Anyone else survive without a dishwasher while doing daycare?

And no, I have no interest in paper products. Too much waste.

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I have done childcare for 17 years with no dishwasher. I have done it without paper products but it caused so many dishes for me that it was impossible to keep up with. I have a family of 6 then with 6+ children all day it was alot to deal with. I would seriously be doing dishes 6 times a day, along with all the other things to do.

So know I do buy paper plates, bowls, and spoons. I have toyed with the idea of buying each of the kids their own set of dishes but then I would have to be washing them each time they used them wish would be back to the 6 times a day. Also, I would have to store up to 10 more dishes, bowls, silverware and cups. Right now I have parred down what is in my cupboards and really like the simple look they have now. At least with the paper products it keeps my kitchen alot cleaner for those suprise inspections.

I have actually never owned a dishwasher in the 22 years of marriage. I would love to have one but there is literally no where to put one in my kitchen.

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Nope, no way! I had to do without my dishwasher for a week when mine broke and needed to be replaced. I wasn't happy. I give anyone credit who can do day care without one.

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Daycare for 18 years, 10 without a dishwasher. (We had a portable one, and it was just in the way in our small kitchen, so it has lived in the garage gathering dust for 10 years!)

I use paper products as much as possible, but there are just times you can't. I do small amounts of dishes about 3X/day. It's really not that big of a deal to me. Takes just a few min. I let them air dry.

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I do dishes as the kids finish up with them. we do a "cracker"-type snack in the afternoon (that can go directly on the table)...so that the last real dishes are done at lunchtime. Our dishwasher died a long, long time ago...our water is so very hard that there is no point in buying a new dishwasher until we install a water softener.

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I don't have one. I've only had one for 4 of the 33 years I've been married. I don't really mind washing dishes. However, my husband is semi-retired and just works a few hours a week. When he is here, he washes all of the dishes (and makes the bed, vacuums, dusts, and runs errands. I don't use paper, but I only have 2 kids and a baby.

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Yep! Before we moved in Feb, the home we were in didn't have a dishwasher. I had 4 day care children, my 3 children, and my 2 nieces. They each have a breakfast plate (or bowl) and a lunch plate (or bowl), and I would wash them all after lunch. The only thing I would wash right away was the pans, or any prep items, I would wash them while the kids ate their breakfast. At lunch, all of the plates/cups/bowls that were dirty were washed, and then sanitized together. It was a PITA, but I really hate the idea of tossing out things. The dishes in the sink didn't really bother me, kids items are smaller, and you can't really see them when they are stacked up.

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I hand wash all my dishes and don't use paper/plastic/Styrofoam plates or utensils. We are a family of 4 with 4 dck's, so there are a lot. I have it down and it only takes 15-30 minutes on my worst days.

Here is what I do:
1) Before preparing meals, fill the sink with soapy water.
2) Empty dried clean dishes from drain train.
3) Put dirty dishes in the soapy water as soon as you are done with them.
4) Clean as you go.
5) Try to clean any unnecessary dishes/utensils/pots & pans prior to serving the meal.
6) Then I clean the dishes as the kids get down. Most of the time, the dishes are done except for 1 plate by the time the last child gets down from the table.
7) Once everyone is down, I wipe the counters, tables, high chairs and sweep the floor.

All the children have to help me set the table. When they are done, they are responsible for throwing scraps of food away in the trash and bringing me their plates, utensils, and cups. Once I get a stool for the kitchen, I plan on having them wash their own dishes.

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When I moved in April I gave up my dishwasher. I wash my dishes each evening and leave them to dry overnight. When I'm waiting for my coffee in the morning, I put the dishes away. I have the kids reuse their cups during the day so between uses I rinse them out then leave them upside down on a towel. After each meal/snack I rinse all dishes and stack them neatly. It only takes 15 minutes or so in the evening to wash them.

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I have survived my whole life without a dishwasher just fine I just wash them as they come after each meal/snack - no problem.

