Many people forgo installing a dishwasher in their kitchen for fear of high energy usage. Have you ever been put off from installing a dishwasher because someone told you they’re heavily inefficient? Wondering if it’s actually cheaper to wash all of your dishes by hand rather than placing them in the dishwasher?
This is the article for you! Today, we are going to sort the facts from the myth. As we dive into whether it’s cheaper to wash your dishes by hand or use the dishwasher!
Is It Cheaper To Wash Dishes By Hand?
It’s easy to assume that washing your dishes by hand would save more energy than using a dishwasher cycle. However, in most cases, it’s actually more efficient to use your dishwasher.
However, the energy efficiency of your dishwasher will depend entirely on how you use it. You should aim to completely fill your dishwasher before activating a cycle. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting a significant amount of water and electricity.
When it comes to washing your dishes by hand, some very similar principles apply. It’s best to build up a decent load of washing that you can wash at the same time, using the same water. It’s also best to fill the sink up with plenty of soapy water and allow the dishes to soak. Simply using running water will inevitably use up much more energy in the long run.
It’s not always cheaper to wash your dishes by hand! If you’re sure to fill up your dishwasher every time you use it, it will use less water than a hand wash!
How To Save Money When Using Your Dishwasher
If you already have a dishwasher, or you’re planning on getting your first, there are a number of things that you can do to help extend the unit’s lifespan.
Fill The Dishwasher
As we mentioned above, you can save a lot of money with your dishwasher by ensuring you fill it up before activating a cycle. While it’s possible to alter the length of a dishwasher cycle, or the temperature of water used, the amount of water used is the same no matter how many dishes you place into the central drawer.
What’s the point of activating a half-filled dishwasher if the same amount of water could wash more dishes?
Don’t Overfill The Dishwasher
While we stressed the importance of filling your dishwasher just above, it’s important to ensure that you don’t end up overfilling your dishwasher. It’s easy to assume that overfilling your dishwasher would be fine. Why not make use of every drop of water? The trouble is that overfilling your dishwasher would make it difficult for the water to reach all of the dishes inserted in the machine. This will lead to pockets of grime and dirt being left uncleaned.
You’ll want to avoid having to start your washing cycle all over again just to clean a few stray bits of dirt!
In order to make the most of your dishwasher, it’s best to keep good track of the dishes you’re placing inside. You want to ensure to fill the unit, but not to overstuff it!
Rinse Your Dishes
We don’t mean that you have to entirely clean your dishes by hand before placing them in the dishwasher. Instead, we recommend that you give them a quick rinse at the sink before placing them in the dishwasher. This helps to ensure that large pieces of leftover food don’t get stuck in the machine. It also ensures that the machine doesn’t have to work overtime to get your dishes completely clean.
Allow Your Dishes To Air Dry
Many modern dishwashers come with extra drying features. This makes it easy to remove your dishes from the unit and put them right away in your cupboards. The only problem with this is that it uses a significant amount of energy. A good way to save some money with your dishwasher is to open up the door and allow the dishes to air dry overnight.
Reduce The Water Temperature
Much of the energy used by a dishwasher is dedicated to heating up the water. As such, the hotter the water is, the more energy is needed to create the temperature. You can save a lot of energy, and a lot of money, by lowering the temperature of the water.
Usually, a dishwasher’s water is set to around 51 to 60 degrees Celsius. You can help to save money by aiming for a temperature closer to 40 degrees. This temperature lowers the energy usage of the dishwasher. However, it’s still hot enough to effectively clean your dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Cheaper To Wash Dishes Or Run The Dishwasher?
It’s easy to assume that washing your dishes by hand would cost far less in the long run. However, an effectively-used dishwasher can easily prove far more cost-effective. Dishwashers are designed to use the perfect amount of water for a full washing load. If you want to save money when washing dishes by hand, be sure to soak your dishes, rather than run them under the tap!
Do Dishwashers Use A Lot Of Electricity?
Not necessarily. You might have heard rumours that dishwashers use up heavy amounts of electricity, but this actually isn’t the case. Dishwashers actually use up very little electricity with each cycle. However, if you were to increase the water temperature or use the dishwasher inefficiently, its energy use would naturally increase!
Do Dishwashers Increase Water Bill?
Yes. However, this should not be cause for concern. Though a dishwasher will incease a water bill, you can rest assured that dishwashers can actually use much less water than washing dishes by hand. If you fill up your dishwasher to capacity, no single drop of water will be wasted. Washing dishes by hand runs the risk of wasting water and running up your bills!
Is It Bad To Run A Dishwasher Half Empty?
Running a dishwasher half full is a great way to waste a significant amount of water and electricity. Even if you were to choose a shorter cycle, your dishwasher would use the same amount of water for fewer dishes as for more dishes. If you want to save money, your best bet is to fill your dishwasher every time!
