The debate between dishwashers going up against the traditional handwashing has been raging for several years now, with no one really winning the argument.  The reason is that it is very difficult to measure the quantity of water that each household uses as they wash their dishes; hot water, in particular. Dishwashers, though, vary on how much hot water they use; some may use less and some may use more. Even people who prefer handwashing cannot measure the amount of water they use.. That is why it is difficult to make an accurate comparison if we include water as one of the key factors, but let us try. 

Handwashing

Dishwashing is probably one part of human life where technology is having a hard time taking over.  People who don’t use dishwashers may think that handwashing is more efficient, is environment-friendly, is costly and saves water usage. On the other hand, at present, it is now becoming a false impression. Why? They might not need to invest in a dishwasher, but the thing is people are probably washing their dishes the wrong way, you may check https://warewashingsolutions.com.au/ for more ideas. Most people let the water run through the dishes which in the long run can make you throw money more because of the additional cost the excessive water usage may cause.

Dishwashing

To buy a brand new dishwasher would set you back from $300 to $1,200. It is definitely not a cheap price, but considering that it is for long-term use, then it’s a great investment.  According to a recent study, a usual dishwasher can last for more or less 10 years and a total depreciation cost of $740. If you are going to sum up the cost and the value it can provide to your daily lives, you might find it beneficial in trimming down the cost.

Water costs

Using dishwashers, especially those with high-quality, certainly uses less water than handwashing.  It could be hard to fathom, but washing dishes by hand can let you use as much as 27 gallons per load.  Dishwashers, especially the newer models, use up as low as 80% of that amount. It can spray highly restricted restrained jets of water on the dishes, which certainly cannot be done by hand-washing. Can you imagine how much water you can save if you switch to dishwashing? You’ll never think until you realize you are wasting that much by handwashing.

Electricity cost

Another obvious cost of using a dishwasher is electricity.  Dishwashers run using it. A dishwasher unit runs on an average of 1.5 kWh of electricity use.  

Still, dishwashing allows you to save more than you would by hand-washing your dishes.  How? Consider this, with handwashing, you still use electricity because your water has to produce hot water so you can hand-wash your dishes, as opposed to dishwashers that have their own built-in heaters to efficiently warm up the water it uses.  The most important thing in order for dishwashers to be fully effective is that you should make sure you are using it on full loads. So you can save time and energy as well.

Cleaning supplies

It is safe to say that both handwashing and dishwashers use cleaning supplies.  You actually spend an additional $0.93 per load using a dishwasher. Yet, the cost can actually go higher with hand-washing using a hot water-filled container with soap and rinsing the dishes with cold water.

Does washing dishes with your hands make the dishes cleaner?

There is nothing like the human touch, as they say.  But does this also apply to washing your dishes? The answer might be cruel NO.  Humans wash dishes using cold to lukewarm water, but dishwashing needs way more heat than that to become effective, the heat that the human hands cannot withstand.   Dishes need hot water with temperatures of 140 degrees to 145 degrees F. Dishwashers have built-in water heaters to do this job for you.

Then take a look at the sponge you are using to clean your dishes.  If you think it is clean, then think again. It is full of germs; in fact, it may have more germs than your toilet seat. You may actually just be adding more germs to your dishes than cleaning them.  

And besides, dishwashers can do more dishes than your hands could. How cool is that?

Conclusion  

The dishwashers of today no longer work like the ones that existed more than a hundred years ago when they were first put into use.  Modern dishwashers are faster, more efficient, more hygienic, and manufacturers have ensured that the new dishwashers they are putting out in the market are more friendly to the environment.  Another benefit of letting the dishwasher do its job is that you get to spend more time with your family. While it is true that you may be able to save a few dollars per hour by hand-washing, think if it is really worth it.  If you spend 15 minutes washing the dishes, just think of where else would you rather spend those precious times with much cleaner dishes.