I have a VERY expensive dish rack — my dishwasher! Yeah, yeah. I know all the arguments for using the dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes. Researchers argue that it doesn’t save anything to hand wash instead of use the dishwasher in a typical family. According to the Bonn Institute in Germany, a dishwasher uses about one sixth of the water and half the energy it takes to hand wash dishes. In a typical family, I believe that’s probably true. If I had kids running around the house, I’d be using it, too. But, it’s just the two of us here and I don’t think that research would fly at my house. I think that I can actually save money and reduce the damage I do to the environment by washing dishes.
In my attempts to “go green,” I’ve decided to hand wash my dishes, just like my grandmother once did. Y’all may think I am crazy, but I think I have some compelling reasons to hand wash the dishes. Here are my top ten:
- My dishwasher is an older model, and does not have an Energy Star rating. It’s more likely that my dishwasher uses 6 gallons of water per load rather than the 4 gallons that a newer appliance would use. I don’t use that much water hand washing the dishes, and we can’t afford to replace the dishwasher right now!
- Because it’s not a newer model, I can’t put my dishes from the table into the dishwasher without rinsing them first. If I did put them in the machine covered in gunk, when the load was washed I’d find plates with food stuck to them. Have you ever tried to get dried food off of a plate that has gone through the dishwasher? It’s like chipping at cement! So, why not go ahead and wash them while I’m at it?
- There are only two of us, and we don’t generate many dishes per each meal. In order to be most efficient with the energy savings of a dishwasher, one should fill that machine at least 3/4 full. I’d run out of dishes if I did that!
- Most of the pots and pans I use can’t be washed in the dishwasher. I have to hand wash them anyway, so if I’m going to be hand washing I can do them all and be done with it.
- It actually takes me less time to hand wash the dishes than to load the dishwasher. That’s right, remember, I have to rinse everything first. I can wash them, dry them, and put the dishes back in the cupboard and have everything tidy before I leave the kitchen in the same amount of time it takes to load the dishwasher.
- An Energy Star dishwasher uses 4 gallons of water (and all that water goes down the drain). I use about four gallons, but I use plastic tubs in my sink. When I’m finished washing the dishes, I tote that water out to my yard to nourish my garden. My flowers thank me for it.
- I’m getting muscles from carrying that water! Before you know it, my arms will be as well-toned as Michelle Obama’s arms without having to go to the gym!
- The hot water from washing dishes is soothing to my arthritis.
- Because I know that I will be hand washing every dish and utensil, I’m a little more conscious about how many dishes I use in making a meal!
- If my husband jumps in to help me, which he often does, then washing dishes is a “bonding experience.” If he doesn’t help me, then I consider it a time to meditate as I perform a simple mindless task. Either way, it’s good for me.
There are a couple of things I had to teach Mr. Tucker about washing dishes, because he didn’t do that chore often as a child. Though they might seem obvious, if you’ve never had to wash dishes you might forget:
- Wash the cleanest dishes first.
- Wipe all the excess food off of the plate before putting it in the dishwater.
- Save the greasy pots for last.
Most days, I wash the dishes by hand. I will admit, however, that I still use the dishwasher on busy weekends or if company comes for supper. Although I want to go green, I am trying to be practical about it and I’m certainly not going to make my company feel guilty about helping me wash dishes. But, most days my dishwasher has become a very expensive drying rack.
Go ahead. I know you are dying to tell me I’m crazy. Let ‘er rip.
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{ 14 comments }
Nope don’t think your crazy at all. When we’re in WC we do the very thing!
I know you take it even farther than I do!
Not crazy at all. When I was single or when it was just the 2 of us, I hand washed dishes all the time. It was faster & more easier than running the dishwasher. I still occasionally wash some pots & pans by hand. Our dishwasher is older too & I can’t wait to replace it!
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..St. Patrick’s Day Parade – downtown Houston =-.
I thought about replacing ours, but decided, “Why bother?” One thing I have to remember to do, though, is to run it occasionally so water doesn’t get in the bottom (attracts mosquitoes and rusts the works!).
