It is generally believed that dishwashers are more environmentally than hand-washing. Is this true?

Built-In Dishwashers vs Hand Washing: Which is Greener?

According to a German study at the University of Bonn, a dishwasher uses only half as much energy, a sixth of the amount of water, and less soap than hand washing for an equivalent load. That sounds pretty clear, but there's actually a lot more to it. How do results vary with different models of dishwasher? What kind of hand-washing routine is used as a comparison? How do you heat the water in your home? Gas heating uses more energy than a renewable source like solar power. And how often do you wash up? All of these factors can subtly alter the balance of statistics. The three big factors to consider are water use, energy use, and carbon footprint.

Dishwasher efficiency

The average dishwasher uses about six gallons of water in a cycle; the average dishwasher that is Energy Star-rated uses four gallons per cycle, and their total energy use is usually between 1.59 kWh per load to as low as 0.87 kWh per load. Energy Star assumes that each load in a "standard" dishwasher has a capacity equal to or greater than to eight place settings and six serving pieces.

What this means in practice is that as long as you don't run your dishwasher half full of dirty dishes, or have an old, inefficient dishwasher, the machine is much more likely to be more energy efficient than hand washing. It is technically possible to use less water and energy when you hand wash your dishes, but it's really not easy.

S&D Ireland: Domestic Appliance Repairs

At S&D Ireland, our local network of fully qualified repair technicians turn up ready to work with many of the most common replacement parts they might need. We always attempt to fix your domestic appliance on our first visit. Call us on one of our regional numbers below to find out more about our domestic appliance repair services, or to arrange for your visit from a repair service engineer.

Dishwasher Repairs Southport Call 01704 779 123

Dishwasher Repairs Maghull Call 0151 601 7150

Dishwasher Repairs Formby Call 01704 779 123

Dishwasher Repairs Kirkby Call 0151 601 7150

Dishwasher Repairs Bootle Call 0151 601 7150

Dishwasher Repairs Crosby Call 0151 601 7150