I remember reading years ago in the The Complete Tightwad Gazette
- Scrape the food off the plates with a scrubber (you don’t need to use water). Cleaner plates in the dishwasher usually mean you can run the dishwasher on a lower energy cycle like quick wash.
- Use less dishwasher detergent for each load. For the record, you must use dishwasher detergent (and not dish soap – thank you very much Cora). I found that using 2/3 the recommended amount of detergent still gets the dishes clean.
- Only run the dishwasher when it is full. Don’t load it so full that your dishes don’t get clean, but make sure you aren’t running a cycle for a few dishes.
- Don’t use the heated dry setting. Open your dishwasher when the cleaning cycle is finished and allow your dishes to air dry. It takes only a few extra minutes.
- Lower the setting on your hot water heater to 120 degrees. Most of the cost of running a dishwasher comes from heating the water. A lower setting on your hot water heater saves money.
Speaking of dishwashers, my aunt and uncle chose not to put a dishwasher in their house when they built it years ago. They love doing dishes as a family. When I visit, I must admit it is fun to wash dishes together, but I don’t think I could part with my dishwasher at home! What about you?
Photo credit: Kevin McShane
Lee Ann K says
Any tips on how to keep the cups on the top rack from getting food residue in them?
Tammy says
I rarely put dishes in our dishwasher ~ I find it pretty soothing to just stand there at the sink and do them by hand! My girls, on the other hand, dishwasher every time! =) But, I didn’t grow up with one until I was probably 16 … so, it was just part of life doing them by hand!
Tristan says
You can also make your own dishwashing detergent (1 cup borax, 1cup washing soda, 1/8 cup salt) Add 2 TBS each cycle. Also, use white vinegar as a rinsing agent. These work pretty well, and with less expense.
Michelle says
We’re empty nesters & got transferred. We decided to live “light & lean” which meant leaving most everything we had behind in our hometown & house (our adult daughter lives in the house). Anyway – we only had a 4 piece place setting of dishes. A new normal we unintentionally created was washing dinner dishes together by hand. He washes, I dry & put away. We would laugh, talk and have a wonderful time! We were transferred again, bought another 4 piece place setting but discovered we really enjoyed that kitchen together time. Bottom line … if my dishwasher broke, I don’t think I’d care much. (BUT .. if I had kids at home, I think I would cry like a baby 😉
Erica Miller says
No way! Our dishwasher broke when I was about 7 months pregnant with our 5th child last year. And although we sometimes stayed on top of dishes better, it was wonderful when we were able to get a dishwasher again after 3 months
Jennifer Sara says
I spent most of my life without a dishwasher. The time we did have one it didn’t work. After my third child we bought one just to save me some time in the kitchen.
I still love to handwash at times, I must agree, washing dishes together can be fun! I grew up handwashing and to this day love the smell of original Dawn because of the memories of helping my mother and grandmother with the dishes. Also brings back memories of always handwashing with my first born child when she was 2.
Amanda says
I love my dishwasher…since we are buying a home this coming week…I will take the tip to open the dishwasher and air dry…I also run it at night when energy cost are usually lower.
Sowmya says
Hi,
yeah, doing dishes is something i will gladly pass on to my hubby…. but that rarely happens… 🙂
Got any tips to tackle the white clothes in laundry???
Kimberly C. says
Been without one for a year and dishes are not my forte! VERY excited and grateful to be getting one soon!!!!!
Allie says
I don’t have a dishwasher, and in general, I enjoy doing dishes. However, every time the end of the semester looms, they start to pile up until weekends, and then I really regret having an apartment that lacks a dishwasher!
Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage says
I can’t do without it!! I heart the dishwasher. I recently went to running it only every other day. It is fuller when I do run it and I am running it 1/2 as often! 🙂
Tiffany @ No Ordinary Homestead says
When we first moved over here to Germany, we lived without a dishwasher for about 4 years. If you don’t cook, it’s not a big deal — but when you do, washing dishes is just not fun, even with two people pitching in.
Instead of buying the rinse stuff, I just use vinegar to deodorize and keep the dishes spot free. And modern dishwashers actually need a bit of food to wash properly so washing dishes off instead of scraping (as you suggest) actually makes your machine do even more work.
Judy says
My husband works part time selling appliances and told me that most newer dishwashers are so energy/water efficient that they are actually cheaper to run than handwashing dishes!
Brittney - Our Greener Acres says
Oh, I definitely can’t part with mine either!! One tip that my mom taught me was to run the hot water in the sink until it heats up that way the dishwasher doesn’t have to use so much energy to heat the water up. I usually rinse my dishes that way I’m not watching unused water running down the sink.
twyla says
Most people don’t hand wash efficiently and use gallons of water doing so. Unless you do it the way your grandmother did, you’re better off using the dishwasher to save water.
Elizabeth says
Thanks for the tips! You’re right, I think we are doing most of them…except that I do rinse them with water a lot of the time. I know I use more water when I wash them though…tested that theory. As far as having a dishwasher goes, I could live either way. Sometimes I choose to wash them after each meal just for the enjoyment of it. I guess that’s one of the chores that I don’t mind so much.
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom says
I too have been using my dishwasher since I found out that it might even us LESS energy and water than hand washing. But I have been having some issues especially since they took phosphates out of dishwasher detergent.
I had heard that if you turn the water temp down too low then the dishes aren’t going to get clean b/c the detergent needs hotter water in order to work.
What do you all think?
christy says
I have never had a dishwasher. EVER. It is the one appliance I pine for on a daily basis. I do dishes after lunch, and my husband does them after dinner, otherwise the mess is overwhelming. We are looking into remodeling our 1950’s kitchen, and a new dishwasher is on the top of the list.
TheHappyHousewife says
120 is a safe temperature for washing dishes. Much hotter than 120 and you could burn yourself on the water in the shower or even hand washing dishes.
MAYRA says
I have ever had a dishwasher, so I have been doing it since I was a teenager. Now I’m teaching my kids to do it and they are only 6 and 8. I won’t complain if a have one in the next house we have. Although I’m used to it and it’s an easy task, it gets overwhelming when you cook a lot and when you have kids and homeschool them since we are home 24/7. Definitely it will be in my wish list for the future.
Jen says
I had a dishwasher growing up….it was a convience I took for granted. We have not had a dishwasher since we got married 6 1/2 years ago, our kitchen is old and there is really no way to put one in with our old cabinets.
It’s definetly a must when we move to our next house!
Christy @ Raising Knights says
Since moving into our “new” house one year ago, we have been w/out a dishwasher and I have to try very hard not to complain about it. There are seven of us and we homeschool, so the five boys are here 24/7. That translates to a LOT of dirty dishes! We have our new dishwasher still in the box waiting for when we can afford to have an electrician come and add/change a few things in our kitchen.
Rebecca L. says
I’ve never had a dishwasher. We’ve been married over 20 years. I cook pretty much every day and we homeschool and have several children. You can imagine we go thru dishes. I try to limit everybody to 1 cup per day and I will admit we use paper plates. My daughters help keep things clean and tidy but it can be overwhelming.
Dimitra says
Great tips! Truth is, I really need to have the dishwasher and use it at least 2 times per week. I always run it when it is full.
Dimitra from greenceramictablelamp.blogspot.com
Old lady says
Got my first dishwasher on recommendation from our family doctor. The sanitizing cycle stopped infections from making the round in our family that had been going on for over six months. I always use the hottest cycle for that reason.
Stacy says
I certainly would not do without my dishwasher. When I was first married I didn’t have one and I was always having dirty dishes sitting around. I can sometimes run it twice a day.