How green is your dishwasher? That’s something I was wondering, as I plan on getting one once I move (should be seven week, by the way, so watch this space).
I was feeling slightly guilty about it, as I was sure it must be a set backwards where greening is concerned. But apparently not. According to Treehugger:
Using a fully-loaded dishwasher, without pre-rinsing, uses on average 35% less water than hand-washing all of those dishes.
So as well as being easier than hand washing, it’s actually better for the planet. That stat came from a report by the University of Bonn, which proved that a dishwasher used only half of the energy, one sixth of the water and much less detergent than hand washing does.
Treehugger also has this handy tip for even greener lazy washing, which I never considered before:
Instead of letting your washer use electric heat or a fan to dry the dishes, just open the door at the end of the washing cycle and let them air dry. Leave the dishes to dry overnight and they’ll be ready for you when you wake up.
Now all I need to do is make sure I have enough pots and pans to be able to stack them up in there between washes.
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