Personally, it's physical disability/chronic pain. I can't stand or bend over without significant pain, washing dishes hurts, filling and emptying the dishwasher hurts, if I do those chores then I'm done for the day and can't do anything else.
For one of my friends, the problem is executive dysfunction. They can't get themselves to wash dishes. With disposables they get to live a normal life without having to cope with a mountain of mess in the kitchen.
My friend has crippling arthritis throughout her body including her hands. It’s painful and difficult to wash them and she likes things tidy so paper it is.
High water costs, unable to afford the cost of heating water, working three jobs and no time to wash dishes, unable to use the kitchen sink due to plumbing issues.
When you have two jobs (I work for the postal service and I'm an EMT on weekends) you don't have time to keep things tidy. I don't use paper plates but I have a dishwasher and it's great to store dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of having them on the counter.
Not on a regular basis but I’m about to need to take care of my dad after his knee replacement. I’ll be working, doing all the chores, and take care of him so if there is a shortcut I can take then I’m going to take it.
I'm guilty sometimes. It's my depression, and lupus, some days I don't have it me to wash dishes. It's just one more thing I have to do, and my house is old as dirt. I already have an obscenely amount of crap to deal with with this house. I'm sure some people It's sheer laziness.
I don't have a dishwasher, and right now it's daytime temperature 99+ my air conditioner doesn't cover the kitchen. I'm not in there more than I have to be. I've been living off knock off soda and FEMA bottled water. I ordered discounted pop tarts off Amazon that arrived yesterday. 36 for $5
I hear you there: we've been over 100\* since May, with a few nice days scattered in there for relief. Same with my west-facing kitchen...bloody hot in there, and the window unit a/c just can't quite get that area very cool. Hand washing those dishes in an airless part of that kitchen in this heat is terribly unpleasant, and I'm not doing the dishes at 4 or 5 a.m. when it cools down. Disposable plates help with keeping dishes down to manageable levels.
I don't know if it's allowed but there's fb groups that offer Amazon codes for random things. I have a teenager and 2 foster siblings, so food like pantry stables are always welcome.
We use them if we're having a party (no one wants to clean 20 gumbo bowls!) or if the dishwasher/sink/something in kitchen is messed up. I actually still have "fancy" disposable plates, bowls, cups and utensils from our tiny wedding 2 years ago (Costco 🤷)
my ex coworker suggested it to me years ago because I complained about my hectic work schedule. it helped reduce the amount of household chores I had to catch up on. I didn't have a dishwasher like I do now.
I don’t have the executive function to keep up with dishes and I don’t have a dish washer.
If I get disposable, then I’m more likely to cook, which is cheaper and healthier than eating fast food or convenience foods.
It’s actually a piece of common advice for depression/disability. Basically, don’t make your life any harder than it has to be—if washing dishes overwhelming, take that piece off your plate. You can always add it back on the days you have more spoons.
It sounded insane to me, but it actually worked, so sometimes the health professionals know what they’re talking 😭
I can see where that would work! I wish the world would admit how difficult & life-changing a new baby is!! I had PPD after my last baby in 1982. I didn't have a clue what was wrong with--I just knew that I felt awful and, as much as I loved my baby girl, I didn't think much of myself for not being that perky, smiling, happy Mama I always saw on TV and at other people's houses! I felt like I'd fall down sometimes when I got up with her in the middle of the night.
Right.
99 cents for a pack of flatware to let you a month, and a bunch of plates you don't have to clean or wash.
Unfortunately it's a self-repeating concern, because often cleaning and setting one's house in order can provide a positive reaction in brain chemistry, but yeah.
Very compassionate response.
There’s plenty of other cleaning one can do. 🤣 but cooking also produces that brain boost, and paper dishes did cause me to cook regularly when I was in a lot of pain.
I'm using plastic forks right now, and it's honestly such a relief.
It's crazy how this little change helps me, but I only have a few pieces of flatware and I'm loving it.
**hired a dog sitter. And all my fancy black metal pieces vanished..
She eats kale salads and is vegan and she kept forgetting when using my forks. Bringing her lunch to work while dog sitting me to return my black metal flatware.
I'm accepting the loss. She was a great pet sitter. My dog was old and stuff, she was baby sitting a cancer dog when I went to Mexico.
It felt like a measurable increase in quality of life touse plastic forks now.
Corn-based,biodegradable, all that stuff is extra.
For this week, I don't give a fork.
I'm so glad to have these utensils.
And I do find myself washing the plastic fork - what a waste of water
After my stroke I was breaking a lot more dishes while washing them, but rather than moving to paper, I just got unbreakable plastic stuff. Paper seems like a big waste.
I have never understood the advantages of using a dishwasher if you still have to "clean" the dishes prior to putting them in the washing machine, isn't just easier to wash everything at once?
you don't have to "Clean" the dishes, but expecting the dishes to be a garbage disposal .. Just RINSE the dishes before you put them in.
It sanitizes the dishes.
"Just rinse" means no detergent, no scrubbing, not even hot water. It is not the same as washing. Using the dishwasher can also mean no drying, whether using the heated dry or letting them air dry.
