[SustainableTompkins] Dishwashers

[Joel and Sarah Gagnon]

Thanks, Fern. I had the same thoughts, but you expressed them better than I 
could have. I routinely use less than a couple of gallons of water, and no 
electricity (beyond heating the water if the solar preheater doesn't quite 
make it to temp).

Joel

At 02:15 PM 9/18/06 +0000, you wrote:
>Found this one hard to believe ~> depending on how one washes dishes by 
>hand.  IF the soapy sponge with constantly running water method is used, 
>then I would believe the premise is likely TRUE.  Terribly wasteful of 
>dishsoap, too, to wash like that.
>
>Put 3/4 of a gallon of hot water in a dishpan and a water restrictor and 
>spray hose on your sink and DON'T rinse those dishes one at a time .... 
>and you'll use considerably less water.  Grandmother (who had to cart 
>water uphill when she was first married) could wash the dishes and pots & 
>pans from a dinner for five with 3 gallons of water ~> one pan of soapy 
>water, one pan to  "rinse", and then a large kettle of boiling water for a 
>final rinse and sterilization.  Glasses first, then the flatware, then 
>plates and so on in increasing order of greasiness finishing up with the 
>filthiest pots.
>
>Being lazier than Grandmother, but still needing to be water concious due 
>to a low flow well in B'dale which was prone to going dry ~ I'd guestimate 
>that it took me about 4 gallons of water to wash 3 days dishes from two 
>people.  Hmmm.... need I mention that dishes should always be "scraped" 
>BEFORE washing?
>
>I note and agree with Robin Harper's (the Green MSP) comments noting the 
>electricity used by dishwashers - and my mind turns to the energy used in 
>the manufacture and transport of the appliances.
>
>And the Welsh newspaper's article states:
>    "Ken Humphrey, brand manager at Bosch, who commissioned the study, 
> said, 'Many people think that dishwashers actually use more water than 
> washing up by hand but this is simply not the case.'"
>
>My prejudices cause me to question a study by a dishwasher manufacturer 
>that shows they are more water efficient than washing by hand.  Seems to 
>me "setting the fox to watch the henhouse..."
>
>Ciao~
>fern
>
>-----Original Message-----
>Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:42:50 -0400
>
>LAZY PEOPLE CAN SAVE THE PLANET
>Use the dishwasher if you want to save water, U.K. study concludes
>
>We know your type: Your dirty dishes are piling up as you sit immobilized 
>by the question of whether it's more enviro-friendly to use the dishwasher 
>or wash them by hand. But live in squalor no more -- a study by U.K. 
>nonprofit Waterwise found that the average dishwasher uses between 3 and 
>4.5 gallons of water per load, while hand dishwashing can use over 16 
>gallons.  . . . .
>"Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can make a 
>difference.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever really has." --Margaret Mead
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