Whether you’ve held off on purchasing a dishwasher or you think it’s cheaper and more efficient to wash your dishes by hand, it’s time to give it up. Hand-washing your dishes is not only unsanitary and inefficient, but it also wastes a lot more water than a dishwasher would.
Here are the reasons why you should stop hand-washing your dishes immediately and switch to a dishwasher.
Dishwashers Are Cleaner
Even if you washed your dishes in the hottest water you could stand, it doesn’t come close to the temperatures your dishwasher can reach, and it does nothing for killing lingering bacteria on your dishes. Water needs to reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit to kill pathogens on your dishes, which is well above the setting on most water heaters and more than you could tolerate on your skin. Dishwashers, on the other hand, run at that temperature safely and ensure your dishes are truly clean.
Sponges Are Dirty
No matter how often you change out your sponges, they gather all kinds of nasty pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses that cause food-borne illnesses. In fact, every square inch of your dish sponge contains roughly 10 million bacteria, which is higher than the average toilet seat. Sponges can be disinfected or replaced, of course, but it would impractical to do so every day, so the dishwasher is the only safe bet.
Lower Utility Bills
Dishwashers used to be an energy-sapping luxury, but not anymore. Modern dishwashers are energy efficient and use less water than hand-washing, so they offer the potential to lower your water and electric bills at the end of the month.
Water Conservation
Aside from the water costs in your bills each month, water is a precious resource that should be conserved as much as possible. Other than the actual rinsing part of washing dishes, most of the water from the running faucet goes unused, leading to gallons upon gallons of water wasted. No matter how fast you wash the dishes or how little you let the faucet run, it’s unlikely you could compete with the speed and efficiency of a dishwasher. Because of this, a dishwasher is the best way to begin conserving water at home.
Save Time
In addition to saving energy and water, dishwashers also save time. Washing dishes by hand takes up quite a bit of your time, especially if you have full place settings or pots and pans to wash, and you’re not even getting them fully clean. There are likely plenty of other chores around your home that deserve your attention while your dishwasher is doing the heavy lifting.
Contact Village Plumbing
When you compare the efficiency and effectiveness of a dishwasher versus hand-washing your dishes, the choice is clear. Dishwashers are the best choice for cleaning your dishes and keeping your family healthy and safe, not to mention conserving water at home, which helps everyone.
If you’re considering a dishwasher for your home, or if you need to replace your existing dishwasher, VillagePlumbing can help. We offer a wide range of plumbing services for homeowners in the Henderson/Las Vegas area, so contact us today to see what we can do for you!