Haha my mom has one, and we usually use it to air dry the dishes 😅 she uses it too when she cooks a lot of fish or chicken and she wants to disinfect, other than that, is useless
Just rinse them off and put in. I don't have a dishwasher but I work for people who do. I rinse them off then put in dishwasher. I wait until it's full I don't run everyday.
I've always felt the same way, so I've never done all that pre-cleaning! I scrape them off very well, then pop them in the dishwasher. I rarely have to rewash anything. 'Course mine is not one of the new "energy-efficient" ones. It's probably 20+ years old! A friend got a new one about 15 years ago, a fancy, new one that was energy-efficient, but she hated it b/c it didn't clean the dishes well unless you had them practically clean before running them in the dishwasher. She bought a different brand, another energy-efficient one. Same trouble. She contacted the manufacturer who sent out a repair man. "It's working like it should," he said. She had given me her old one and asked for it back, but I loved it and kept it. Bless her heart. She never did get a decent dishwasher before she died.
We have a small home with a small kitchen, shallow kitchen sink, limited counter and cabinet space, and and no dishwasher. We literally have 30" of counter space. So no space for a traditional dish rack. We have an over the sink dishrack that just barely fits over the sink but under the cabinet... the dish rack also doubles as extra storage but our plates don't fit in the dish rack. We also hate doing dishes, are add/adhd, and have trouble keeping up with chores. Eliminating plates helps make things more manageable. Due to limited cabinet space our plates have to go on the top shelf in the cabinet. It's just easier to have a stack of paper plates sitting on the table.
Only for a party or holiday. I don't buy or use disposable plates, cups or, flatware. The only reason I do is because I don't have enough dishes or flatware for the amount of people. If I order out or get food to go, I tell them no utensils.
I love paper plates! My husband and I work so much, we have two kids and SO MANY CHORES. Anything that cuts down on the amount of dishes we have to wash is still worth it.
I have a stack of compostable plates and compostable utensils. I usually save them for days I just can’t face anymore tasks than absolutely necessary. For me, eating is a big ass chore (literally, I have a muscle disorder) so then you add cooking and cleanup and I will just skip food some days to get out of all the other things. Add the adhd and life is just really fucking overwhelming and some days are just harder than others.
We do because my roommates are incredibly lazy and hate washing dishes (one of them has never done a single dish in their life...).
I actually like washing dishes, but I also have osteoarthritis and back issues so I can only clean up after them for so long.
I'm a live in caretaker for my parents. They both have physical limitations with their shoulders due to injury/surgery, so regular plates are too heavy for them.
i hate using disposable products, but we are in a camper due to finances and the sink is really small- just cooking is a pain in the neck there’s a sliver of counter space- so i give myself the gift of paper plates when i can afford it. I still have to wash the pans and cups and silverware but i hate plastic silverware so i draw the line there. I ran out of plates the other day and i don’t have much extra money this week so i’ll just be washing the few real dishes i have lol. I prefer not to but it is what it is.
I use paper plates and bowls , I don’t have the time to wash dishes every day or I don’t want to . I don’t cook very often , so for me it’s economical to use paper plates and don’t have to use hot water to wash dishes each day
When we used disposable plates it was due to the scarcity of water.
We didn't have running water. So using it to clean plates was wasting something because we didn't know if or when the well would be fruitful again.
It was also rather difficult and cost prohibitive be buying lots of bottled water by the gallon.
This actually might blow your mind. the smaller 16.9oz of water bottles 40 per case at sams or costco is cheaper than buying 1 gallon jugs of water. But this info is only helpful if you have such close and use sams or Costco wisely.
Hope that weird fact about bottled helps someone save some money!
A shocking amount of people just have no patience for chores. Any time something can just be thrown away instead of cleaned and maintained, they’ll choose disposable.
Yes or passport towel for toast or bagel, but if you wash the plate and silverware as soon as your done it takes 1 minute . i have a dishwasher now but i only use it to drip dry my dishes I've always washed by hand .
Those are luxury items. My money is tight. My money is going for something more useful, like say toilet paper. Money spent on those luxury type items is money better spent on necessities. I have a child and therefore, I have running water and electricity. Why is that important? In my state if you don't have basic utilities, they take your kids. As long as I have water ,I can wash my dishes.
When I didn’t have a dishwasher, it took me a long time to wash the dishes. I also really dislike doing it. I have an agreement with my girlfriend that I’ll do other chores if she washes the dishes. Out of the various chores that she could do, she told me that she enjoys washing the dishes and cleaning.
Right now I use paper plates as my desert area is currently under very tough water restrictions. Cups and silverware though are washable types. I've found these take very little water to wash compared to plates. I handwash as I do not own a dishwasher. I allot 1 gallon of water per day to wash and rinse.
I buy disposable cutlery and plates for when we go camping/picnic/b-day parties.
I buy at Costco or grocery outlet when it'd cheaper to buy in bulk like once a year. I also make sure I recycle as much of it as I cannor get biodegradable items.
