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Dishwasher vs. Hand-washing...

The Eco Geek shows which uses less energy and water

by Steve Bearton

My New Year's resolution was to make my house more environmentally friendly, but now I can't figure out if handwashing the dishes is less wasteful than a dishwasher. What do you say? Virginia Cimmino

Creating a greener home seems to entail making complex decisions about simple tasks. The classic water-conservation predicament is whether a bath or a shower is more resource-efficient. A standard bath uses about 75 litres, while a five-minute shower with a water-saving nozzle uses about half that amount. Double the length of your shower and the savings are gone. (And if you think a five-minute shower is inadequate, consider that Environment Canada recommends you fill your bath one-quarter full.)

The dishwashing dilemma is more complicated, but let's start with a 2004 study by Rainer Stamminger, a professor of household and appliance technology at the University of Bonn. Stamminger pitted 113 people from seven European nations – "to rule out possible regional differences in dishwashing techniques"– against two energy-efficient dishwashers.

Twelve complete table settings were soiled with food, including egg yolk; then, all washers were assessed on cleanliness and resource-efficiency. The study found the average handwasher used 103 litres of water and 2.5 kilowatt hours of water-heating energy, while the appliances used 15 litres of water and between 1 and 2 kilowatt hours, depending on the wash cycle. (It's also worth noting the fact that half the human participants "did not achieve an acceptable level of cleanliness.")

The study certainly confirms dishwashers trump hand washers, and offers a tidy sound bite for appliance manufacturers, but it's hardly the end of the story.

Owning an energy-efficient dishwasher that always runs fully loaded is great, but air-drying your dishes after the wash cycle can further reduce power use. Reducing the number of dishes you use will create even greater savings. And what about your dish soap? Is it biodegradable? Accounting for the natural consequences of our decisions can be a full-time job.

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From another article we found these useful tips:

Maximize your dishwasher Whatever model you choose, these tips are widely recommended for saving energy:

1. Replace any pre-1994 models with an Energy Star dishwasher. You can save an estimated $25 to $35 a year in energy costs.

2. Don't pre-rinse -- modern dishwashers are powerful enough to handle food residue.

3. Do a full load every time. Taking you three or four days to fill your dishwasher? You're a great candidate for the double-drawer model.

4. Choose the air dry option that uses fans to pull in air from the room to dry dishes rather than heat. No air dry option? Then stop your washer after the rinse cycle and simply open the door.

5. Some washers actually have energy-saving settings that allow you to wash only slightly soiled dishes in less water. Reducing the amount of water used by your dishwasher is important because approximately 80 percent of the energy used by these machines goes towards heating the water.

6. Use your dishwasher's timer option to take advantage of off-peak washing, especially if you live in an area where you pay for peak power usage.

7. Every brand is different so make sure you follow your manufacturer's recommendations for efficiency.