Dishwashers vs hand washing- which is better for the environment?

Here’s what the studies show: automatic dishwashers use far less water than hand washing…when you hear just how much, you’ll never wash another dish again! Research from the EPA's Energy Star Program found using an Energy Star-certified dishwasher instead of hand washing can decrease your water bill by $100/year but even one that isn’t energy star certified is still better. Furthermore, using your dishwasher can save 7,000 gallons of water a year compared to washing dishes by hand. The National Resources Defense Council reports hand-washing uses up to 27 gallons per sink full, while dishwashers use approximately 3 gallons. (🎤 Drop) And if you're using an energy-efficient appliance, you are helping cut back on greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, which is great!

So what if you’re one of those people whose dirty dishes look clean because of all the pre-rinsing happening. Try scraping your plates clean before putting them in dishwasher (I have a special wooden scraper). For small households that tend not to fill the dishwasher quickly, (not my house) try using the rinse cycle, which uses approximately half a gallon of water and still effectively cleans dishes that haven't been sitting in the dishwasher too long (as long as they aren’t super filthy).