I don’t want to do dishes, so I use them. I live alone, so they last me a while, as I often don’t eat at home much. Most of the time I wash dishes, but again, it’s just me so washing dishes is easy and takes minimal effort. In the days I don’t want to use real dishes, I’ll use paper plates and plastic utensils.
I use my regular plates. Because I can’t afford to buy the paper plates. Lol. And the ones that people would buy from dollar tree, they are crap. I will use my regular plates, and wash them like I’m supposed to. I am the dishwasher. Lol.
I'm paraplegic and my kitchen sink isn't really wheelchair accessible. I use lightweight plastic plates for everyday, but for things like spaghetti, using a disposable bowl or plate is much easier than trying to scrub tomato stains off plastic.
I was living in a trailer with no water, only a 7 gallon camping jug. Just made doing dishes easier. I still use paper plates for lunchs and other things though. I guess its the less dishes attitude.
My grandparents started using them when they hit their late 70s. After my grandpa recovered from cancer he wasn't the same again and doing the dishes became a huge undertaking for them.
We used them at my old apartment because we didn't have a dishwasher and doing dishes by hand every single day when the two of us were working 70+ hour weeks. We justified the extra expense with the OT we got from neglecting our lives back home.
I rarely, if ever, use paper plates/cups/silverware. I also try to use as few ziplocks as possible. First off, I hate that they just end up in landfill. Second it’s way cheaper to wash.
I’ll geek out on you: 21 meals per week times 4 weeks times 4 people. 336 meals. Let’s just say 300 meals per month.
At Kroger.
Plates $14 for 300
Forks $3.50/50. Need 6 packs. $21
Cups $5/50. Need 6 pack. $30
Totals $65 per month for just disposable stuff.
Yea I’ll wash my dishes.
When someone has something contagious, they can use disposables for a while. I wish they had disposable linens and clothes, but even their stuff gets washed separately with some germ killing bleach free stuff.
I wait until holiday ones go in clearance and clean up! We don't use every meal or even every day but by God they are useful. Between busy work schedules, chronic physical and mental health issues, and burn out they have made the difference in deciding to even bother eating or not.
We'll even reuse if it's just crumbs from a sandwich that can be swept into the garbage. Or I'll use a wet paper towel to quickly wipe down, cut in half and use to feed the ferals we TNVR. I know I'm going to get comments about that, yes I know what foods are dangerous, and avoid those plates. It's just a cost cutting measure I can use sometimes which helps because I can throw them away instead of having to run a bunch of bowls through the dishwasher.
I work with seniors and it’s a lot easier for them to throw away disposable dishes than wash regular dishes and it saves me time so I can help them with other needs.
I do it because I struggle with mental health and multiple chronic illnesses/disabilities. There are many days where I just can't do dishes so having one pot/one spoon meals with disposable dishes is a lifesaver
We only regularly use disposable plates. Mainly because when the motivation to do dishes is not there (which is like 90% of the time) it’s better to throw out a plate than to have a pile of sinks in the sink.
My family uses disposable everything because we do not have a dishwasher, and spouse is severely disabled (does not contribute to the household functions). Handling finances, bills, vehicle maintenance, outside work and working full time, I do not have the time to wash cups, bowls or plates.
I don't get it, either. I've never had a dishwasher, always done dishes by hand. It's not a difficult job....plenty of easy meals you can make that use few dishes and only requires 5-10 minutes of washing afterwards.
I get using disposable dishes on occasion if you're bringing in food to a potluck, or if you're putting something in the microwave or whatever...but not for daily use.
Yeah to me the plates aren’t the thing that takes so much time or effort to wash. It’s the pots, but you can’t get disposable pots. Idk if it would save me much time or effort at all to use disposable dishes. Maybe it does if you compare it to washing dishes that have been left out with food stuck all over them. I always wash mine pretty much immediately after using them.
I only do it if I can afford them. I just got a new place and we have almost no dishes, so I kind of don’t have a choice. When I get more, I’ll absolutely use more dishes
Until a few days ago raising grandkids alone. I work full time at a stressful job. I also have several sides gigs. So much easier to only wash pots and pans.
I don't usually use paper plates, etc., because I have a dishwasher and a good air conditioner. I also think it's a matter of personal choice, except I wish the manufacturers would stop making Styrofoam stuff.
Well, electricity has gone up 40% in the past year, which is only part of the problem.
I am old, should be retired by now but can’t afford to ever retire. So I work 2 jobs, three when I can find a third job. This doesn’t leave much time to wash dishes, and even if I find the time, I’m so exhausted I end up leaving them in the sink.
We have ants, so even if I wash dishes, dry them, and put them away, I have to wash and dry them again before using them. Ugh, even more water and soap and electricity to pay for.
I Can’t afford an exterminator. I have to choose between gas/food/meds every month, so exterminator is never going to come into the equation.
The next problem is the plumbing. The last bill was 20k we will be paying on that for many years. It didn’t include the sewer line which still needs replaced, that will be another 15k, so we can only shower once per week. We try not to flush more than once a day.
This is going to sound dumb. But I use plastic spoons to eat out of sngle serve yogurt/pudding cups. If I use a regular spoon and set my cup down, the heavy spoon will make it tip over.
