My husband and I have a slight debate in our house. He tends to hand-wash dishes, saying it's faster to just get them clean and back in the cupboards. I, however, am pro automatic dishwasher and tend to throw everything in there. There are definite positive arguments for both methods.
For a long time it was thought that hand-washing dishes was better on the environment, and cheaper utility bill-wise, than washing in an automatic dish washer. Well, great news folks....
Skip the hand washing!
Today dish washers use about half the energy, one-sixth the water, and less soap than hand-washing dishes! Energy efficient washers only use about 4 gallons, while hand-washing uses between 35-40 gallons (depending on how much you are washing).This is a great money saving tip. It saves you time (and remember how saving time = saving money?), uses less power, and cuts down on your carbon footprint. But of course, be sure to run it only when it's completely full.
Happy savings to you!
