Sustainability Showdown: Dishwashers are more sustainable than hand-washing

Over the weekend, Sen. Dianne Feinstein made headlines for lecturing children and other young climate activists who were asking her to vote “yes” on the proposed Green New Deal, an ambitious resolution that aims to create jobs and stimulate the economy while tackling climate change head on. One young activist can be heard in a video of the confrontation with Feinstein saying that scientists have said there are only 12 more years to “turn this around.”

“Well, it’s not going to get turned around in 10 years,” Feinstein responded. 

But not with that attitude. Humans need to band together and create tangible change to avoid the catastrophe staring us in the face. Simple lifestyle changes — like washing your dishes differently — can leave a significant impact. 

So, what is the best way to wash your dishes? By hand? With the dishwasher? Leaving them out in your backyard and waiting for heavy rainfall?

Well, probably the third option, but that’s not too realistic. 

The best and most feasible option, hands down, is to ditch the hand-washing. 

To begin with, dishwashers minimize water use.

“Studies are showing more and more that, when used to maximize energy-saving features, modern dishwashers can outperform all but the most frugal hand-washers,” the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy website said. 

How much water you’re actually using by hand-washing is easy to measure. Instead of letting the water run down the drain, put a bucket in the sink and see how much water it collects. You may be surprised. 

Most modern dishwashers use less than 10 gallons of water per cycle, and standard-size dishwashers made on or after May 30, 2013 are required to use only five gallons of water, per Department of Energy regulations. Compact dishwashers use even less — at three gallons per cycle. 

Not only do dishwashers almost always use less water than hand-washing, but they’re also more sanitary. To properly sanitize dishes, water needs to be around 140 degrees, too hot for most people’s hands. What’s more, dishwashing sponges are often teeming with bacteria. 

It’s important to use your dishwasher properly to maximize its energy and water efficiency. Loading the dishwasher correctly is a critical step. Though you should wait until the dishwasher has a full load, Consumer Reports warns against overfilling it, which can lead to dishes breaking and preventing water flow between the dishes. 

And skip the pre-rinsing by hand before loading the dishwasher. If you’re like me, it can be hard to resist scrubbing dried pasta sauce out of your bowl before putting it in the dishwasher. But this step is unnecessary and leads to water waste, in addition to energy wasted to heat water.

Modern dishwashers can handle dried foods — just scrape off the plate before putting it in the dishwasher. In fact, pre-rinsing your dishes can actually lead to dirtier dishes, according to Consumer Reports.

The fanciest dishwashers use a sensor to determine the cleanliness of the water in the machine. When the water is clean, the washing ceases. 

“If you’ve already rinsed off much of the muck, the sensor misreads the dishes as already fairly clean,” the Consumer Reports website reads. 

So, loading your dishwasher efficiently and washing a full but not overcrowded dishwasher is the most sustainable choice for cleaning your dishes.

In terms of changing your lifestyle to be more sustainable, loading your dishwasher with relatively dirty dishes seems like a pretty simple choice. I’m sure even Feinstein could get behind it. 

Katherine Wiles is a senior writing about environmentalism and sustainability. Her column, “Sustainability Showdown,” runs every other Wednesday.