The daily task of washing dishes may be wasting your time and money.
The debate over washing dishes in a dishwasher versus washing dishes in a sink is not quite as clear-cut as you might think. A number of factors must be weighed before it becomes completely apparent which is the most efficient. Once you have this information, and put it to use, it will save you money on your electricity bill and on your water bill, and could also save you quite a bit of time.
Water Usage
An energy-efficient dishwasher uses far less water than it takes to wash a load of dishes by hand. Energy Star states that an Energy Star-qualified dishwasher saves as much as 5,000 gallons of water each year. According to Rodale.com, dishwashers generally use only four to six gallons of water to wash a load of dishes. An older model, though, might use as much as 15 gallons. So, if your model is older, calculating your water usage according to a simple formula of 2.5 gallons per minute spent hand-washing (with the water running) means when it comes to water usage, the dishwasher wins over the sink. In this case, anything more than six minutes of running water warrants use of the dishwasher.
Cleanliness
A dishwasher gets dishes cleaner than washing them in the sink. The hotter water temperatures work to sanitize your dishes in a way that sink washing cannot. Along with this, the tools used for washing dishes are a perfect home for germs. In fact, WebMD says that a kitchen sponge is the number-one home for germs in a typical household. Hence, washing dishes in the sink with a sponge is a good way to spread those germs. A dishrag is similar, though drying it out between uses helps.
Environment
Washing dishes in the sink may increase the amount of electricity you use for the task by more than double what a dishwasher uses. Hence, the dishwasher is more eco-friendly when it comes to the use of electricity. On the other hand, some dishwasher detergents use phosphates, which are harmful to the environment. To minimize any environmental impact, use detergents that are free of phosphates.
Other Factors
Your hands aren't soaking in soapy dishwater when you use the dishwasher, so it won't dry your skin. However, according to CBS News, if you'd like to burn a few extra calories every once in a while, washing your dishes in the sink burns about 160 calories, while filling a dishwasher burns about 105. Yet, with the extra time saved with a dishwasher, a total of almost 10 days a year, and with the savings on utilities, you could probably afford to go to a gym to burn those extra calories.
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