Do you save more water by hand-washing dishes or using the dishwater?

According to the USGS Connecticut Water Science Center website on the average 9-12 gallons of water are used for an automatic dishwasher and 20 gallons is used to hand wash dishes. I found that surprising.





One way or another we should all be looking for ways to conserve water. Below are some tips to help you save water when washing dishes.








1. If you wash dishes by hand--and that's the best way--don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. Saves 200 to 500 gallons a month.





2. When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.





3. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.





4. Operate automatic dishwashers only when they are fully loaded.Do you save more water by hand-washing dishes or using the dishwater?
hand washing.you control the use of water.Do you save more water by hand-washing dishes or using the dishwater?
if you are a single person I'd think you'd save water by using paper plates and by hand washing. If you have a family you'd certainly need to wash dishes daily if not only to teach your child cleanliness and prevent bugs but then you'd also be paying for the electricity. Washing dishes with a dishwasher adds to your electric bill just as using your stove does (is better and cheaper to use a microwave). Some people ';rinse'; the dishes first before putting them in the dishwasher, seems to me that that kind of situation would be more wasteful.
The dish washer will save you water it reuses some of the water and uses verry little to clean a load.
Use the dishwasher if you want to save water. Use hand washing if you want to save electricity. The dishwasher is a more efficient use of water. Handwashing uses your own muscles in place of electricity!
dishwasher saved me time and money. especially on those days you have company over and there are a lot of dishes to wash.
I don't have a dishwasher and I live alone. I don't like paper plates much and I would run out of dishes before I filled the DW full to make an efficient load. So I always wash by hand. I try to wash in the dirtiest sink, clean the other basin with hot dishsoap water, rinse with the sprayer, and then plug it to rinse the dishes. When the dishes are done I rack them up to air dry, then I pour windex or vinegar into the rinse water, and clean all my surfaces with it before I pull the plug...this means sinks, counters and backsplash, stovetop, under stovetop, sometimes I take apart the burners and soak them in the washing water, outside of microwave and fridge, and THEN even sometimes I mop with that water. SO I can clean my whole kitchen including dishes, wiping, and sometimes even the floor....with about 3 gallons of water.
You definately save more water and electricity by hand washing.
If you don't let the water run continually while doing dishes, then by hand.
I'd say hand washing, but ars they as clean as a dishwasher?