Say goodbye to hand-washing dishes!

The history of epic battles is extensive and legendary. Batman versus Superman. Kong versus Godzilla. Dishwashing versus hand-washing? Alright, this one may not be as action-packed, but the debate still sparks strong opinions.

Many still wash dishes by hand, even with a perfectly functional dishwasher nearby. Often, this choice stems from the perception that modern conveniences are unnecessary and wasteful. After all, dishwashers use a lot of water and energy, right? So why not opt for the manual approach and feel better about it?

Take it easy. In this case, the simpler option is actually the more efficient one.

"There's a widespread belief that dishwashers use up too much water, which leads many people to hand-wash their dishes, thinking it's a better alternative," explains Jill Franke, a senior scientist at Cascade (the automatic dishwasher detergent) via email. "However, according to ENERGY STAR, certified dishwashers use less than 4 gallons (15 liters) per cycle, while hand-washing can waste 4 gallons every two minutes."

While Cascade may be expected to advocate for dishwashers, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is on the same page.

"Modern dishwashers clean your dishes exceptionally well, using only 3 to 5 gallons (11 to 19 liters) of water for a full load," says Noah Horowitz, senior scientist at NRDC, in an email.

A large part of the energy savings comes from innovations in dishwasher technology over the past decade. An average ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher saves around 3,870 gallons (14,650 liters) of water over its lifetime, and it costs just $35 a year to operate.

This holds true even with recent regulations on faucet efficiency. "According to federal standards, new kitchen faucets can't exceed 2.2 gallons (8.3 liters) per minute. Efficient models use only about 1.5 gallons (5.6 liters) per minute," explains Horowitz. "No matter how fast you are, it’s impossible to wash a full dishwasher load of dirty dishes in under three minutes. If you leave the water running while washing by hand, you could easily use over 20 gallons (26 liters) to wash the day’s dishes."

So, 20+ gallons for hand-washing versus 4 (or less) with a dishwasher? That's a huge difference.

But what about the energy costs? Turns out, the dishwasher wins here as well. "The dishwasher is much more energy-efficient than hand-washing, which requires energy to heat water throughout the process," Franke points out. "In fact, switching from hand-washing to running your dishwasher just four times a week could save you up to $130 annually on your energy bill – even with an older model!" (This estimate assumes an electricity rate of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.)

Using the Dishwasher Efficiently

Now that we’ve established the dishwasher’s superiority over hand-washing, here are some tips to save even more water and energy while using it.

If you absolutely must wash by hand, the most efficient method is to fill the sink with hot, soapy water. Let the dishes soak, then rinse them in another sink filled with clean hot water (no soap). Avoid leaving the water running the entire time, as that’s when excessive water is wasted.