Dishwasher Myths and Facts

Can dishwashers tackle tough stains from Indian spices?

How much water do they use?

Do dishwashers give better results than handwashing?

There is a whole range of myths and questions surrounding dishwashers, especially when it comes to stains from Indian spices, masalas and oils.

Read on and discover the dishwasher myths & facts for yourself.

Myth: Dishwashers are expensive.

Fact: This is perhaps the most common misnomer regarding automatic dishwashers. Yes, there is an upfront cost involved when purchasing one, which may be in the range of INR 30,000-40,000. Compare this one-time investment that lasts an average of 8-10 years with employing a domestic helper who will cost a minimum of INR 1,000 per month for washing your dishes by hand. The long-term savings easily outweigh the cost. Further, factor in water savings, health and hygiene, and the fact that handwashing ends up spoiling the paint and woodwork in the kitchen, and the dishwasher leads the way in terms of benefits.

Myth: Oil and masala stains can’t be cleaned by a dishwasher.

Fact: While Indian cooking often causes stubborn masala, gravy and oil stains on dishes, the misconception that a dishwasher cannot clean these is unfounded. Automatic dishwashers such as the IFB Neptune SX1 feature special programs, including Heavily Soiled and Pre Wash, to easily remove stubborn stains and food residue from dishes and utensils. It washes everything from crockery to kadhais!

Myth: Dishwashers use a lot of water.

Fact: Conventional handwashing, despite being the predominant method of cleaning utensils in Indian homes, is a drain on our most precious natural resource—water. To handwash a 12-place dinner set takes nothing less than around 100 litres of water. Dishwashers, on the other hand, accomplish the same task using less than 10 litres of water, helping save the planet’s resources.

Myth: Pre-rinsing is necessary for clean results.

Fact: You don’t have to pre-rinse dishes by hand before loading them into a dishwasher. Simply scrape off any leftover food (just as you would do before putting dishes in the sink to avoid clogging) and place them in the dishwasher. They’ll come out spotless clean!

Myth: Washing by hand is more hygienic.

Fact: On the contrary, you may have come across dishes with food stains and detergent residue on them after handwashing. When these go unnoticed, there is a high probability of them leading to food poisoning. Hot water and steam drying in dishwashers ensure that food and detergent residues are completely washed off. What’s more, your dishes come out 100% hygienic as germs and bacteria cannot survive the high temperatures used in a dishwasher.

Myth: Crystal glasses will get scratched or break while washing.

Fact: Automatic dishwashers such as IFB’s range have special programs to take gentle care of your precious crockery and crystalware and protect them from breakages. Perfect space utilisation in IFB Dishwashers features special placeholders to firmly secure delicate crockery in place, ensuring that they don’t move or touch each other.

Myth: Dishwashers completely fill up with water when operating.

Fact: Dishwashers are built to save water; they use as little of it as possible. Only the bottom of the dishwasher fills with water while tiny jet holes in the spray arms rotate and spray the dishes. This process ensures that water, detergent and energy are all used efficiently.

Myth: Non-stick kadhais and saucepans cannot be washed in a dishwasher.

Fact: Automatic dishwashers handle all kinds of cookware with ease. Flexible racks and foldable wires make IFB Dishwashers ideal for Indian kitchens, with different utensils fitting comfortably. Furthermore, the Teflon coating of non-stick cookware is preserved as it is not subjected to scrubbing by hand.

Myth: Washing at low temperatures is more eco-friendly.

Fact: While it may seem rational that washing at lower temperatures consumes less power, the reality is quite the contrary. At lower temperatures, more water, detergent, time and energy are required to remove stubborn stains from Indian cooking. IFB Dishwashers use higher temperatures for shorter durations of time, resulting in fast cleaning of dishes using less water, energy and detergent.

Myth: Automatic dishwashing takes more time than handwashing.

Fact: In a normal household of four people, soiled utensils from daily usage take a minimum of 30 minutes to handwash. Add to that the time it takes to air dry them. Automatic Dishwashers, on the other hand, take just 15 minutes to load and unload, giving you cupboard-ready dishes and utensils in a fraction of the time.

Myth: If there is a power failure, the dishwasher needs to be reloaded.

Fact: This is completely untrue. Quality dishwashers such as the ones from IFB are programmed with an Auto Restart feature. This means that they resume their wash cycles from where they left off upon resumption of power.

Buying a dishwasher?

If you are planning to buy a dishwasher, hopefully this blog answered any queries you may have had. Feel free to explore IFB’s range of Automatic Dishwashers here. You can also explore the range and see a product demo at an IFB Point, our exclusive store. Click here to access our Store Locator and head to the IFB Point closest to you.