Washing dishes: is it more economical to hand wash or use a dishwasher?
"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.
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.