PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.

Saving on hot water when washing dishes

Mistral001
Mistral001 Posts: 5,397 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
edited 3 November 2021 pm30 9:17PM in Old style MoneySaving
I am trying to cut back on electricity consumption.  The hot water for my dishes is presently provided by an electric immersion heater which I switch on for about 10 minutes every time I do the dishes.  When I tried to think of ways to cut back on the use of the immersion heater, a friend of mine who use to visit Greece a lot, came to mind.  She would wash her dishes, in what she called, the way the Greeks do.  This involved only using about a pint of hot soapy water in a small plastic basin.  She would wash dishes in the basin one at a time using a small sponge and then rinse them in running cold water.  I have tried this by heating the required pint of hot (not boiling) water in a kettle.  This method seems to clean the dishes just as well as my old way and while it takes slightly longer, I reckon that the electricity consuption in washing dishes is reduced by about 80-90%.  Has anybody washed dishes this way?  It seems such a simple thing to do.
«134

Comments

  • Umm yeah is that not how everyone washes their dishes, I have always done it that way!
  • It might reduce your electricity bill but will it increase your water bill if you are on a meter, can you not have a separate bowl filled with cold water to rinse the dishes.
    Thrifty Till 50 Then Spend Till the End
    You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time
  • newlywed
    newlywed Posts: 8,255 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 4 November 2021 am30 8:05AM
    I have a large thermos flask that throughout the day I fill up from the excess from the kettle and our cuppas. Then I use that to wash up. This might work for you (depending on how many cuppas you drink in the day).

    I have greatly reduced the amount of water I use… at school (ironically in “home economics” class which was mostly about cooking) we were taught to fill the sink ready to wash up.
    working on clearing the clutterDo I want the stuff or the space?
  • wort
    wort Posts: 1,856 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    As there’s only me and we are on a combi boiler that uses loads of cold water before it runs hot. I use the kettle water after I’ve made my cuppa. Not a lot of water but enough to do my plate,.
    Focus on contribution instead of the impressiveness of consumption to see the true beauty in people.
  • Mistral001
    Mistral001 Posts: 5,397 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    edited 4 November 2021 am30 10:58AM
    It might reduce your electricity bill but will it increase your water bill if you are on a meter, can you not have a separate bowl filled with cold water to rinse the dishes.
    It is a good idea to use a separate bowl of cold water.  It would speed things up as I run the dishes under quite a slow running tap to save on water. 

    Regarding the cost of the water I have done a few calculations.  Even if you wanted to use a lot of cold water, say 10 litres @ say £1.2 /m3 that would cost 1.2p.    3kW immersion heater costs about 66p per hour so the 10 mins that I used to use costs 11p.  I am saving say 80% of this which 8.8p.  I am not on metered water charges, but if I was I reckon I would still saving a lot.
  • Mistral001
    Mistral001 Posts: 5,397 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    edited 4 November 2021 am30 9:32AM
    Umm yeah is that not how everyone washes their dishes, I have always done it that way!
    I am glad that someone else is doing this.  We seem to be amongst a tiny minority.  Most people I know use dishwashers never mind a basin with a pint of hot water.  I do not know how much they use in terms of water and electricity, but I guess it is a lot compared to your method and now my method.
  • roddydogs
    roddydogs Posts: 7,479 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    How do you get a dinner plate in a small dish?Btw I always leave the old water in the bowl to soak dirty stuff then do wu next day.
  • Mistral001
    Mistral001 Posts: 5,397 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    edited 4 November 2021 am30 10:29AM
    roddydogs said:
    How do you get a dinner plate in a small dish?Btw I always leave the old water in the bowl to soak dirty stuff then do wu next day.
    Good points.  You do not have to immerse the large plate in water.  You do not even have to have any part of the plate in the water, but use the soapy sponge to bring the water to the plate.  This is essentially how this method works.  So thanks for bringing the point up.

    With regard to very dirty items, doing what you suggest is a good idea.  At present I rinse very dirty items in a little cold water before washing with the soapy water. Most of the dirty stuff will be easily removed.  If you soak dirty pots in cold water just after they are used and then use a brush to release the dirt it is amazing how much you can get off.   

  • Dishwasher

    Ours is a slimline and its put on every 2nd or 3rd day - uses 4 gallons with each use and only heats the required water

  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,076 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    4 gallons?
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 348.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 241K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 617.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.7K Life & Family
  • 254.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.