried about my sponge being a hive for bacteria, I just find it easier and quicker to clean with a brush.

Maybe you weren't worried. But you should be. Use hot water brush or sponge. Try the kitchen supply store near Santa Fe and Uriburu.

I also can't understand why they don't use dishwashers. Drives me crazy not having one. One more thing... ajo when someone asks a serious question or makes a serious argument and you respond with a one liner, an inside joke, or something that's both, it's not funny and it makes you look really bad.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Maybe you weren't worried. But you should be. Use hot water brush or sponge. Try the kitchen supply store near Santa Fe and Uriburu.

I also can't understand why they don't use dishwashers. Drives me crazy not having one. One more thing... ajo when someone asks a serious question or makes a serious argument and you respond with a one liner, an inside joke, or something that's both, it's not funny and it makes you look really bad.

One-liners can be very serious.

 

[John1017]

Although I agree with you internationalguy, I also think some humor is always welcome. Life is a little bit too serious sometimes.

I'm going to be on the lookout for a nice dish washing brush.

 

[PhilipDT]

Is there a reason why dishwashers are super uncommon here? I stayed in several different apartments all of which with a modern interior, but none of them had one. Technically, even Argentina should be capable to produce them, so I wonder if its a cultural thing or whether there are other reasons?

I think its cultural since they're not Thaaat expensive.

One of the first things I did when I moved into a new apartment was to buy a dishwasher, when I did so my girlfriend endlessly teased me asking why I would spend so much money when washing dishes really isn't that hard and takes no time blah blah blah.

About 2 weeks after I had my dishwasher hooked up she was trying to figure out how she could fit one in her kitchen.

It's the same thing with dryers.

 

[PhilipDT]

Maybe you weren't worried. But you should be. Use hot water brush or sponge. Try the kitchen supply store near Santa Fe and Uriburu.

Don't worry babe, I keep reeeeeel hot!

Edit: actually even hotter than I would have thought. no wonder I have to wear gloves when washing up!

 

[Redpossum]

I think its cultural since they're not Thaaat expensive.

One of the first things I did when I moved into a new apartment was to buy a dishwasher, when I did so my girlfriend endlessly teased me asking why I would spend so much money when washing dishes really isn't that hard and takes no time blah blah blah.

About 2 weeks after I had my dishwasher hooked up she was trying to figure out how she could fit one in her kitchen.

It's the same thing with dryers.

I'm completely with you on the clothes dryer; this drip dry BS is for the birds. But I'd like to hear what you perceive to be the argument in favor of a dishwasher. I actually have one, but haven't been using it.

 

[easyliving]

I think a lot of the people who might traditionally have been the target market for dishwashers already have one... The Argentine word is 'mucama.' As the prevalence of staff decreases, I imagine that dishwashers will become more common. But they haven't been provisioned for in most kitchens so it will take some time.

 

[thorsten]

I'm completely with you on the clothes dryer; this drip dry BS is for the birds. But I'd like to hear what you perceive to be the argument in favor of a dishwasher. I actually have one, but haven't been using it.

A dishwasher was the first thing I bought in my first own apartment back home - and probably one of the best buys. Personally, I think it has so much advantages over cleaning with a sponge/brush that its well worth the few bucks:
1. it saves time and I really hate cleaning dishes, so just put it in a machine and press the button is awesome
2. there are no plates/cups/... lying in the kitchen - you can just put all the stuff in the machine until there's enough to start it
3. it saves a lot of water and is more energy efficient - so its both cheaper and more environment-friendly
Even if 2./3. would not be given, alone the comfort provided by not having to stand 10 minutes and clean dishes would be worth it for me.

 

[PhilipDT]

I think a lot of the people who might traditionally have been the target market for dishwashers already have one... The Argentine word is 'mucama.' As the prevalence of staff decreases, I imagine that dishwashers will become more common. But they haven't been provisioned for in most kitchens so it will take some time.

I think you might be on to something. Kitchens don't have dishwasher hookups but even new constructions (in nicer areas) have dependencias.

I'm completely with you on the clothes dryer; this drip dry BS is for the birds. But I'd like to hear what you perceive to be the argument in favor of a dishwasher. I actually have one, but haven't been using it.

Convenience? Leave and forget? Cleans better, no spots, blah blah blah. I always compare a dishwasher to washing machines, both are expensive complicated appliances that take 10 times longer to do what would be a relatively simple manual task, one that people have been doing for millennia.

But if you use dishwashers (and washing machines and cloths dryers), you manage to, with a relatively small in investment, you suddenly free up hours and hours and hours of time which was previously dedicated to tedious mindless never ending chores.

Now if only they'd come out with a domestic automated shirt ironer, I could finally upgrade from my current 'mucama' model.

Edit: A high quality properly set up dishwasher cleans way more effectively than I do. Especially wine glasses, thats the place where spots and drips are most frequently noticed and I struggled to get mine clean before having the dishwasher, now they shine! Not to mention, as of last night, I've lost 3 fine wine glasses to my dishwasher (each broken during my brutish loading or unloading, never during the wash cycle) in the last year. That pales in comparison to the 30+ I lost during the manual cleaning process in the 4 preceding years. It's apparently illegal to make crystal wine glasses in Argentina so we're stuck paying through the nose for imported Czech stuff or stuck with the worlds most fragile Nac&Pop. With my troll hands, the dishwasher has probably paid for itself in wine glasses.