Wash your dishes by hand for a month challenge

**JanH** · 07-14-2007, 09:21 PM

I've been washing my dishes by hand since the dishwasher went out. I've got it good cos most of the time it is just Hubby and myself. But I definitely have seen an improvement in my water bill. It might also be what has been holding my electric and gas bills steadier during the winter and summer increases. I didn't realize that I would actually feel good about washing by hand again!

**poundwise** · 07-15-2007, 12:59 AM

We wash dishes by hand the vast majority of the time. It has less to do with saving electricity than it does with just getting the job done well and the dishes clean.

**cicy33** · 07-15-2007, 08:14 AM

I actually started it too because of the quality of clean from the dishwasher. I need a new one and this one is just not doing a good job. But, my light bill has not been over $190 yet and we use the air and keep it very cool at night and comfortable during the day. Plus the washer and dryer, tvs, computer, etc. we have an approximate 1200 sq foot house plus an addition of 600 sq feet but that has a blanket in front of the opening until it is completed. The 190 bill is our highest yet, normally it is stayed at about 150. I did use the dishwasher a bit during the previous billing period and believe that is why it was higher. back to washing by hand! which of course I was pratically doing anyway, as I had to rinse very well before putting in dishwasher!

**Ima saver** · 07-15-2007, 08:39 AM

I only run the dishwasher every 2 or 3 days.

**cicy33** · 07-15-2007, 04:48 PM

Actually, IMA, so did I. I sometimes only ran it 3 times a week total. I would load it until full and then run it. now, perhaps, mine is unusual but it takes about an hour to wash the dishes. I don't use the heated dry. Takes me about 15 minutes.

**PrincessPerky** · 07-16-2007, 08:08 AM

I for awhile had to wash by hand cause the dishwasher never got anything clean, my husband fixed something and now it works, and I use it. Partly because I have three kids... while they loved to help they also make for quite a few dishes...I can fill a DW in about 2-5 minutes and then have an hour to do something else like read with them or play a game or whatever. But hand washing with helpers takes up most of that hour. Though at the end all the dishes are done, vs the pile to refill the dishwasher with soon as it is empty.

Bill wise I noticed no real difference.

**getforfree** · 07-16-2007, 09:14 PM

Does anyone know how much it costs to run the dishwasher each time. When I started to use dishwasher my bill went up by only $3, so I assume it's not that much.

I rinse it really good under cold water, then I run it on a light cycle. And I turn it off once it starts drying, wait about 20 min, then open it up to dry. I usually run it once every 2-3 days. I try to do it after dinner and open it up before we go to sleep, so it's dry in the morning.

**momof1in150** · 07-17-2007, 03:30 AM

I believe that running a high-efficient dishwasher once a day is much more economical then washing dishes 3 times a day. I have hand washed dishes for 18 months in this rental and the first thing we are buying in a new house is a good dishwasher. I know the initial outlay of cash will be high but well worth it in the end for me. Being home with 2 children my time is too valuable to be washing dishes by hand. There are also a lot of items that I used to put in the dishwasher to get clean that I now have to do my hand and they aren't getting as clean - globes from chandeliers, knick knacks, drip pans from the stove, coffee pot (stainless inside), etc.

**Aleta** · 07-17-2007, 05:44 AM

Go to" www.dpud.org/rtchoice.html and you will find answers to what many of your electrical items cost to run. It gives you the typical wattage, typical hours per month, cost per month (in dollars), and cost per hour. It's actually a good chart to download and keep around. It could just make us turn off certain items.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 07-17-2007, 08:18 AM

I run my dishwasher on average 2x month every two weeks. So the savings very minimal. We lived about 5 years without using a dishwasher, in fact we moved out of our apartment with a broken dishwasher and didn't even know. We had never used it in the 1 year we rented.

I don't think it really costs us that much to run because when we go out of town our bill doesn't change much. $30-40 buck but that's from the water heater probably.

**getforfree** · 07-17-2007, 08:28 AM

Originally posted by Aleta View Post

Go to" www.dpud.org/rtchoice.html and you will find answers to what many of your electrical items cost to run. It gives you the typical wattage, typical hours per month, cost per month (in dollars), and cost per hour. It's actually a good chart to download and keep around. It could just make us turn off certain items.

The link doesn't work, the page cannot be found.

**Aleta** · 07-17-2007, 08:33 AM

Sorry about that. Try www.clpud.org/rtchoice.html

**HelpMeFriend** · 01-21-2008, 10:26 AM

Don't use the dishwasher

I have gone for two months without using my dishwasher. I have a roll around one, and the only things I noticed were that it did not take nearly as long and my dishes were actually clean. I did not rinse the dish unless it was, which my dishwasher doesn't check.

I have been using my dishwasher for storage for my pots and pans that don't fit elsewhere.

**Caoineag** · 01-21-2008, 11:03 AM

We really don't have a choice. Never used a dishwasher in our apartments before our current place because its faster to handwash but the current place has only one sink bin. Talk about inconvenient for handwashing...

Wash your dishes by hand for a month challenge