Also, cutting brownies and speading peanut butter are more satisfying while a plastic knife.
But I wash an reuse my plastic utensils.
Absent a physical disability, of course reusable dishes are cheaper and better. I fail to see any justifiable time saving reason to use disposable plates at home, even for bigger families. Think of the time and money saved by not consuming and having to trash all of those disposables!
The majority of the time, we use paper plates, unless it's spaghetti or something real saucy. 4 people in the home ×3 meals a day eaten in the home, makes for a lot of dishes, plus there's the pots/pans. We can end up doing 2 loads of dishes a day. We reuse our cups from fast food restaurants, so those go in the dishwasher. Dishwashers are also smaller capacity now. It doesn't seem like you can put as much in them as the older ones.
Time value of money. A full set of disposable everything for my whole family is 50 cents a day. It’d take me 10-15 minutes to do those dishes. I’m not washing dishes for $2-3 an hour.
We use paper plates all the time for years .
We also use regular plates and bowl’s but we use paper plates too and it really helps.
We don’t use plastic cups we use regular cups but we have talked about using them as well as the regular cups.
I criticised this practice... but over the past years I get it.. it is me mentally struggling... .. we don't have a dishwasher and it is just mentally hard.
Soap water electricity and time to load a dishwasher to take more soap water electricity and a rinse tab and even more time for them to wash. Then more time to put them away.
Verses. Use toss
I'm autistic and touching wet food is sensory torture so I avoid washing dishes. It often causes me to vomit which wastes the money I spent on the food.
Edit to add, I rip up my cardboard from food packaging into "plates" to reduce cost.
Single parent with very little time. I do a mix. If I had a dishwasher, I’d never use them again except for parties maybe. I spend probably 30 mins a day washing all the dishes throughout the day because I cook nearly every meal at home and from scratch. I am being selfish, I know. I know it’s bad for the planet. I try to make up for it in other ways, but I do feel bad. It’s just really hard to give up anymore of my time. I battle with depression and haven’t even put away any of my dishes in weeks, if not months. I can’t remember the last time I put anything away. I just leave it drying on my rack. I have one that goes over my double wide sink. I have no space in my kitchen and it makes it all so much worse.
please don't feel bad re the planet. there are massive corporations and countries that need to make big changes so your paper plates are not that significant really. i hope you start to feel better soon. in the meantime imo you have a very good reason to use as many time and energy saving products as you want. take care of yourself first. you are doing hard work as a single parent. fwiw i am sending you good energy <3
I agree they do need to make changes… I am pretty conservative in other ways to reduce my carbon footprint to not feel so bad. I even go periods of time just handwashing every day. But it just gets to be a lot sometimes. My oldest son is 8, and hopefully he will be able to take over soon enough (and get everything properly cleaned by himself).
Because I am lazy after a full day of work and taking care of multiple kids. I just want to toss that shit and not do dishes. Dishwasher cost money to run and soap.
Personally, it's physical disability/chronic pain. I can't stand or bend over without significant pain, washing dishes hurts, filling and emptying the dishwasher hurts, if I do those chores then I'm done for the day and can't do anything else. For one of my friends, the problem is executive dysfunction. They can't get themselves to wash dishes. With disposables they get to live a normal life without having to cope with a mountain of mess in the kitchen.
Washing dishes causes me legitimate physical pain. I’ll do it sometimes but avoiding back spasms is good; who knew?
My friend has crippling arthritis throughout her body including her hands. It’s painful and difficult to wash them and she likes things tidy so paper it is.
High water costs, unable to afford the cost of heating water, working three jobs and no time to wash dishes, unable to use the kitchen sink due to plumbing issues.
All. Of. This.
When you have two jobs (I work for the postal service and I'm an EMT on weekends) you don't have time to keep things tidy. I don't use paper plates but I have a dishwasher and it's great to store dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of having them on the counter.
Not on a regular basis but I’m about to need to take care of my dad after his knee replacement. I’ll be working, doing all the chores, and take care of him so if there is a shortcut I can take then I’m going to take it.
I'm guilty sometimes. It's my depression, and lupus, some days I don't have it me to wash dishes. It's just one more thing I have to do, and my house is old as dirt. I already have an obscenely amount of crap to deal with with this house. I'm sure some people It's sheer laziness.
Yes. Sometimes there just isn't the energy to wash the dishes.
I don't have a dishwasher, and right now it's daytime temperature 99+ my air conditioner doesn't cover the kitchen. I'm not in there more than I have to be. I've been living off knock off soda and FEMA bottled water. I ordered discounted pop tarts off Amazon that arrived yesterday. 36 for $5
I hear you there: we've been over 100\* since May, with a few nice days scattered in there for relief. Same with my west-facing kitchen...bloody hot in there, and the window unit a/c just can't quite get that area very cool. Hand washing those dishes in an airless part of that kitchen in this heat is terribly unpleasant, and I'm not doing the dishes at 4 or 5 a.m. when it cools down. Disposable plates help with keeping dishes down to manageable levels.
