Do you use a dishwasher in your home, but worry about its impact on the environment? Eating homegrown, sustainable ingredients and staying on top of your recycling game is only half the battle when it comes to living an eco-friendly lifestyle; using energy efficiently for your daily tasks can also limit your environmental footprint. Fortunately, there are some dishwashers that are designed to be highly efficient appliances, helping you clean smarter - meaning less elbow grease for clean up!
Finish provides our top eco-friendly dishwasher tips so that you can keep your dishes clean without sacrificing sustainability efforts.
Are Dishwashers More Eco-Friendly?
Dishwashers can be a great way to clean dishes in an eco-friendly manner. Dishwashers use much less water than hand washing, which can save hundreds of litres of water each year¹.
Using a dishwasher can reduce the amount of soap and detergent needed for washing dishes since it allows the use of different cycle settings, which helps break down dirt and debris without the need for excessive cleaners. All in all, dishwashers can be a great way to reduce your water usage and save money on your utility bills.
How Much Electricity Does a Dishwasher Use? How Much Water Does a Dishwasher Use?
How much water and electricity a dishwasher uses is contingent on the make and model of the dishwasher, the settings you use, and other dishwashing habits you may or may not have, such as pre-rinsing your dishes before loading the dishwasher.
Though, in general, you can expect to save up to 200 L of water per week¹ if you use a dishwasher as opposed to hand-washing!
In addition to using less energy and water than washing dishes by hand, newer dishwashers feature several eco-friendly settings that help conserve water and energy.
These include sensors that detect the size and dirtiness of the load, selecting a cycle based on this information, as well as booster heaters that preheat water to reduce time spent in cycle and decrease energy use.
Conserving energy and water is important to our environment, so think carefully when deciding which dishwasher is best for you.
Top Tips for Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Use
Only Run Cycles When Your Dishwasher is Full
When it comes to running the dishwasher, try to only do so when you have a full load. Doing this can save on energy costs, help reduce water usage and help reduce your carbon footprint.
Use Eco-Friendly Settings
Using the eco-friendly settings on your dishwasher is one of the easiest ways to help reduce your carbon footprint. Usually an eco-friendly cycle will wash your dishes at a cooler temperature and use less energy, though they typically take longer.
Shorter cycles use less water, thus reducing water consumption. Cooler cycles, or those that use less heat energy to clean dishes, help conserve energy and reduce emissions.
Not only are these settings more eco-friendly, but they can also save you money on your energy bills!
Scrape, But Don’t Rinse, Your Dishes
Scraping your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher can save water, energy and detergent. Plus, scraping your dishes helps keep your dishwasher functioning properly by reducing the potential for clogging and blockages.
You don’t need to spend extra time pre-rinsing all the small pieces of food because your dishwasher is designed to do that. Not only does it waste time, but you can waste a great deal of water by doing so - particularly when your dishwasher does the job for you!
Help save water, energy and detergent while also keeping your dishwasher running smoothly – all you need to do is scrape.
Choose an Eco-Friendly Dishwasher
When shopping for an eco-friendly dishwasher in Australia, there are several important factors to consider. First and foremost, look for a model with a high WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rating, such as 5 stars or higher. These models use significantly less water than other dishwashers on the market.
Remember to also check for additional features from reputable brands such as a delayed start timer or a quick wash cycle. These features can help you better manage water and energy consumption while still ensuring your dishes come out sparkling clean.
As an added bonus, many of the newer models often come with a range of additional eco-friendly options such as auto shutoff or even half-load functionality so that you are able to save even more energy when washing fewer dishes.
How Finish Can Help
Dishwashing doesn't have to be complicated - with Finish products, all it takes is one tablet per cycle to get sparkling results you can trust. Plus you can enhance your routine with rinse aid and dishwasher cleaners.
¹200L saving based on comparison of washing 132 items, 4 times a week, machine on Eco cycle vs hand washing.
