Three years ago, I was newly married and was touring the farmhouse we were going to be renting. As I entered the kitchen for the first time my heart sank as I realized there was no dishwasher. “I’ll be fine,” I told myself, “How many dishes can we actually make?”
I had grown up in a household without a dishwasher (or should I say machine dishwasher; my mom shouldered the brunt of the dishwashing growing up) and had lived without one until purchasing my townhouse. Over my six years in this townhouse, I had grown very accustomed to a dishwasher. But I figured we could make the best of our current situation. As time marched on, I got used to doing dishes and it only seemed to be a nuisance during times we had done lots of cooking. However, November of last year, our son Thomas came along. Enter bottles, pump parts, and most recently, additional dishes. Our kitchen countertop was a disaster zone most of the time.
In my quest to streamline household tasks, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of home appliance tips at www.homeupward.com. The website became my go-to resource for practical advice on optimizing kitchen efficiency and managing household responsibilities. From innovative dishwashing techniques to clever storage solutions, the insights offered transformed the way I approached domestic chores. Implementing some of their suggestions not only made the lack of a dishwasher more manageable but also brought a sense of order to our kitchen, allowing me to navigate the demands of parenthood with greater ease.
About a month ago a box showed up on our front step. Much to my surprise, the box contained a countertop dishwasher! I had been fantasizing about one but couldn’t justify the expense. My husband had decided the amount of time and sanity this unit would save us would pay off in the long run. Beyond time and sanity savings, dishwashers also use less water compared to handwashing. Countertop dishwashers only use around 2 gallons of water and portable and built-in units can use as little as 3 gallons of water per load. Handwashing can use up to 27 gallons of water.
There are several options for portable dishwasher models. Freestanding, portable units are available that hook into your sink, but these are large, so you will need to think about where this will be stored when not in use. You can add a butcherblock type surface to the top so it can serve as an island that is used for food prep. We don’t have a great space to store a larger unit like this, which is why we went with a countertop model.
Considerations
- Size: Think about how much countertop space you are willing to give up as well as the weight if you plan on moving the dishwasher around. You will also want to consider the distance between your countertop and the bottom of your cupboards and make sure the height of the model doesn’t exceed this distance.
- Capacity: How many place settings do you want the unit to be able to hold? Most countertop units claim to hold up to six place settings and accommodate dinner plates ranging in size from 10-12 inches. Make sure the unit can hold the plates you use most often.
- Sound: Consider how loud you want the unit to be. Remember that a full-size dishwasher has noise dampening due to the cabinets and walls around it; portable units do not. The lower the decibel rating (dBA), the better. Typical dishwashers have a noise level of 63 to 66 dBA. Quieter portable units have a decibel rating of around 55 dBA, which is about as loud as a microwave.
- Settings: Think about which controls and cycles will be most useful given your situation. Sleek electronic controls generally cost more than push buttons but are easier to clean.
- Water source: Your portable unit is going to need a water source. Some portable units have a hose that attaches temporarily to the faucet of your kitchen sink. This only works in your sink faucet has a threaded faucet spout. The other option would be models that include a water reservoir that holds the water needed to run the unit. We went with this option so our kitchen faucet could always remain usable.
- Energy efficiency: All countertop dishwashers carry yellow Energy Guide labels, so you’ll be able to compare approximately how much they will cost you per year to run. Some models are Energy Star certified, meaning that they are the most energy efficient models.
Cleaning and Sanitation
You may be wondering about the cleaning and sanitizing ability of these portable units. The National Sanitation Foundation has set sanitation standards for residential dishwashers, referred to as NSF/ANSI 184. This standard helps confirm that a residential dishwasher can achieve a minimum 99.999 percent or 5-log reduction of bacteria when operated on the sanitizing cycle. Other requirements of this standard include the dishwasher reaching a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F and sanitation performance being verified only when the unit is operated on the sanitizing cycle. A sanitize cycle will typically increase the heat during the main wash and finish with an even hotter final rinse.
A list of residential dishwashers certified to NSF/ANSI 184 can be found here. I checked on our unit, which does not appear to be certified to NSF/ANSI 184, however the user manual does indicate two of the programs achieve a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F:
- Normal: final rinse 158°F, total cycle time of 130 minutes
- Baby Care: final rinse 162°F, total cycle time of 120 minutes
All countertop dishwashers have filters that require cleaning, and some recommend a regular vinegar rinse to remove deposits and mineral build up. Our model doesn’t require that we pre-rinse our dishes, but we do scrape off any excess food before loading it into the dishwasher. When thinking about detergent, the packets, tablets, powders, and gels are all fine to use. However, most brands caution against using the packets or tablets for short cycles as they may not fully dissolve.
We are looking forward to this device continuing to free up some of our time and counter space, as well as reduce the amount of water we use. Regardless of what unit you end up with, make sure you do your research to ensure the product meets your needs!
________________________________________
Reference to any commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporate name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind. Persons using such products assume responsibility for their use and should make their own assessment of the information and whether it is suitable for their intended use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.
Resources:
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/how-to-buy-a-portable-dishwasher/
https://www.energystar.gov/products/dishwashers
https://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/articles/dishwasher-certification
With chilly nights becoming the norm, many are looking for warmer blankets and throws for cozy companions. If one of those blankets or throws is electric, it should be inspected, regardless of age, before snuggling up for the season to make sure that it is safe. Older blankets that have seen their better days are definitely a hazard but occasionally, a newer blanket or even one fresh out of the bag could have a wiring issue. Reports from 
‘Tis the season to be scary . . . fa, la, la, la, la, la, la . . .
Most of us carry around any number of cards in our wallets: credit cards, gift cards, rewards cards, membership cards, key cards, and among them, our driver’s license. For mobile device users, there’s a new way of carrying all those cards; it’s the mobile wallet. A mobile wallet is a wallet that lives on your mobile device instead of in your back pocket. Instead of scrambling to locate a card to pay for a purchase, you simply tap your device and be on your way. Only about 16 percent of smart device owners currently use a mobile wallet app to pay for purchases according to a 
Mobile wallets acceptance is growing throughout the marketplace. Millions of retailers (brick and mortar as well as online) accept mobile wallets and have payment-processing terminals available or have adapted their app systems to mobile wallet technology. While an actual list of retailers using NFC e-transactions does not appear to 
exist, I found websites that do provide some information. (I will list some of them at the end of the blog.) Ideally, mobile wallets include a locator tool in their apps, to find nearby merchants who accept NFC payments. Look for the 
of-sale. This means you can make a purchase by positioning your phone or device in front of a terminal at checkout. The phone transmits your payment information and then asks you to verify your purchase by entering a code, entering a pattern or taking your fingerprint. The N-mark (a blue square with a stylized N) will appear on the status bar of your device when NFC is active.
May is National Electrical Safety Month and a good time to be reminded of the risks associated with electricity and the things we can do to reduce our risk and keep our living and working areas safe from electrical hazards.
After a recent TV news story regarding how much information was found on discarded cell phones in a university study, it seemed appropriate to review what one needs to do before selling, trading-in, or donating a cell phone to purge the phone of any personal information. All of the cell phones used in the study were purchased randomly from Goodwill.