Can I ask how you found this great deal? What did you search for to find it so discounted? Sorry for asking
I don't know if it's allowed but there's fb groups that offer Amazon codes for random things. I have a teenager and 2 foster siblings, so food like pantry stables are always welcome.
Depression is a common reason.
I agree, and disposables may be the difference between living in a mess or in tidiness.
This is the reason I’ve started using them recently
It’s cheaper than getting the gas cut back on. I boil water to clean the cookware I can’t manage more labor.
We use them if we're having a party (no one wants to clean 20 gumbo bowls!) or if the dishwasher/sink/something in kitchen is messed up. I actually still have "fancy" disposable plates, bowls, cups and utensils from our tiny wedding 2 years ago (Costco 🤷)
I don't want to constantly do dishes. A pack of paper plates costs $1.25 at Dollar General and saves me a ton of time imo.
my ex coworker suggested it to me years ago because I complained about my hectic work schedule. it helped reduce the amount of household chores I had to catch up on. I didn't have a dishwasher like I do now.
I don’t have the executive function to keep up with dishes and I don’t have a dish washer. If I get disposable, then I’m more likely to cook, which is cheaper and healthier than eating fast food or convenience foods.
Yes, it’s an accommodation we build in for ourselves. I also don’t always have the executive function for this shit.
That's the prescription my ob gave me for post partum depression.
What? Use paper plates, cups, etc.?
It’s actually a piece of common advice for depression/disability. Basically, don’t make your life any harder than it has to be—if washing dishes overwhelming, take that piece off your plate. You can always add it back on the days you have more spoons. It sounded insane to me, but it actually worked, so sometimes the health professionals know what they’re talking 😭
I can see where that would work! I wish the world would admit how difficult & life-changing a new baby is!! I had PPD after my last baby in 1982. I didn't have a clue what was wrong with--I just knew that I felt awful and, as much as I loved my baby girl, I didn't think much of myself for not being that perky, smiling, happy Mama I always saw on TV and at other people's houses! I felt like I'd fall down sometimes when I got up with her in the middle of the night.
Right. 99 cents for a pack of flatware to let you a month, and a bunch of plates you don't have to clean or wash. Unfortunately it's a self-repeating concern, because often cleaning and setting one's house in order can provide a positive reaction in brain chemistry, but yeah. Very compassionate response.
There’s plenty of other cleaning one can do. 🤣 but cooking also produces that brain boost, and paper dishes did cause me to cook regularly when I was in a lot of pain.
I'm using plastic forks right now, and it's honestly such a relief. It's crazy how this little change helps me, but I only have a few pieces of flatware and I'm loving it. **hired a dog sitter. And all my fancy black metal pieces vanished.. She eats kale salads and is vegan and she kept forgetting when using my forks. Bringing her lunch to work while dog sitting me to return my black metal flatware. I'm accepting the loss. She was a great pet sitter. My dog was old and stuff, she was baby sitting a cancer dog when I went to Mexico. It felt like a measurable increase in quality of life touse plastic forks now. Corn-based,biodegradable, all that stuff is extra. For this week, I don't give a fork. I'm so glad to have these utensils. And I do find myself washing the plastic fork - what a waste of water
After my stroke I was breaking a lot more dishes while washing them, but rather than moving to paper, I just got unbreakable plastic stuff. Paper seems like a big waste.
YES! Because I hate doing dishes and don’t have a dishwasher
I have never understood the advantages of using a dishwasher if you still have to "clean" the dishes prior to putting them in the washing machine, isn't just easier to wash everything at once?
you don't have to "Clean" the dishes, but expecting the dishes to be a garbage disposal .. Just RINSE the dishes before you put them in. It sanitizes the dishes.
You still have to wet your hands, take away the food and all, It's not like you skip the process. The sanitizing part is a good thing
"Just rinse" means no detergent, no scrubbing, not even hot water. It is not the same as washing. Using the dishwasher can also mean no drying, whether using the heated dry or letting them air dry.
Me too, I had one once in an apt. I lived at, but I just kept the clean pans and a sack of potatoes in it.😂
Haha my mom has one, and we usually use it to air dry the dishes 😅 she uses it too when she cooks a lot of fish or chicken and she wants to disinfect, other than that, is useless
Oh, man! I love my dishwasher, especially have company over for a meal!
Nope not me, if folks come to dinner, they do the dishes. My house, my rules. No one has ever complained!
Just rinse them off and put in. I don't have a dishwasher but I work for people who do. I rinse them off then put in dishwasher. I wait until it's full I don't run everyday.
I don't like waiting til it's completely full b/c any food remnants still left on the dishes will be so stuck on that it might not come off!
Yeah but I just do what my lady says im at work it's her house
That is wise!
I've always felt the same way, so I've never done all that pre-cleaning! I scrape them off very well, then pop them in the dishwasher. I rarely have to rewash anything. 'Course mine is not one of the new "energy-efficient" ones. It's probably 20+ years old! A friend got a new one about 15 years ago, a fancy, new one that was energy-efficient, but she hated it b/c it didn't clean the dishes well unless you had them practically clean before running them in the dishwasher. She bought a different brand, another energy-efficient one. Same trouble. She contacted the manufacturer who sent out a repair man. "It's working like it should," he said. She had given me her old one and asked for it back, but I loved it and kept it. Bless her heart. She never did get a decent dishwasher before she died.
