Details for In the Kitchen: Dishwashing

Approximately 5-15% of household water consumption occurs in the kitchen for cleaning, cooking and washing, however there are many ways in which we can all reduce our water and energy consumption, carbon emissions, wastage, and costs by being more mindful of our actions in the kitchen.

At the kitchen sink

A running kitchen tap can use approximately 15-20 litres of water per minute. For Tamworth residents in 2012, this could cost approximately $1.50/hour. A tap left dripping for a couple of hours every day could end up costing around $135/month. Hence a lot of water and money can be saved by avoiding running taps unnecessarily. Some suggestions for how this can be achieved are outlined below.

• Try to wash and rinse dishes by filling or half filling sinks rather than running the tap. Kitchens with double sinks are great as one side can be used for washing and the other for rinsing. If your kitchen only has one sink, try using a large container/tub for rinsing as this will save water which can be reused for watering plants and/or cleaning.
• If you find yourself often running the tap to heat up/cool down water before using it, rather than letting it drain down the sink try collecting this excess water in a bottle/container to use for drinking, watering the garden etc. This will avoid any unnecessary water wastage.
• Instead of rinsing kitchenware with a running tap, try scraping all remaining food into a scrap and/or compost bin to be used in the garden, a worm farm or for chooks.
• Try to ensure all taps are properly turned off when not in use and are not leaking. Taps leaking around 60 drops/minute can waste up to over 8000 litres in a year.
• When hand washing dishes, remember to wash the cleaner dishes first to reduce the number of times the sink needs to be refilled.
• Try not to go to crazy with the amount of detergent you use and only use what is needed. Using less detergent will reduce the amount of foam and the need for more rinsing. As an extra environmental tip, try using detergents that contain no phosphates.
• Soaking pots and pans after cooking with them can prevent sauces from drying and the need for multiple washes and scrubbing to get them clean.
• Saving all dishes to wash in one go will prevent using a lot of water for a small number of kitchen utensils.
• Using biodegradable cooking paper can reduce the amount of fat and grease that needs to be washed off pans.

Using Dishwashers

The dishwasher is a very commonly used appliance in Australian kitchens. In 2008, 45% of Australian homes had a dishwasher of which almost a third used their dishwashers daily while the remaining owners used their dishwashers once a week. Older style dishwashers use a lot of water and energy, however continual technological improvements mean that the modern dishwasher can use approximately 20- 50 litres of water per cycle which is less than many of us use when hand washing dishes. Listed below are some good tips to follow to help get the most efficient water and energy use from your dishwasher.

• Try to avoid rinsing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Most modern models can effectively clean dishes without needing a pre-rinse.
• Try to only run the dishwasher when it is full of dishes. This uses less water than washing the same number of dishes in the sink.
• Read the manual and understand all settings. Many have a half-load or economy setting and allow for water level adjustments which can all be used to help save water.  The machines user guide will provide information on the most efficient program according to the size and type of load in the dishwasher. Many instruction manuals also give advice on how to load dishes to allow for proper water circulation and help cleaning effectiveness.
• When running dishwashers, try and use lower temperature or NORMAL temperature settings to reduce electricity consumption, however when using lower temperatures Rinse Aid can be good to use to prevent spotting or grime building up on plates.
• Try to check and clean dishwasher drains and filters to ensure that the machine is operating at its maximum efficiency.
• Try gradually filling the dishwasher over a day and only using it for full loads. Using a dishwasher that is only half full is a huge waste of water and energy and needing to run two separate loads because there are too many dishes is just as wasteful.
• If your household is on a time of use tariff, using dishwashers in off peak electricity times will reduce the cost by approximately 50%.
• A lot of heat and energy is used in dishwashers at the end of the cycle for drying the dishes. Electricity consumption can be reduced by selecting air-dry options compared to heat drying options. Even better, try eliminating power drying altogether and leave the door open after the cycle has finished allowing dishes to be dried by the open air.
• Try to avoid using the rinse hold setting, especially for just a few dishes. This uses a lot of extra water (approximately 11-24 litres) and energy for heating.

Buying a New Dishwasher

• Before buying a new dishwasher, spend some time researching into models with high energy and water efficiency. Energy star options make it easy to compare products with each energy star equating to 30% less energy consumption. The energy labels also help to estimate how much electricity will be needed to run the dishwasher in a year. The water efficiency of dishwashers is shown in the form of a star rating from the WELS scheme with each extra water star equating to 15% less water. The WELS website contains a database for all the water star ratings for all dishwashers. The most efficient WELS models can use up to 50% less water than an average dishwasher. Look for models that are at least WELS ratings 4.5 or above.
• Whilst shopping for a new dishwasher, keep features that will help to save water and electricity in mind such as short wash cycles and air- drying options.
• It is also important to consider that the dishwasher needs to suit the needs of the family. For example, buying a more compact model (although they use less energy) may need to be run more times a week than a standard capacity dishwasher and hence not provide the wanted savings.