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Our dishwasher just broke (right in time for all of my SA kids and daycare SA's to be home too, of course!) and I bought paper. For lunch I still use my plastic plates. I have a plastic tub the kids scrape and put them in, and then I pop it in the sink in soapy water and let it sit until nap when I have more time. It works for now, I tried going without paper for two weeks and the dishes were piled up. It was a disaster for me!

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I have never had a dishwasher at daycare. Why eliminate the idea of paper? I use paper and recycle EVERYTHING so there is zero waste.

I have recycle bins for paper, cardboard, glass, tin/metal cans, and plastic. We throw NOTHING away except diapers.

I even bring any food waste home to use in our compost so I virtually have no garbage. I don't use garbage service either.

My DH brings what little garbage we do have to the dump, and we spend about $3 every 6 months to do so.

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I wish I could do this, our city wont let us recycle used paper plates, cups, bowls, or napkins, seems silly to me, especially because we can recycle food cans.

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Seriously? Wow, that is crazy! I use Dixie brand cups and plates and when the kids are done using them, I rinse them off and they are ready for recycling. They don't soak up food like some paperplates and stuff but still I have never heard of a state/area that won't let you recycle those types of things. Weird...

I really don't think there is anything (except diapers) that we are not allowed to recycle here. I rinse everything prior to tossing it in the recycle bin so there isn't any foul smells or anything.

I even recycle my old/broken Little Tike toys.

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I know, it's crazy. When we were in our other city, they didn't even have recycling available to the residents, so I was pretty excited to move to our new area. There are still a good chunk of things we can recycle, and I could get away with not taking my garbage can out for 2 weeks without it getting to the overflow point, so that's good I guess.

Not to hijack the thread-I'm happy that you have a compost bucket, most people wouldn't even consider doing one.

Here is the list of unacceptable items for my city:

UNACCEPTABLE RECYCLABLE ITEMS:
aerosol cans
car batteries
china and ceramics
cookware
clothing
carpet and carpet pad
aluminum foil
motor oil
grass and tree clippings
plastic toys
wax paper
glass (any kind)
pizza boxes
disposable diapers
food and liquid waste
light bulbs and tubes
small appliances
styrofoam packaging
trash and yard waste
paper plates and cups
construction and wood
debris
household hazardous waste

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Wow! I think everything on the list you posted is recycleable in my state.
http://www.recyclemoreminnesota.org/what/#

Each area (depending on it's facilities) accepts a portion or all of the things you listed.

Again, crazy how every city/area/state differs.

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I don't think we can recycle anything either that has had food on it (paper wise). We don't have garbage service either. My hubs just loads up every weekend and off to the dump we go!

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I could not survive. And I don't provide lunch, parents do. But I use 15 plastic plates to put lunches on, and 30 snack bowls and 15 cups every day. If I didn't have a commercial dishwasher (stainless interior with heat sanitation) I would have to use 100% disposable plates cups and silvewear, as per regs. No thanks.

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Ack! oh my! No garbage service? I think I would crumple up and die. My city has curbside pick up of trash, recycling, yard waste, furniture, appliances, electronics, paint, chemicals, you name it. Being in a downtown, urban area , every thing that goes on the curb gets disposed of properly, or scavenged, or reused. Hats off to you Country, for living in the country and being so self sufficient! Applause!!

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Phew! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one in this boat. It's going to be a long time before we can afford the $500 to replace the dishwasher and the reality is that a lot of things are on the priority list before that. Shame, really, but hand-washing isn't *too* bad. Does licensing make anyone do anything obnoxious and/or inconvenient to compensate for not having the high heat of a dishwasher?

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We have good reclcying but nothing like yours! We can't recycle stuff that's got food on it, and I don't think I'd be up for rinsing things. Although, it's something for me to keep in mind if the washing gets to be too much! And I might switch to recyclable cups 'cause I HATE washing glasses.

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All of our recycling has to be clean (very, very clean). If it isn't, they won't even take it.

When we purchased this house (because we adopted AND because we wanted to start a daycare), that was the first thing I bought. A nice Bosch dishwasher.
2 adults, 1 teen, and 12 kids with no dishwasher? I couldn't do it.

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