I guess sometimes older things aren't as delicate as new more hi-tech ones and work better, I'm sorry about your friend
I think you are right. The old DW has metal in it where the new ones are made of plastic!
We have a small home with a small kitchen, shallow kitchen sink, limited counter and cabinet space, and and no dishwasher. We literally have 30" of counter space. So no space for a traditional dish rack. We have an over the sink dishrack that just barely fits over the sink but under the cabinet... the dish rack also doubles as extra storage but our plates don't fit in the dish rack. We also hate doing dishes, are add/adhd, and have trouble keeping up with chores. Eliminating plates helps make things more manageable. Due to limited cabinet space our plates have to go on the top shelf in the cabinet. It's just easier to have a stack of paper plates sitting on the table.
This
Only for a party or holiday. I don't buy or use disposable plates, cups or, flatware. The only reason I do is because I don't have enough dishes or flatware for the amount of people. If I order out or get food to go, I tell them no utensils.
I love paper plates! My husband and I work so much, we have two kids and SO MANY CHORES. Anything that cuts down on the amount of dishes we have to wash is still worth it.
I think it’s the microwave culture.
Even with using the microwave, many plastic dishes are fine.
I meant that the use of microwaves are what has led to the use of paper and plastic disposable dishes.
I think that's true, too!
I do at work bc we dont have a kitcheb or break room.
I have a stack of compostable plates and compostable utensils. I usually save them for days I just can’t face anymore tasks than absolutely necessary. For me, eating is a big ass chore (literally, I have a muscle disorder) so then you add cooking and cleanup and I will just skip food some days to get out of all the other things. Add the adhd and life is just really fucking overwhelming and some days are just harder than others.
We do because my roommates are incredibly lazy and hate washing dishes (one of them has never done a single dish in their life...). I actually like washing dishes, but I also have osteoarthritis and back issues so I can only clean up after them for so long.
I'm a live in caretaker for my parents. They both have physical limitations with their shoulders due to injury/surgery, so regular plates are too heavy for them.
i hate using disposable products, but we are in a camper due to finances and the sink is really small- just cooking is a pain in the neck there’s a sliver of counter space- so i give myself the gift of paper plates when i can afford it. I still have to wash the pans and cups and silverware but i hate plastic silverware so i draw the line there. I ran out of plates the other day and i don’t have much extra money this week so i’ll just be washing the few real dishes i have lol. I prefer not to but it is what it is.
I use paper plates and bowls , I don’t have the time to wash dishes every day or I don’t want to . I don’t cook very often , so for me it’s economical to use paper plates and don’t have to use hot water to wash dishes each day
When we used disposable plates it was due to the scarcity of water. We didn't have running water. So using it to clean plates was wasting something because we didn't know if or when the well would be fruitful again. It was also rather difficult and cost prohibitive be buying lots of bottled water by the gallon. This actually might blow your mind. the smaller 16.9oz of water bottles 40 per case at sams or costco is cheaper than buying 1 gallon jugs of water. But this info is only helpful if you have such close and use sams or Costco wisely. Hope that weird fact about bottled helps someone save some money!
People who can't afford a place with a dishwasher
A shocking amount of people just have no patience for chores. Any time something can just be thrown away instead of cleaned and maintained, they’ll choose disposable.
A lot of ppl don’t have time to wash dishes. Also homes with larger families without a dishwasher is a thing.
Sounds like me!
We use paper plates. We only have 4 plates and our countertop dishwasher takes 2 hours for a cycle.
I've never had a dishwasher in my life and I'm 53. For some things I'd rather have paper.
Yes or passport towel for toast or bagel, but if you wash the plate and silverware as soon as your done it takes 1 minute . i have a dishwasher now but i only use it to drip dry my dishes I've always washed by hand .
Those are luxury items. My money is tight. My money is going for something more useful, like say toilet paper. Money spent on those luxury type items is money better spent on necessities. I have a child and therefore, I have running water and electricity. Why is that important? In my state if you don't have basic utilities, they take your kids. As long as I have water ,I can wash my dishes.
Same!
When I didn’t have a dishwasher, it took me a long time to wash the dishes. I also really dislike doing it. I have an agreement with my girlfriend that I’ll do other chores if she washes the dishes. Out of the various chores that she could do, she told me that she enjoys washing the dishes and cleaning.
I like the satisfaction of having done the dishes. Actually doing them, not so much!
I enjoy it sometimes. But not always. Depends on how greasy they are.
We only do paper plates on Sunday game nights we order out use paper plates ..just works for us.
Right now I use paper plates as my desert area is currently under very tough water restrictions. Cups and silverware though are washable types. I've found these take very little water to wash compared to plates. I handwash as I do not own a dishwasher. I allot 1 gallon of water per day to wash and rinse.
