Handwash or Dishwasher

[Washerup]

Discussion in our house - non-engineer versus an engineer so i accept I’m potentially going to lose this argument but just want a resolution.

So feel free just to vote but if you can back it up with data figures that would be very much appreciated.

Google is just giving an answer when the dishwasher is full but the question I want to know the answer to is:

One place setting of bowl cup plate knife fork and spoon

Would it be cheaper to wash by hand or dishwasher (inc water, heating component (gas boiler), electricity, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablet)?

AIBU Dishwasher
AINBU Hand

Are you washing just the place setting or is the the money apportioned to the place setting in an otherwise full dishwasher?

Also I imagine it depends on if you pay for water (we don't!) or have a new dishwasher (ours is an ancient Miele workhorse)

But who only uses the dishwasher? I use the dishwasher because it's easy but then I run the tap for water to wash any crumbs off the work bench and table. If I were washing by hand I'd just use the water in the sink.

Just the single place setting.

The discussion started with someone moving into a place on their own and saying they need to rearrange the kitchen for a dishwasher. I said oh Im surprised you want one as it will cost more and be less eco friendly to use a dishwasher to wash up one set in a bowl of water than run a dishwasher.

And I was met with incredulous at my lack of understanding that a dishwasher is more economical EVEN when only for one setting.

A full load I accept dishwasher will win.

Modern but budget rather than Miele I would say for this scenario

I don't know but just leave it in the dishwasher until it is full. Save money and effort.

Even I, with a hatred of handwashing up, wouldn’t use a dishwasher for one place setting. I’d wait until it had a bit more in it!! But, a modern dishwasher uses around between 10 and 20 litres of water I think, depending on the cycle. My sink must take around 10 litres to half fill, and then there’s the running the tap until the water’s hot, and rinsing afterwards. So using my technique I’d still use more water hand washing!

Heating water is heating water, whether hand or machine washing. Electricity is probably a more expensive way of doing it, so minus points for the dishwasher. But, it only heats what it needs to the temperature it needs. So I reckon that’s a wash cost wise.

As it happens my dishwasher is on and my smart meter currently says I’m using 4p an hour of electricity, but I assume it’s already heated the water as it’s been on for 30 minutes. There’s no cost to that with hand washing. But, you do need to wash up a tea-towel at some point, which means using the washing machine. And if the comparison is one place setting, then I think you have to add in the cost of the washing machine for one tea-towel ;)

Fairy liquid is probably cheaper per wash than a dishwasher tablet, but I don’t need to buy dishcloths, those horrible scrubby things or other plastic detritus involved in hand washing. I do need salt and rinse aid. Let’s be generous and say that’s cost neutral.

And of course for hand washing up I need washing up gloves, and moisturiser. Moisturiser is £20odd a bottle, so significant savings using the dishwasher ;)

So, all in all I still reckon the dishwasher is more cost effective than hand washing up, and more hygienic. And I prefer it :)

You want to run the dishwasher with only one place setting? Why? What about all the other place settings and the pans, chopping boards etc?

Sorry I said less eco in dishwasher to bowl not the other way round as I said in second post

it will cost more and be less eco friendly to use a dishwasher to wash up one set in a bowl of water than run a dishwasher

But no one would do this, surely? You'd just set it off after a couple of days when it was a bit more full. Plus you have omitted any cooking implements - what about pan, sieve, grater, knives, cooking spoons etc which would also be used for making a meal. Even for one person, a slimline dishwasher would be full and ready to run after two days of eating at home.

@Tryingtokeepgoing you have given the dishwasher argument so much better than the advocate for it - I’d have to give you the win on that argument :)

Ah now it’s interesting re the other bits such as pans and the like because the individual always washes them up by hand so they didn’t even feature in their point of a dishwasher.

but it was more that the conversation went to one place setting and I was told that a dishwasher is more economical to hand washing for one setting not when full

I accept dishwasher better when full

My dishwasher is broken at the moment so I have been looking into this before replacing it.

In your example it would be cheaper to wash by hand. If you were continually washing several loads of dishes all day you would save water and electricity/gas by running one full load in the dishwasher.

