Contrary to popular belief, you can use your dishwasher in a variety of eco-friendly ways. A dishwasher requires less water than handwashing, and there are simple maintenance tips you can follow to optimize your sustainable dishwashing habits.
Learn about the most eco-friendly ways to use your dishwasher to reduce your carbon footprint and go green with your dishwashing appliances.
Run on a Full Load
The dishwasher uses the same amount of water for each load, regardless of the dish load. Each load you run uses the same amount of water and energy, which means one of the most eco-friendly ways to use your dishwasher is to wait until it is full before running it.
Run Dishwasher on Solar
If your home has solar panels, you can use this as an eco-friendly way to run your dishwasher. Time running your dishwasher during the day to conserve electricity, and power your dishwasher on solar energy instead.
Scrape Instead of Rinse
Avoid rinsing your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher to conserve water. Use a brush or fork to remove food particles and scrap dishes down without unnecessarily using extra water. Using less water to clean your dishes will also reduce your water bill.
Use Eco-Friendly Settings
Check your dishwasher model for an “eco-friendly” setting to run it on. If your model doesn’t have this feature, you can set your dishwasher at a lower temperature to conserve energy. Save the hot water for when you need to remove food particle buildup from pots and pans, and use the lower setting for regular loads.
Choose an Eco-Friendly Model
If you’re investing in a new dishwasher or need to replace your old one, consider looking into an eco-friendly model. Evaluate the features on various dishwasher models to determine if they conserve water and energy use. Another sustainable option includes investing in a dishwasher unit that has a long shelf life compared to other dishwasher models. If your dishwasher lasts you a long time, that’s one less item polluting landfills.