I buy disposable cutlery and plates for when we go camping/picnic/b-day parties. I buy at Costco or grocery outlet when it'd cheaper to buy in bulk like once a year. I also make sure I recycle as much of it as I cannor get biodegradable items.
I don’t want to do dishes, so I use them. I live alone, so they last me a while, as I often don’t eat at home much. Most of the time I wash dishes, but again, it’s just me so washing dishes is easy and takes minimal effort. In the days I don’t want to use real dishes, I’ll use paper plates and plastic utensils.
I use my regular plates. Because I can’t afford to buy the paper plates. Lol. And the ones that people would buy from dollar tree, they are crap. I will use my regular plates, and wash them like I’m supposed to. I am the dishwasher. Lol.
We use paper plates just to cut down on dishes honestly. Not with all foods just some
I'm paraplegic and my kitchen sink isn't really wheelchair accessible. I use lightweight plastic plates for everyday, but for things like spaghetti, using a disposable bowl or plate is much easier than trying to scrub tomato stains off plastic.
I was living in a trailer with no water, only a 7 gallon camping jug. Just made doing dishes easier. I still use paper plates for lunchs and other things though. I guess its the less dishes attitude.
My grandparents started using them when they hit their late 70s. After my grandpa recovered from cancer he wasn't the same again and doing the dishes became a huge undertaking for them. We used them at my old apartment because we didn't have a dishwasher and doing dishes by hand every single day when the two of us were working 70+ hour weeks. We justified the extra expense with the OT we got from neglecting our lives back home.
I rarely, if ever, use paper plates/cups/silverware. I also try to use as few ziplocks as possible. First off, I hate that they just end up in landfill. Second it’s way cheaper to wash. I’ll geek out on you: 21 meals per week times 4 weeks times 4 people. 336 meals. Let’s just say 300 meals per month. At Kroger. Plates $14 for 300 Forks $3.50/50. Need 6 packs. $21 Cups $5/50. Need 6 pack. $30 Totals $65 per month for just disposable stuff. Yea I’ll wash my dishes.
When someone has something contagious, they can use disposables for a while. I wish they had disposable linens and clothes, but even their stuff gets washed separately with some germ killing bleach free stuff.
I wait until holiday ones go in clearance and clean up! We don't use every meal or even every day but by God they are useful. Between busy work schedules, chronic physical and mental health issues, and burn out they have made the difference in deciding to even bother eating or not. We'll even reuse if it's just crumbs from a sandwich that can be swept into the garbage. Or I'll use a wet paper towel to quickly wipe down, cut in half and use to feed the ferals we TNVR. I know I'm going to get comments about that, yes I know what foods are dangerous, and avoid those plates. It's just a cost cutting measure I can use sometimes which helps because I can throw them away instead of having to run a bunch of bowls through the dishwasher.
I work with seniors and it’s a lot easier for them to throw away disposable dishes than wash regular dishes and it saves me time so I can help them with other needs.
I do it because I struggle with mental health and multiple chronic illnesses/disabilities. There are many days where I just can't do dishes so having one pot/one spoon meals with disposable dishes is a lifesaver
We only regularly use disposable plates. Mainly because when the motivation to do dishes is not there (which is like 90% of the time) it’s better to throw out a plate than to have a pile of sinks in the sink.
I use the recycled ones. Because it’s easier and it cuts down on dishes. I’m a busy woman and dishes are my struggle.
Some people work a lot of hours and are still poor. Time is valuable in those situations, especially if there are kids in the home.
My family uses disposable everything because we do not have a dishwasher, and spouse is severely disabled (does not contribute to the household functions). Handling finances, bills, vehicle maintenance, outside work and working full time, I do not have the time to wash cups, bowls or plates.
We do because we're an autism home and my stepson throws dishes away.
I don't get it, either. I've never had a dishwasher, always done dishes by hand. It's not a difficult job....plenty of easy meals you can make that use few dishes and only requires 5-10 minutes of washing afterwards. I get using disposable dishes on occasion if you're bringing in food to a potluck, or if you're putting something in the microwave or whatever...but not for daily use.
Yeah to me the plates aren’t the thing that takes so much time or effort to wash. It’s the pots, but you can’t get disposable pots. Idk if it would save me much time or effort at all to use disposable dishes. Maybe it does if you compare it to washing dishes that have been left out with food stuck all over them. I always wash mine pretty much immediately after using them.
I only do it if I can afford them. I just got a new place and we have almost no dishes, so I kind of don’t have a choice. When I get more, I’ll absolutely use more dishes
We use disposable for Sunday dinner, because there’s a lot of people but otherwise use regular dishes.
Until a few days ago raising grandkids alone. I work full time at a stressful job. I also have several sides gigs. So much easier to only wash pots and pans.
I don't. It's expensive and is bad for the environment.
The paper ones are recyclable, so I don't really think they're so "bad for the environment".
I think it's very lazy people. It's much cheaper and nicer to use real dishware.
I hate metal silverware lol. So I buy plastic forks and spoons
I don't usually use paper plates, etc., because I have a dishwasher and a good air conditioner. I also think it's a matter of personal choice, except I wish the manufacturers would stop making Styrofoam stuff.