I live alone…and use my dishwasher. Now granted, I do not run it everyday and some people might object to having dirty dishes in there for a couple of days…but I don’t.
Now, I do also wash somethings by hand. Most pots and pans, things I will need sooner.
But I must say, I like the idea of reusing that dish water for the garden.
.-= caite@a lovely shore breeze´s last blog ..Musing Monday… A Picture Paints a Thousand Words =-.
It really is making muscles
I thought I wouldn’t ever have those again.
You are sooo lucky! I really would LOVE to wash my dishes by hand…but somedays, I barely have energy left over from the day…*shamefully* I sometimes leave my dishes in the sink a day or so, before I can even get the energy to load the dishwasher.
Hopefully when I move into the parsonage (which has a large sink and a large kitchen, to boot)..I might go green too, and go back to washing by hand. I absolutely love the vision of you using the water for outside!!! how green is that!
by the way, I am a long lost member from SheWhoBlogs…used to blog regularly, but after being ordained and taking a call…I barely have time to blog anymore…but am making a concerted effort to get back into the hang!
Nice to meet you!!!
Thanks for stopping by, Andrena! Congratulations on your ordainment. Once you get in the parsonage, will you have time for anything?
Sounds like you will be busy enough with your parishioners.
When my kids were old enough to wash dishes, they used to cry, wail and bemoan the fact that they had to do this chore and that we should have a dishwasher. My response to that was to tell them I already had a dishwasher -actually three of ‘em -and that would be “THEM!” Today, I do the majority of the cooking and seem to have the label on me somewhere that says I am also the dishwasher du jour. My daughter is constantly -still -whining and complaining about wanting/needing a dishwasher but as picky as she can be if I miss a spot on a dish or a piece of silver, I wonder how long -and how much -she will actually still like a dishwasher -other than good old Mom, ya know!
.-= Jeni Hill Ertmer´s last blog ..Scardy. Scardy. =-.
The only thing I can tell you is that since I have to wash (usually), I find myself using less pots and pans. My Mamaw always made sure we dried the dishes as we went so that if we “missed a spot” in washing, we caught it right then.
I wash dishes for many of the same reasons.. A dishwasher is a great drying rack because it frees up valuable counter space that can be put to a higher and better use, like food preparation. I’ve never hand-dried dishes; the air does a great job and provides great insurance against butterfingers with tile floors (like me!) With limited cupboards, the dishwasher also provides handy storage for frequently-used bowls, plates and pots. If I need to wash my hands, I go and wash a used coffee cup or plate. If my hands are cold — by using rubber gloves and very hot water — I can warm up by washing up. How’s that for saving energy?
It’s sad to see beautiful family silver silver ruined by automatic dishwasher detergents, much harsher than dish soap . So as long as I’m washing the silverware — and the wooden spoons and the knives with wooden handles — I might as well wash the rest.
I love your meditative point of view; sounds like a little corner of zen in your house. Two people and a sinkful of dishes provides an old-fashioned opportunity to chat up while cleaning up, slowing things down from the breakneck speed of today’s life. And waking up in the morning to a clean kitchen is cleansing. Green is good for so many reasons; every small step helps.
.-= Joy´s last blog ..BEFORE HUMMUS IS TARATOOR =-.
We go ahead and dry them quite often just because it’s nice to have everything done. Yep, silver, the wooden handles … I’ve worked at ruining them all back in the day when I used the dishwasher all the time.
And, the meditative view is very nice most nights. Some days, it’s hard to call that up if I have been doing back-breaking work during the day!
Oh, I adore washing dishes! A grandMother now as well, I make a ritual ~ lift the dish/glass, look at it, imagine where it was created and started, who packaged it, who mailed it, then who priced it and placed it on the shelf. I feel the water and am amazed that I have something so overlooked ~ simple running water. Then I thank all those who made it possible for us to enjoy our ‘daily bread’ on a piece so lovely. My family knows when I begin this process, I have “gone to church” and should not be disturbed for this short while… isn’t this what a sacred moment really is?
Jules, that is a sacred moment, indeed. I’m wondering how long you are “in church,” though!
I do my appreciation of the dishes as I fill them with food instead … but I get what you are saying.
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