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Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,019
Registered: ‎08-08-2010

I haven't used a dish drainer since the early 80's.

 

Never had a dishwasher (as an adult, but we did have one at home), so all dishes are hand washed, dried immediately and put away. 

 

I think a kitchen looks messy and unkept if there are dishes (dirty or clean) on counters or in the sink or on a drainer. And dishes spot horribly if left to air dry, so I always towel dry and put away right away.

 

I don't have dish soap, or sponges or drainers or anything that pertains to dish washing showing in my kitchen between washings. The kitchen just isn't cleaned up if dishes and their washing/drying equipment is left out.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,756
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

We have so few dishes that I hand-wash most of the time.  I don't mind it.  And if one hand-washes, one has to use a drainer and mat, right?  I even let the dishes air-dry.  I don't think there's anything wrong with it - it's the kitchen after all, not the living room.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,656
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

I hand wash everything.  I use a mat and dish drainer but I don't let things air dry.  I wash the dishes and then tidy up the kitchen.  After that, I immediately dry the dishes and put them away.  I can't stand a cluttered kitchen so I dry the mat and put the drainer away as well.  If my kitchen is messy, I feel like the whole house is a wreck. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,365
Registered: ‎05-01-2010

For my kitchen, I prefer no drainer sitting on the counter. I use my dishwasher or as a previous poster said, if I wash by hand, I use the dishwasher as a drainer.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,306
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I only use my dishwasher.  If there is something that is not dishwasher safe, I wash by hand, place on the dish mat and immediately dry and put away.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,417
Registered: ‎11-03-2013

It's just me and since I have an old, in dearly need of remodeling kitchen I found a nice little dish drainer at Target that permanently sits in the second sink . . . I use just a few dishes so I have chosen pretty plates of various sizes that sit in the drainer all day.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 22,096
Registered: ‎10-03-2011

We've always kept a dish drainer on one side of our split sink.  Last spring we redid the kitchen and now we have a 60/40 sink.  I had to get a new drainer for the "40" side and chose one that's essentially only a bottom so that it's not so obvious.  I also bought a drying mat for the counter when I have a lot of dishes or pots & pans, but that comes out temporarily and then gets put away.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,644
Registered: ‎04-05-2010

@Peaches McPhee wrote:

@Ditzydori wrote:

 It takes away from the beauty of the kitchen. 

 


 

 

 


See, here's the problem.  I am 100% for a beautiful kitchen, but if you start to worry about the function taking away from the beauty, you've gone too far. 


I have to agree with you @Peaches McPhee ! I have absolutely gorgeous granite countertops, and my dish drainer stays out all the time--unless I am having company. I found one that is semi-transparent, so it's not real noticeable unless it's stacked with dishes. There is usually something sitting on it, because I refuse to use my limited time at home hand drying dishes!  I didn't get the "rack" part, only the drain board.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,538
Registered: ‎03-20-2012

I still have the need for a dish drainer but not the space. I found stainless steel ones that fit over the sink portion and rest on the sink frame. They are space savers so it drains right into the sink which really works for me. I have limited counter space and an average size kitchen. I still have items every day that I hand wash and both of my drainers are always in use. I found what I use at Bed & Bath.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,892
Registered: ‎07-03-2013

Don't use a dish drainer.  If I had something to hand wash, I'd wash/dry/put away after using it.  I don't leave anything sitting in the sink.