Manual wash or Dishwasher? Here's a money saving tip to use less water manually.

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Comments

  • Dishwasher as just got such a busy life, but after reading the comments i might try washing manually to save a few coins x
  • Dishwasher. It only heats the water it needs! Hence cheaper.
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 5,420
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    I'm on a water meter for the first time.
    I worked out it takes 2-3ltrs of cold water to run through before the hot arrives. Using a large plastic kitchen jug I run the cold water into that. Tip it into the water butt outside for use in the garden or outdoor cleaning while washing up bowl fills. Wash or wash up with hot water. Tip cooled water straight onto garden, pavers or car. Haven't killed either yet

    No trouble or extra hassle at all.

    Me, the dishes and the garden are clean. My bills are so low the company dropped the monthly cost to the minium and commented on the lack of waste water - so I had to explain :-)

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  • ka7e
    ka7e Posts: 3,078
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    In an age of rampant consumerism the OP has found a practical solution that is economical on resources! I run a fully loaded slimline dishwasher about every 3 days, but I wash cooking pans and trays in a similar fashion to the OP's. They take up too much room in the dishwasher so I wipe grease off with kitchen roll and fill them with soapy water to soak. Each to their own, but I actually find hand washing quite therapeutic!
    "Cheap", "Fast", "Right" -- pick two.
  • Diego_Francis
    Diego_Francis Posts: 58
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    edited 30 October 2020 at 9:18AM
    Forgot all about this thread. What a laugh I've had reading all these perspectives. Great insight. 

    Here's the latest update as I've relaxed some things and improved others. 
    Our water supplier offers freebie water saving gadgets. Highly recommend ordering some! 

    I bought a tub for our sink. Always been that guy that says, who washes dishes in a tub in the sink it's ridiculous! 

    Changed man now. 

    So here's my updated method:
    Tub in sink, all dishes stacked up only to the point where the drainer is close to overloading. 
    Now wattage use on a kettle compared to a boiler is higher, so now I run the hot water tap into the tub. 

    Now, when the water gets hot, turn the tap off. 

    Here's where it gets outrageous for some:

    The water in the tub, mixture of cold and manky water, ideal for plants! So I pour this into empty 2ltr bottles, destined for recycling anyways. Hot water tap for us as its a combo boiler, is pretty quick, so usually half a litre of waste water, but that's now not waster per se as I use it to water our plants.

    Back to the sink, tub back in and empty.
    Soap on sponge, scrub glasses mugs and cups, plonk into tub. 
    Turn tap back on, allow to run but sort of just faster than a trickle, throw cutlery into tub. Any cutlery used on raw meat is placed into the mini sink beside, separate from the rest.
    As water continues, glasses mugs and cups are all rinsed, that water is emptied into tub. 
    Next, plates are washed. Any remnants on plates are scraped into bin, if sauce etc on then plates are rinsed with water dropping into mini sink, filling up slightly and soaking raw meat utensil. 
    Plates and dishes washed. 
    By the last dish/plate, tap is turned off again. 
    All cutlery is washed, raw meat ones last. 
    Least dirty pots/pans are plonked into tub, scrubbed and rinsed there and then. 
    The grimier ones, ill empty the hot water from the tub into these pans/pots, with liquid soap in there, fill them up with the water. 

    Yes this water is dirty already, but so is the pan. The hot water and liquid will lift most of the dirt. Leave these to soak for five to ten minutes. 
    Meanwhile, if drainer is looking crowded or close to overloading, grab a tea towel and start drying glasses first then the rest until space remains for what is left, not including pots/pans as they can dry upside down in the sinks and or on top of the items on the drainer. 


    Now as a sad efficient-ist person, I have measured this several times... Dont do it now but did at first. 
    Overall water wasted (not including water for plants) came to less than 8litres.
    Boiler kicks in and stops initially just over 1minute.
    Total time to wash a big load of dishes never takes any longer than ten minutes.
    Pots/pans left to soak, are emptied, scrubbed with a separate sponge and just rinsed off with cold water. No need to add hot water again unless the worst of stains remains. 

    Average dish washing fun: twice a day.
    Average week: 15-17 washes (Sunday dinners and Terrible Tuesday = Big washes) 

    I haven't looked into the costs saved but with the new water saving nozzle on the tap, less water comes out of it even though the flow rate remains good. 

    Our water bills have dropped in the house by £9 a month since Feb this year, obviously this isn't soley from dish washing but I know this method has contributed.
    Electricity and gas probably not much of a dent but our rates have never gone above £35/month dual fuel so doing something right.

    Dishwasher lovers, you do you but I find them to be a waste of energy and like someone else said, you waste more time setting it up.

    Additionally, if I haven't said it in the OP,  what you pay to run your dishwasher, for the tablets to use in them, bare in mind that's fuel pay too, to get you to the shops and back... I don't see how dishwashers are a cost effective way to wash dishes. 

    My view on the matter. I appreciate everyone's replies to this thread. Thanks for sharing your views! 

  • Additionally, if I haven't said it in the OP,  what you pay to run your dishwasher, for the tablets to use in them, bare in mind that's fuel pay too, to get you to the shops and back... I don't see how dishwashers are a cost effective way to wash dishes. 

    Do you really think we make special trips to the shops just to buy dishwasher tablets? I'm not having a pop at you - your lifestyle is your own, but try to keep a grip on reality.
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