What is worse for the environment?

Question

Washing dishes or putting them in a dishwasher? Because either way, you can be wasting alot of water.

Answer 1

I know all the green "experts" are saying dishwashers are the way to go since they "use less water". I put that in quotes because I'm not 100% sure that's true. Not that it's a lie, just that I think it's based on "typical behavior" like washing small batches by hand and/or rinsing under running water.

My diswasher isn't designed well so I know I can do more dishes in a sinkful than one full load in the washer. Plus when I use the washer I still have pots and pans that aren't dishwasher safe that have to be done by hand anyway. I could have just used that sinkful of water and done everything.  

Then there's the extra power issue. Then there's the plastic booster - 1 extra chemical needed (in my) dishwasher that I don't have to use by hand. Then there's the issue of how much has to be re-washed - 0 by hand, a few by diswasher.

Answer 2

Here's my take on it:

Washing dishes by hand we have our hands soaking in chemicals. What's it take? An hour a day to wash dishes? OK so you spend an hour a day soaking your hands in chemicals for 50 years. What effect has that had directly on you?

OK skip that, a dishwasher uses less than a sink full of water, and can normally do 2 or more sinks full at a time. It does however use electricity. When filled full, a dishwasher is actually more efficient.

On the other hand, hand washing does not require external energy (except to heat the water). We may use more water when hand washing, but remember this: The water is not gone after you use it. Coal is gone, it has changed forms. Gasoline is gone. It also has changed forms. The water on the other hand just becomes temporarily unfit for use. It goes down the drain, and travels to a treatment plant where it is processed back into as pure of water as we possibly can, then it is released to either seep into the ground, or released into a lake or river. Some of it evaporates and comes back as rain.

Wait a minute! Energy is used to process that dirty water back into clean water, so using less water might just be more efficient. But maybe the chemicals used in a dishwasher are harder to process out of the "dirty water" in that case we could be back to hand washing.

Ah heck with it! Why don't we just use disposable dishes! Ah, but that means energy to create them constantly, and waste going into our landfills.

You see some things lead to a never ending circle of "but you didn't think of this" and this is one of them. I would avoid soaking my hands in chemicals for an hour a day for 50 years if I were you though.

Answer 3

I think that you dont have to worrie because nomatter what you think we will never run out of water. All the evaporation of water and you also goto think that 3/4 of this earth is covered with water. So wasting a couple gallons of water a day isnt something to be concerned about.

Answer 4

solution. use paper plates instead. you can even make pretty food art with them when you are done! woohoo!

Answer 5

It depends on your dishwasher and how you wash. In general a dishwasher uses less water, and minimal electricity. That is if you don't wash your dishes before you put them into the dishwasher.

It's best to scrape all food into the garbage and run the full dishwasher before the food has a chance to dry on.

Answer 6

It might also depend how you wash the dishes.

Answer 7

Actually, dishwashers are much more efficient and green than washing by hand.

Answer 8

i think that putting dirty dishes in the dish washer is more bad for the enviroment because you are using energy and water at the same time.

when you are washing dishes you are using water but not using energy.

Answer 9

my family and i all use a dishwasher mostly because its easier than hand washing. hand washing is better because it don't take that much energy . they probably both use the same amount of water.

Answer 10

Putting them in the dishwasher because you use alot more water then just hand washing them!!!