Lavado de platos: ¿es más económico lavar a mano o usar el lavavajillas?
"Son solo dos platos, ¿pero qué lavavajillas? Los lavaré a mano, será más rápido." ¿Cuántas veces has dicho o escuchado esta frase? Muchas, sin duda. Porque lavar los platos es una tarea diaria que hacemos casi sin pensarlo, pero que a menudo se pasa por alto desde una perspectiva medioambiental.
"It's just two plates, but which dishwasher? I'll wash them by hand, it'll be quicker." How many times have you said or heard this phrase? Often, certainly. Because washing dishes is a daily task that we do almost without even thinking, yet it's too often overlooked from an environmental perspective. Blame it on the false myths that for years have made us view the dishwasher as an undoubtedly convenient appliance, but one that adds significantly to our utility bills. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Finish's Water in Our Hands project tells us.
The experiment
In 2007, a group of experts from the University of Bonn demonstrated that after a dinner for 12 people, 103 liters of water are consumed by washing dishes by hand, compared to just 15 liters required by a dishwasher. 1 This surprising gap is even more evident today: new-generation dishwashers consume even less, just 7 liters of water per cycle, and 30% less energy than class A dishwashers. 2 The result seems obvious, therefore: it's better to use the dishwasher. Provided, however, that it is used correctly.
Water, a precious commodity
And here's the main reason why using a dishwasher is far better: water savings. That's why Finish, with its Water in Our Hands project, promotes a healthy culture of water use, aiming to reduce waste, starting with our daily actions like rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher: consider that putting dishes in the dishwasher without rinsing them first saves up to 38 liters of water per wash. 3 There's no more time for procrastination; it's time to take care of Italy's aquifers.
5 golden tips for making the most of your dishwasher
Dishwashers are fine, but only if used wisely. Here are 5 golden tips for washing dishes in the dishwasher and saving money.
- The dishwasher should only be run when fully loaded. Otherwise, it would waste a lot of energy and water.
- Don't rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher: this operation allows you to save up to 38 litres of water with each wash 3.
- Always use the "eco" program, if available. It takes longer and seems strange to consume less energy, yet it operates at lower temperatures and uses less water.
- Turn off the dishwasher - and keep it closed - when it's time to steam dry: the heat produced will dry them anyway.
- To keep your dishwasher running at its best and avoid malfunctions that could lead to waste, it's a good idea to take care of your appliance with specific products.
- Study published in SOFW Journal no. 3/2006 by the University of Bonn in which over 100 participants from various European countries handwashed 13 place settings.
- Hand washing or dishwasher: which is the most eco-friendly method?, Amicasa.
- Ipsos CAPI In Home Meter research conducted on a representative sample of 153 Italian families, July 2019.