Do dishwashers save water? Plus, 5 benefits of owning a dishwasher…
In today’s post, we’ll be exploring a common question my readers have, which is…
Do dishwashers save water?
I’ll be diving into the details of dishwashing vs. handwashing and comparing the two.
I’ll also be sharing some key benefits to owning a dishwasher, and why the choice to get this appliance might be right for you.
Do Dishwashers Save Water?
In short: Yes, they do!
Cascade (a popular dishwashing solution brand) boasts this on their site:
“When you use your dishwasher every night instead of handwashing for just 10 minutes, you save 100 gallons of water a week”.
On average, a typical kitchen sink flows at about 2 gallons of water per minute.
It’s estimated that handwashing a load of dishes in your sink would use up to about 20 gallons of water.
An energy-efficient dishwasher uses roughly 3 gallons of water per cycle.
If you were to manage to keep water use and rinsing to an absolute bare minimum, you might be able to outperform the water usage your dishwasher would boast, but it’s fairly unlikely.
Water usage can mean a lot to people that are concerned with high water bills (I had in-laws with this issue – very high water bills to pay!) or those on a well water system.
Does A Dishwasher Save Money?
If you’re contemplating whether or not to get a dishwasher, one of the major deciding factors may be the cost.
Does the cost of a dishwasher benefit the energy and water required to run it?
At the time of this writing, energy-efficient dishwasher prices start in the $400s and go up to the $1,000 price range.
Overtime, your new appliance will help you save money.
But there are some factors that can contribute to whether you see these budgetary benefits sooner rather than later….
- cost of your energy bill (kwh rate)
- how your water is heated, and cost
- overly pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, resulting in high water usage
- water bill costs
Overall, your new dishwasher will help use less water, and therefore less energy to heat the water and run a cycle than handwashing.
Related: How To Clean A Dishwasher – Easy Cleaning Hack
5 Benefits Of Owning A Dishwasher
Dishwashers Save Water
As I mentioned above in the post, dishwashers save a ton of water! It’s more efficient to use your dishwasher to rinse and clean your dishes vs. handwashing.
Washing Dishes In A Dishwasher Saves Electricity
Less water usage means less energy required to heat your water to efficiently clean and rinse your dishes.
Your Hands Will Thank You
Handwashing your dishes (without gloves) can cause the skin on your hands, fingers, and knuckles to dry out and even crack.
If you have a large family that uses a ton of dishes throughout the day, that means you’re handwashing your dishes more often (maybe even more than once a day) and damaging the skin on your hands.
Cracked hands and fingers are painful, and while a pair of gloves can help, it’s certainly an issue dishwasher owners don’t have to worry about!
Dishwashers Kill Germs
According to the Whirlpool website, dishwashers are required to heat water to up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (this may be affected by the settings on your water heater) by the National Sanitation Foundation.
You can run the sanitize cycle on your dishwasher for an added boost of sanitizing power and kill up to 99.9% of germs.
If you were to try to do this in your kitchen sink, you would most likely burn yourself, so it’s a great hands-free option.
Dishwashers Help Save You Time
How long does a dishwasher take?
Typical dishwasher cycles last anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the settings you select.
The great plus to owning a dishwasher, though, if that the appliance does the work for you!
You can just load your dishwasher (which can take about 5 minutes of your time), press start, and walk away.
Instead of spending 30 minutes handwashing your dishes (and using up more energy and water than your appliance would), you can simply load your dishwasher and get back to spending time with your family.
Dishwashers Last A Decade Or Longer
Dishwashers have an average lifespan of 10 years.
If you were to buy a dishwasher for $500, it would only cost you about $50 a year to own your dishwasher while you save more time, energy, electricity, and water owning it.
You May Also Like: Dishwasher Cleaning Hack – How To Clean A Smelly Dishwasher
How Do Dishwashers Work?
Dishwashers are incredibly simple to use…
Load your dishes, place the detergent liquid or pod into the dispenser, select your cycle, and press start.
The machine does the rest!
First, your machine will fill up with some water. The pod or liquid will be released into the machine and mixed in with the water.
Spinning arms help distribute water throughout the machine, spraying your dishes and working away the food and grime.
After washing, the dishwasher will drain the dirty water and follow up with rinsing your dishes with clean water.
After rinsing, your dishwasher will run a dry cycle, which may be air-drying or a hot heat drying cycle.
Again, this all depends on the settings you select at the beginning before you press the start button.
How Long Do Dishwashers Run?
Dishwashers typically have a cycle that lasts 1.5 hours, although cycles range anywhere from 1-3 hours.
If cycle length is a concern for you, be sure to ask a specialist in your local home improvement store to go through the settings, cycle lengths, and other details with you before purchasing.
Do Dishwashers Use Hot Water?
Dishwashers use hot water and detergent to help loosen food and grime from your dishes.
If you select a hot water rinse for your cycle, your dishwasher will also use hot water to rinse your dishes.
Dishwashers can get to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes higher, although this hot water temperature max is capped by your hot water heater settings.
Most households have their hot water limit set to about 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit, and your dishwasher cannot override this cap.
Do you prefer handwashing or using a dishwasher? Let me know in the comments below!