During the week I am here with one teen who is out most of the time. With the increase in energy prices I have got into the habit of leaving the dishes until evening then doing one load per day. Funnily enough my mum and mil used to do this too when they were on their own. I have had to train myself to do this as I can’t stand dirty dishes.

Seriously thinking of not replacing the dishwasher and putting the money towards the utility bills instead. Especially as it usually the teen who does the dishes.

Why would you need gloves and a £20 hand moisturiser? Wouldn't the gloves mean that you didn't need moisturiser at all? Wouldn't you need gloves to clean down the kitchen after cooking anyway?

Regardless of whatever silly claim has been made by the other party, surely they acknowledged they would plan to just turn on the dishwasher when full anyway? Surely they have more than 1 bowl etc so dishwasher would only be turned on every few days.

Lots of people when backed into a corner will just double down on incorrect views. I’d just forget about it.

Most dishwasher tablets contain salt and rinse aid so why do you use extra?

Before we had a dishwasher we did one load of washing up per day (neatly stacked by the sink until after dinner, done every evening). Or washing up bowl was 14 litres (plus running water till it was hot).

Our dishwasher uses 9 litres on the eco setting. Again put on every evening (unless we really have hardly used any crockery at all, but that is rare). EVERYTHING goes on the dishwasher, if it doesn't survive it goes on the bin and never goes in the dishwasher again.

The eco setting on the dishwasher uses 1kwh of electricity, to me this is worth it, even if the dishwasher isn't full. And it uses less water (I don't even rinse yoghurt pots for recycling, they go in the dishwasher too).

But in your friend's situation, if they can't countenance dishwashing their saucepans then it really is no extra effort to wash they knife/fork/plate at the same time. But I would put it all in the dishwasher and consider that I'd been environmentally friendly!*

* We have green energy and use Ecover.

I listened to a podcast once that went through all the numbers (water, electricity) and it did conclude that the amount of washing up where it is better to use the dishwasher is very small and it could well have been as little as one place setting, because they use quite a small amount of water and when people wash up by hand they tend to waste quite a lot running the tap until the hot water comes through.

Sorry OP.

I think it was this one

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zkzq

Absolutely this.

I think there are some countertop dishwashers with good energy ratings nowadays - have you looked at one of those as an option?

Read the water consumption data for the dishwasher and then work out if it's more or less than running the tap to get hot water, filling the bowl, washing up, rinsing, possibly changing the water due to oil/tomato residue/it being something like weetabix or similar cementlike substances and then cleaning the sink, drainer and bowl.

I've looked up a £200 random dishwasher - that uses 11l on a standard full wash.

A £3 washing up bowl from Tesco's is 10l. So in my example, you'd use more water doing a few things even before changing the water.

Ours is broken and we have a hose pipe ban so I’ve been using the dishwater for the plants. I have been shocked at how much water hand washing uses up! We definitely need to get a new dishwasher!

I saw a program in this (irritatingly can't remember the name) and the tipping point was 13 items when a dishwasher become more efficient than hand washing. Lower than I expected, but not a single place setting.

I think that unless you spend a LOT of time & energy measuring electricity use, factoring in all aspects of both re dishwasher tablets any additive v dishwashing liquids/cloths/exact water used etc it's impossible to say, even if you did it wouldn't be THAT accurate as each hand wash would be different.

I think it would probably not be too much difference for 'one setting' but probably the worst of all ways to part hand wash/part dishwasher as they are!

which is why I haven't currently got one. I have a lot of things I wouldn't put in (ruins good knives & glasses etc) & it's not about finances & replacing them, it's about liking the ones I have and wanting to protect them)

is this your Dad?

I live on my own and have a slimline dishwasher. As others have pointed out, it would never have just one place setting in it, there would be pans and other implements too. Also I rarely use it every day, I wait until it’s full.
Having said that, I use it far less in the summer as a) I cook less and b) the water in the tank stays hot longer (my house is very cold in winter) so I wash up by hand so as to make the most of it. But I wash things in a bowl in the sink and rinse in the half sink so as not to waste water (private supply may well be compromised this year).

You wouldn't do it after breakfast, after lunch and again after dinner though would you? You'd put everything in it, and run it once a day.

Question is, would you still use the dishwasher if you were the only one home. I would, and do, and find other things to put in it if there is space. You can't just isolate one plate, knife and fork as that's not how most people live.