This probably seems counterintutive, since I also love getting manicures....but I am a living paradox. I wear fair trade dish washing gloves and actually enjoy doing the dishes at night. Music on, wine in glass beside me, belly full from dinner, warm soapy water in the sink.
I've done my research about washing dishes: a lot of people think washing by hand is more environmentally friendly than running a dishwasher, but it's not necessarily so. I read that you can save up to 20 gallons of water a day by waiting till your dishwasher's full to switch it on. Plus, most new dishwashers don't need you to prerinse. Simply scrape off food and load, and you'll conserve.
When you are going to wash by hand, here's my way:
-Scrape scraps off
-Fill the sink once with warm soapy water and wash everything together
- Drain
-Quick rinse everything at the same time
- Let the dishes air dry on the racks
Everyone has issues with dishes...let's hear your story:
I do both full loads (almost every morning) and hand-wash throughout the day :) Is there a "better" time to run the dishwasher? In terms of energy- or cost-savings? I wonder.
ReplyDeleteI like your method, Myriah. When I've done a lot of baking and have a bunch of stuff that shouldn't go in the dishwasher, I wash by hand. It's pretty relaxing if you think about it the right way! I try to be super stingy with the water, like using one of the biggest bowls as a dishpan instead of turning on the faucet for each dish. I feel like this way has to use less water than a dishwasher, especially since mine is old and seems pretty inefficient--rinsing is a must, otherwise dishes aren't clean...which makes me wonder what's the point of it at all? It will be a few years until we can get a new one installed. Has anyone seen stats on dishwasher water/energy use if it's *not* a new and efficient model?
ReplyDeleteHey gals,
ReplyDeleteGood questions....not sure about a best time to run your dishwasher or energy efficiency in terms of age....but, I did read this, which I thought was interesting:
'If you have a choice, install your dishwasher away from your refrigerator. The dishwasher's heat and moisture increase your refrigerator's energy consumption. If you have to put them next to each other, place a sheet of foam insulation between them.'