I don't understand it either. Even if washing by hand takes only 5 minutes, it is 5 minutes more than I spend on the dishes.
On the surface it may seem that simple but reality is probably different than that.
Here are the current steps that I could take if I were to use my dishwasher system as applied by many. (and believe me I have seen this exact process many times ---frightening really)
1. take dishes to sink
2. take pots/pan/sheets to sink
3. rinse dishes and utensils
4. turn and open dishwasher
5. find that it is full of washed dishes
6. bend over and pick up a few dishes
7. turn
8. walk 3 steps to counter
9. Reach up and open cabinet
10 stretch to put clean dishes up
11. turn
12. return 3 steps to DW
13. Repeat steps steps 6 -- 12 for 5-7 rotaions (fuck I'm exhausted already)
14. Finally put the first dish in
15. begin loading dishwasher by turning to right, bending and loading, bending up, turning to left
16. repeat step 15 4-6 times.
17. Bend to open cabinet below sink
18. locate DW soap (because no one keeps it out)
19. Turn to the right in a bent position
20. Pour or load soap into DW
21. Turn to left
22. Return soap
23. Close cabinet
24. turn to right in bent position again
25. Close DW
26. Push various buttons or turn knobs on DW
27. Turn to left
28. Your water has been running and is hot now.
28.5 Rinse pots and pans
29. reach for soap (I keep mine out)
30. Add soap to big pan
31. Return soap
32. Hand wash big pan with a sponge
32. Hand wash other pots etc..
33. Rinse said pots and pans turning to your right each time and placing them on the counter
34. rinse sink with sponge and water.
35. either wait for pots to dry or do several steps to retrieve dish towel and hand dry them
36. After the pans and pots are dry do the whole twirl, walk, bend deal to put them in the bottom of your cabinets.
37. Repeat 36 at least twice (shit I'm really tired now and I haven't even wiped down the stove or counter tops yet.
38. You've done a good job on steps 1-37 so far.
39. 3 hours later everyone wants a snack so you make a few snack plates and some drinks
40. Crap more dishes and glasses and the DW is full of wet drying dishes (because we don't run the heat to save energy)
41. Well shit, you're not a let them sit in the sink sorta person so it is on to freaking hand washing the dishes and hand drying and repeating the whole twist, walk, open, reach deal.
42. Seems your finished with your dish washing duty.
43. Whoops, You forgot, company is coming tomorrow so you want your DW empty.
44. well heck they are dry enough finally
45. Repeat the whole steps 6-13 again.
46. Thank the lord Jesus you are finally done having the Dish Washer wash your dishes.
I'm sure some of you either add or have fewer steps on many occasions but I'm not kidding when I say I have seen this ballet in most homes.
Tomorrow ---Bob W's New Improved 10 Step Dish Washing Management System is Explained
It could save you 30 steps per day, prevent repetitive movement back injuries and free up over 3,600 lifetime hours of your future time from the drudgeries of automatic dishwashing. (your future self will thank you)
It is an entire system and new way about thinking of your dish cleaning management. It was designed in a partnership between NASA, Chipotle and Elon Musk so be prepared to be shaken to your core.