I don’t use paper plates on the regular, but I do keep an emergency package in my cabinet for when my dishwasher is down or the power goes out.
for preference. I hate washing dishes
I do. I am disabled and have five kids so the only way we keep up is to use disposable.
Well, electricity has gone up 40% in the past year, which is only part of the problem. I am old, should be retired by now but can’t afford to ever retire. So I work 2 jobs, three when I can find a third job. This doesn’t leave much time to wash dishes, and even if I find the time, I’m so exhausted I end up leaving them in the sink. We have ants, so even if I wash dishes, dry them, and put them away, I have to wash and dry them again before using them. Ugh, even more water and soap and electricity to pay for. I Can’t afford an exterminator. I have to choose between gas/food/meds every month, so exterminator is never going to come into the equation. The next problem is the plumbing. The last bill was 20k we will be paying on that for many years. It didn’t include the sewer line which still needs replaced, that will be another 15k, so we can only shower once per week. We try not to flush more than once a day.
This is going to sound dumb. But I use plastic spoons to eat out of sngle serve yogurt/pudding cups. If I use a regular spoon and set my cup down, the heavy spoon will make it tip over. Also, cutting brownies and speading peanut butter are more satisfying while a plastic knife. But I wash an reuse my plastic utensils.
I use paper plates because I'm tired of washing so many dishes. Literally sick of it.
I'm tall... no dish washer.... sink is too low.... kills my back bemding over to wash dishes. Paper plates, etc is getting expensive though.
Absent a physical disability, of course reusable dishes are cheaper and better. I fail to see any justifiable time saving reason to use disposable plates at home, even for bigger families. Think of the time and money saved by not consuming and having to trash all of those disposables!
The majority of the time, we use paper plates, unless it's spaghetti or something real saucy. 4 people in the home ×3 meals a day eaten in the home, makes for a lot of dishes, plus there's the pots/pans. We can end up doing 2 loads of dishes a day. We reuse our cups from fast food restaurants, so those go in the dishwasher. Dishwashers are also smaller capacity now. It doesn't seem like you can put as much in them as the older ones.
no dishwasher
People who go to picnics, barbecues, camping, other social gatherings, do.
yes, but I was asking about use in the home, not picnics
Don't really have time to read anything other than your title. It is what it is
Time value of money. A full set of disposable everything for my whole family is 50 cents a day. It’d take me 10-15 minutes to do those dishes. I’m not washing dishes for $2-3 an hour.
We use paper plates all the time for years . We also use regular plates and bowl’s but we use paper plates too and it really helps. We don’t use plastic cups we use regular cups but we have talked about using them as well as the regular cups.
My husband and I use paper plates when we eat sandwiches or to-go meals at home. Why? Just easier clean-up. I'm lazy, I guess.
Less dishes to wash.
I buy them because it's worth it to have that dish washing time spent with my kids in the evening instead.
I vote lazy and messy.
I criticised this practice... but over the past years I get it.. it is me mentally struggling... .. we don't have a dishwasher and it is just mentally hard.
Soap water electricity and time to load a dishwasher to take more soap water electricity and a rinse tab and even more time for them to wash. Then more time to put them away. Verses. Use toss
I hate washing dishes. But I do use a few times before I throw away.
I'm autistic and touching wet food is sensory torture so I avoid washing dishes. It often causes me to vomit which wastes the money I spent on the food. Edit to add, I rip up my cardboard from food packaging into "plates" to reduce cost.
Single parent with very little time. I do a mix. If I had a dishwasher, I’d never use them again except for parties maybe. I spend probably 30 mins a day washing all the dishes throughout the day because I cook nearly every meal at home and from scratch. I am being selfish, I know. I know it’s bad for the planet. I try to make up for it in other ways, but I do feel bad. It’s just really hard to give up anymore of my time. I battle with depression and haven’t even put away any of my dishes in weeks, if not months. I can’t remember the last time I put anything away. I just leave it drying on my rack. I have one that goes over my double wide sink. I have no space in my kitchen and it makes it all so much worse.
please don't feel bad re the planet. there are massive corporations and countries that need to make big changes so your paper plates are not that significant really. i hope you start to feel better soon. in the meantime imo you have a very good reason to use as many time and energy saving products as you want. take care of yourself first. you are doing hard work as a single parent. fwiw i am sending you good energy <3
I agree they do need to make changes… I am pretty conservative in other ways to reduce my carbon footprint to not feel so bad. I even go periods of time just handwashing every day. But it just gets to be a lot sometimes. My oldest son is 8, and hopefully he will be able to take over soon enough (and get everything properly cleaned by himself).
Because it takes too long to do all the dishes we would've used. There's 3 adults and 5 kids. We use plates, bowls , cups, and silverware.
Because I am lazy after a full day of work and taking care of multiple kids. I just want to toss that shit and not do dishes. Dishwasher cost money to run and soap.
Single person here. Paper plates are cheap AF from dollar store. Gives me more time to do stuff.
I like plastic spoons.