Dishwasher or hand wash: Here's which is more cost effective

Some claim that the dishwasher is more environmentally friendly than hand washing, because it cleans all the dishes in one wash, in the truest sense of the word. Of course, such a device also needs energy, and not a little at that. The question that arises now is, what is really better for our environment? Rinsing or dishwasher?

Dishwasher saves water and energy

According to the National Top Runner Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, a fully loaded dishwasher definitely saves energy and water resources, because it can clean much more in less time than we humans can. Up to 30% of energy and over £30, a year could thus be saved. This is because the water used for hand washing also consumes energy, as it first has to be heated up.

The thesis is criticized, however, because the resources for the production of the washing machine, the so-called grey energy, were not taken into account. 1,000 kilowatt hours are consumed for the production and transport of a washing machine, of which one could clean dishes by hand washing up to 1,000 times.

Conclusion?

The decisive factor is how the water is heated. The dishwasher is powered by electricity, but the water may be heated by gas or solar energy, which would of course be better. Moreover, you can save a lot by making sure the dishwasher is always full and running in ECO mode, but this could take longer.

This article was translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

-myHOMEBOOK: Spülmaschine oder per Hand abwaschen – was ist sparsamer?