Dishwasher "rules"

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amandajane
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Dishwasher "rules"

Post by amandajane »

Now we've joined the modern world, I was just wondering what you ask of your guests on departure day as far as the dishwasher goes? Do they fill it and set it going for the cleaner to empty?

Is it something I should add to my T's and C' s or just put in my information pack?
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PW in Polemi
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Post by PW in Polemi »

I just ask that all dishes be washed and put away, so that covers running and emptying the d/w too.

I also ask my guests not to strip the beds - it's one less thing for them to worry about before checkout, and from my perspective, I can easily see if any bedlinen needs special treatment before washing. Also, it stops the "helpful" ones from stuffing (forcing?) all the bedlinen plus bath sheets, hand towels, tea towels, etc into the washing machine as one load and starting the machine - on the only wet day in September! :roll:
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FelicityA
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Post by FelicityA »

I don't specify anything about the dishwasher and it is frequently left running as they leave. I would rather they cleaned around and got on with that than worry about getting it all put away (frequently in the wrong place anyway!). I also ask them not to strip the beds. Again, I would rather they concentrated on other things and as PW says you can miss the stains that way.
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Post by Joanna »

As an owner I don't mind if guests leave the dishwasher running or empty, but preferably not with dirty crockery in.

As a guest I'd like to know if the owner needs it left one way of the other so a mention in the departure notes would be good but more as a request than as a rule.
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GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

We don't specify anything about the dishwasher. I have, sometimes, arrived to find it running or finished and needs unloading. That's fine - it doesn't take long, I can check for chips and cracks as I unload and I know it will all be put away in the right place.

I don't require beds to be stripped either as, ditto above, it is much easier to see the stains etc. if it isn't all folded or left in a pile.

Ditto: I would rather they spent the time cleaning the loo etc. etc.
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Post by Martha »

I ask that the washing up is done or the dishwasher loaded and started. I also mention that there's no need to strip the beds or deal with the linen. Another one here who's found loads of towels in the washing machine!
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

Exactly the same as PW, and for the same reasons.
amandajane
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Post by amandajane »

Thank you all yet again. I shall put something in my information pack.
Orsonthecat
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Post by Orsonthecat »

A slight deviation to your question but on the topic of rules for D/w why do people think it's safe to put decent and obviously delicate wine glasses in a dishwasher??! Almost guaranteed to chip or smash the glass :evil:
So much to learn....so little time!
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

Orsonthecat wrote:A slight deviation to your question but on the topic of rules for D/w why do people think it's safe to put decent and obviously delicate wine glasses in a dishwasher??! Almost guaranteed to chip or smash the glass :evil:
I think the answer to that is “because there’s a dishwasher”. Guests will expect to be able to put anything provided in the dishwasher, which seems not unreasonable; if the wine glasses aren’t dishwasher proof then the best solution is to replace them with ones that are.
newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

Orsonthecat wrote:A slight deviation to your question but on the topic of rules for D/w why do people think it's safe to put decent and obviously delicate wine glasses in a dishwasher??! Almost guaranteed to chip or smash the glass :evil:
I would put the delicate wine glasses away and replace with something more robust. The delicate ones are bound to get broken or damaged.
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Post by Orsonthecat »

Newtimber they were on offer, a bargain actually, so I bought a couple of boxes as personally I hate drinking out of cheap wine glasses...think I will find some tougher ones next time though!
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Post by Mouse »

The dishwasher is the bain of my life.....very few people know how to use one. I spend hours rewashing dishes and cutlery most changeover days.
In both ours and a friends villa I manage, we had brand new dishwashers installed at the start of the season. Yet we still had cries of them being 'faulty'. When we checked supplies they weren't using the salt or rinse at every use, as advised, nor rinsing the food away before shoving plates and pans in to be washed.
Our techician actually told one set of guests quite bluntly that they were not rinsing the plates after they insisted the dishwasher was faulty. He showed them the mound of food he had cleared out of the machine.

I now have step by step instructions pinned up in all houses....but not everyone follows them. The guests that do leave wonderful cal-free glasses and rust spot free cutlery. Plus happy cleaners and a happy me!

Mouse
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newtimber
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Post by newtimber »

Mouse wrote:The dishwasher is the bain of my life.....very few people know how to use one. I spend hours rewashing dishes and cutlery most changeover days.
In both ours and a friends villa I manage, we had brand new dishwashers installed at the start of the season. Yet we still had cries of them being 'faulty'. When we checked supplies they weren't using the salt or rinse at every use, as advised, nor rinsing the food away before shoving plates and pans in to be washed.
Our techician actually told one set of guests quite bluntly that they were not rinsing the plates after they insisted the dishwasher was faulty. He showed them the mound of food he had cleared out of the machine.

I think our dishwasher doesn't advise rinsing the dishes - it wastes a whole lot of water and you might as well wash by hand if you're going to do this. You should just scrape dishes where there is lots of food left on them.
We supply all in one dishwasher tablets and it's a lot easier. We still fill the salt up but it lasts several weeks as the tablets have some salt in them anyway.
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PW in Polemi
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Post by PW in Polemi »

newtimber wrote:I think our dishwasher doesn't advise rinsing the dishes - it wastes a whole lot of water and you might as well wash by hand if you're going to do this. You should just scrape dishes where there is lots of food left on them.
We supply all in one dishwasher tablets and it's a lot easier. We still fill the salt up but it lasts several weeks as the tablets have some salt in them anyway.
I agree - my parents used to so thoroughly rinse the crockery etc before putting it in the d/w that there was no saving of time or water, which is surely the purpose of having a d/w????
We leave tablets for our cottage guests too, as well as extra salt and rinse aid (which latter two items we always top up on changeovers). The only problem we have is when the frying pan/s have been well used and fat spats cooked on - the d/w does not remove it all, so OH has to roll up his sleeves and set to! :lol:

Just had a thought :shock: - my d/w at home has a "quick wash" programme, primarily for glasses and cups. If this is accidentally used for the dinner dishes, then many items will not come clean. Maybe this is the problem, Mousie's guests are using the wrong programme? (Remember that old soap powder advert "the dirt says hot, the label says not"?!! :lol: )
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