I spent the last 7 years doing dishes by hand due to lack of space in my Appartments. Then recently I found out there are things called "countertop" dishwashers which are half the size of normal ones and fit neatly onto your washing machine.
No longer having to spend 3-4 hours every week on doing the dishes really makes a big difference for me.
My roommate uses our full height dishwasher all the time. Except he just throws stuff into it and I regularly pull dirty silverware out of it. Sometimes dirty dishes too.
The thing is, you're supposed to at least brush dishes, silverware and pans with a bit of water before putting them into a dishwasher. If anything, not to clog the dishwasher drain with small bits of food (it happens, I know because guess what? It f--ing happened).
But once you get your hands wet to brush the dishes... You might as well do them.
We now have a higher(ish) end Bosch machine and the manual specifically tells you to put the dishes with up to "moderately dried food remains". The machine has a sensor that looks at how dirty the water going out is and increases power
That with some Finish Quantum tablets does the job perfectly every time
I run every wash with extra rinse, extra heat, pots and pans mode. Makes a big difference.
I appreciate wanting to save the environment, but some regulations have gotten so tough that machines barely do what they're designed for
One thing I do not miss about working in an office!