6 Reasons Why You Should Have a Dishwasher

Dishwashers are often considered the most expendable of the three major kitchen appliances. Storing and cooking food are essential, after all, but more easily cleaning dirty dishes is a mere convenience.

But convenience is just one of the reasons why you should own a dishwasher. There are actually quite a few benefits, and you don’t have to spend too much money to reap them.

1. Dishwashers Save Time

The time to load a dishwasher is minuscule compared to individually washing each item.

Seriously, what’s better than having more time to do whatever you want? A dishwasher gives you more time to tackle other chores, spend time with friends and family, read a book, knit... whatever!

The time it takes to load dishes into a dishwasher and hit Start is minuscule compared to individually washing and rinsing every plate, bowl, fork, and knife by hand.

2. Dishwashers Save Money

Hand-washing costs you on your water bill, but there are other effects, too. A recent study showed that just 10 hand-washing sessions uses more energy than what’s needed to build a dishwasher. Long story short, the least resource-intensive and most environmentally friendly method of washing your dishes is using a dishwasher.

3. Dishwashers Save Your Skin

Constantly washing dishes by hand leaves your skin rough and dry—or even cracked and bleeding, if you work in a commercial kitchen. But when your dishwasher does the work, you’re not just saving your skin, you're protecting your hands as well.

4. Dishwashwashers Can Sanitize

This is something hand-washing simply cannot do. Anti-bacterial detergent and elbow grease can only go so far; to truly wipe out disease-causing germs, you need to bring the heat. And only dishwashers can bring wash temperatures up to bacteria-killing levels.

5. Dishwashers Spiff Up Your Space

De-cluttering your kitchen not only makes it more livable—it helps de-clutter your mind, too. The key to organization is to have a home for everything, and the dishwasher is the logical place for dirty dishes.

This means you won't have dirty dishes piled up in the sink or hanging on a drying rack. When every dish can be stowed inside something—the dishwasher if it's dirty, the cabinet when it's clean—then they're out of sight and out of mind. That's something your guests will appreciate.

6. Dishwashers Add Value to Your Home

If you're thinking of selling your house or renting out your apartment, potential buyers or renters will always take stock of what appliances are installed before negotiating the price. The presence of a dishwasher gives you leverage, and you can be sure that the absence of one will count against you.A premium dishwasher also adds aesthetic value to your home, which can work to boost its monetary value. A pretty kitchen with fancy appliances that match the cabinetry is undoubtedly more appealing than one that's missing a major appliance.