[telegraph.hill]

My mother has offered to buy me a dishwasher, as she has one, and she thinks they are one of the best inventions around.

But I am worried from an environmental point of view. A dishwasher would probably use far more water than we would use washing pots in the sink. And then of course there is the electricity that would be used.

So do you think it is environmentally unsound to use a dishwasher? Could we say the same thing about some other domestic appliances?

[myrrhmaid]

We have a friend who gave us a portable dishwasher & I had the same concerns. I blocked the sink to see how much water it actually used (Since it's portable the water drains right into the sink form the faucet) and I was thrilled to find it uses much less than I do washing & rinsing. It does take more electricity. I try to run mine at night on off hours. The water that fills the sink I use to wash pot & pans & other things that don't fit into the dishwasher. My biggest concerns were for dishwasher soap. I don't like chemicals & use as few as possible. I dont like the smell of dishwasher soap. So, I make my own! I even add some tree tree or eucalyptus oil to the formula & it really freshens the whole house safely when i use it. So use it & enjoy it! I feel anything that frees up my time so I can go do other important things is worth the extra energy it takes.

[cats3]

According to my water supplier, hand washing dishes uses up to 20 gallons of water per load.
An automatic dishwasher uses 6-12 gallons of water per load.

[horselover]

Just wait until you have a full load of dishes before running the dishwasher. It would be wise that way. We are getting one soon, and will wait until it's full.

[cats3]

Yes, we do use the dishwasher only when it's full.
It has another advantage as well -when one reaches a certain age, the eyes sometimes miss what's on the dishes and this prolbem can be compounded by low light. The dishwasher seems to clean better than by hand washing.
Although I suppose it depends on the make of dishwasher, whether the water is hard or soft, the quality/effectiveness of the detergent and how well dishes are pre-rinsed...

[Raptor235]

all great points I also never use the heat drying option, it's what takes up the most energy so you can just leave your dishes and over night they'll dry naturaly.