by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
In an article that I read recently the comparison was made of washing dishes by hand versa the dishwasher and it was claimed that a dishwasher was more environmentally friendly and had a smaller carbon footprint than doing the dishes by hand.
To be perfectly honest my response to that is “duh?” This article must have been written by someone who is getting some kickback from the dishwasher manufacturers for sure. There is no way, at least not that I can see, where the dishwasher could be more environmentally friendly than hand washing the dishes. Before I would and could take that as gospel, however, I would require a lot of convincing.
For some reason it just is incomprehensible to me that washing dishes by hand should be worse for the environment than using a dishwasher. Excuse me please but every time a dishwasher runs a cycle, and there are a couple of them during its operation, it does heat up another, fresh, load of water. Unless you use a commercial dishwasher that uses the same water all day long keeping it constantly heated. That too would not make sense to me as regards to energy efficiency and all that. So, where precisely, are the savings and where is it better for the environment if we use a dishwasher instead of washing the dishes by hand?
Right, so, every time it does a cycle the domestic dishwasher heats the water to a relatively high temperature. Now, if I do my dishes in a bowl in the sink I use a certain amount of hot water from either the tap or other means and then with that water I do glasses and cups, followed by plates and such, and last by pots and pans. All in the same water, with occasional rinsing in hot water of certain stuff. I am sure that I do not use as much water or as much energy, nor as much detergent, as does any kind of domestic dishwasher.
In my book washing dishes by hand is the environmentally friendly thing to do in the same way as is line drying ones clothes, as and where possible. I once tried using a dryer but gave that up as a bad idea. Someone gave me that dryer but unfortunately they did not also leave me a legacy with which to run it. When a pair of jeans needs over four hours in a dryer to get dried then, I am afraid to say, I rather stick it on the radiator and run the heating for a while – if it is not on at the time anyway. While it may take a little longer on the heating it will get dry nevertheless and I do not have to waste four hours of electricity at about 2KW, both in terms of environmental footprint as well as in terms of finances. Four hours at that rate is a lot of money when it comes to the electricity bill, money that I ca n use much better elsewhere.
However, as far as the dishes are concerned, I am sure that washing them by hand is much better for the environment and for my pocketbook, so I shall continue to wash them by hand. What about you?
© M Smith (Veshengro), June 2008
Dish washing by hand – vs – dishwasher
