Is there a real difference in water and electricity consumption? Personally, I don’t use a lot of water to wash my dishes (by hand), but maybe I should install a flow meter to make sure.
What is your opinion on the subject? Do you have any evidence or studies available that could confirm your intuition? Or do you have other alternatives in mind?
I never had a dishwasher growing up. When I moved into my current home and It had a dishwasher, I thought it was dumb, till I started using it… But I do a little bit of both, on the days where I am super lazy and let the dishes pile up, I would put them in the dishwasher just to get them clean, but on the days where I am truly responble adult, I would just take the 5-10 minutes to wash the little bit of dishes by hand. So in short, both.
I use a dishwasher, but half of the dishes either don’t get cleaned or aren’t dishwasher safe so I have to wash by hand. I tried cleaning the filter, using detergent in the prewash, and running the water until it’s hot before starting the dishwasher, and none of it did shit.
You are they lucky one today! Here is just the video for all your dishwasher woes!
It’s been a while since I watched that video, but didn’t the person you reply to address every point stated in the video?
The only other point not stated in the video (but is mentioned in the more recent video) is to not use a brand that also sells pods, because they’re likely making the powder shittier to upsell you on pods.
Yes this is the video I watched lol. Also I use powder detergent
Dishwashers are not a thing where I live.
I wash my dishes in at least two passes. First (optional) pass is to remove the gunk, no soap, as little water as possible. Second is to apply soap, with just enough water to wet the surface for the soap to work. Third pass is the rinse, and this is where most of the water consumption happens. I plug the sink, put the soapy dishes in the sink, and let the slightly soapy water from the current item fill it, making sure that the rest of the items consume as little water as possible even in this step.
I think for an after dinner washing for a family of four, I take around 10 minutes for the entire thing.
dishwasher. it uses way less water than even filling the sink once. it obviously uses more electricity than doing it by hand though. you gotta think about the value of the time saved as well.
Depends whether you wash in hot or cold water. If you use more hot water washing dishes by hand then it’ll consume more electricity too.
I use a dishwasher. Produce all my own power so that’s not a concern. Also on a treated well system so it really just makes more sense.
Generally wait until it’s full before I run it but yeah. Inefficiency is the enemy.
of course.
I used to wash by filling the sink till I met my wife - she always wet each item, scrubbed with soapy scrubber, and then rinsed. It’s a far better method!
That’s like the second most wasteful way of washing dishes, with the most wasteful being the same thing but not turning the tap off while scrubbing.
Well, presuming you have enough wares for a full wash. Filling the sink for just one plate would be unnecessary…
You can plug the sink and wash with your current tap method and see how many dishes it takes to fill the sink with water - that’s how many you need to collect to save water with the sink method.
That’s what I thought, so that’s what I did! Way less water than filling the sink. Way less. I will add though that I have a pretty big sink.
Cool! My sink was small enough that I’d fill it thrice while washing under the tap haha. Now I have a washing machine and won’t be going back.
I have 4 children. I would literally sell a kidney to buy a dishwasher, if I couldn’t afford one. Fuck washing dishes by hand. Anyone who doesn’t agree with me is either brain damaged or a masochist.
Or east asian
Yes, I already mentioned masochism.
Everything into the dishwasher. Why would I waste my time with washing dishes. Dishwashers are more efficient and often more hygienic because of higher temperatures and optimized wash and rinse cycles. I put everything in there, even the stuff that doesn’t belong. Apart from my good knives. I hate washing by hand…
One tip though: if your machine is connected to hot water. Let the hot water on the tap run until the water is hot. This helps the machine get a better cleaning result.
Wouldn’t the first batch of lukewarm water just be used for the prewash/rinse cycle? So it doesn’t matter if it’s fully hot yet or not.
Oh boy do I have a video for you. This guy has done a whole series on dishwashers and how to get the most out of them. Highly recommend them.
Thanks, I was wondering what to waste my weekend on this time around!
It’s not entirely waste if you learn something!
Yeah true!
I don’t even need to open the link to know it’s Technology Connections. Love that guy!
Every time I watch one of his videos I develop a new strong opinion. I have enough opinions, damnit.
Dishwasher. I’ve done hand washing and dishwashing depending on where I’m living each year. Dishwasher does a better job than me, uses less water than me, and saves me time. I run it at night and put away the dishes in the morning.
Dishwashers are definitely the way to go. They use less water than hand washing (source: https://www.popsci.com/environment/science-of-using-dishwasher-vs-handwashing/).
I’m so firmly in the dishwasher camp that I installed a second dishwasher in my kitchen a few years ago and it has been one of the best upgrades I ever made on my house. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live somewhere with a single dishwasher again.
Also, there’s no need to buy any expensive pods or dishwasher detergent. The cheap store brand powder detergent works the best. Personally I use the Great Value brand powdered detergent and have been very satisfied with it. I do not pre rinse any dishes either. I just lazily scrape off my dishes in the garbage and put them straight in the dishwasher.
If you do go the dishwasher route, be sure to do your research and get a good dishwasher if you have a choice. I went with Bosch dishwashers based on reviews from Consumer Reports and have been highly satisfied with their performance. They’re so quiet my wife sometimes opens them mid cycle and gets a surprise. I find this hilarious because they shine a red spot on the floor to let you know that it is running.
Hello fellow Technology Connections watcher.
Can you explain the second one? Do you alternate them between dirty and clean like some kind of extra cupboard or is there more to it?
We run 2-5 loads of dishes a day as we do a ton of cooking at home. With a single dishwasher we’d have to immediately unload and load the next batch or we wouldn’t be able to keep up and it was exhausting. With two we can keep up with the dishes a lot better. It’s awesome to have another dishwasher available to put the dirty dishes in when the other is running. And when we host stuff at our house it’s awesome to be able to wash everything at once.
Technology Connections and his stranglehold on dishwasher conversations lol
I use a dishwasher. It’s easier and uses less water.
Machine, except those items that cannot go in (mostly wood and good knives)
By hand. I’ve only lived in a place with a dishwasher for 1 year. During that time I felt like the dishes never got truly clean. Like if shit was stuck to a plate or bowl it would need manual intervention. If a pan sat for a day and shit got really caked on it wasn’t even worth putting it in the dish washer. I don’t see how it saves on water either. Like I don’t leave the water running while I wash the dishes. I don’t fill the sink. I rinse a plate. Turn the water off. Scrub it down. Rinse it again. Water is on for maybe 5-10 seconds a dish. Scrubbing does all the work.
Mentally, it’s kinda like taking a shower in the sense that my mind goes to a completely different place and all things that bothered me before are flushed out. That change in activity or environment really lets me process shit in a way that meling in front of a screen doesn’t.
By hand. I don’t have a dishwasher. The place I rent didn’t come with one, and I don’t have the space for my own (plus no money). I think I’ve only ever met one person with a dishwasher, although I suppose I wouldn’t know if someone has one unless I either go to their house or they bring it up. I don’t see the issue with doing dishes by hand, and I pay a flat rate for water so water usage is not a concern to me.
Same, and even if I wanted to install a dishwasher for my rented place, there’s no water supply to connect it to so it would take some very serious work to be done
Here as well. We’re obviously not among those who put travelling down as a hobby.
Edit: though my water supply is no issue
What am I, a caveman?
Dishwasher. It saves a fuck ton of time. I’ve heard it saves water, but I haven’t seen studies. I have a hard time believing it could use more if it’s full. Regardless, it’s faster. I hate chores. Make machines do them.
