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It seems the question of – do you hand wash or machine wash dishes – is dividing community members.
For Warrnambool’s Suzanne Fergeus, there is only one option.
In fact, she is such a fan of the results a dishwasher delivers, she has two.
“If you stack one full you’ve got to wash it and wait,” Ms Fergeus said.
“This way you can wash one load and keep stacking the other dishwasher.”
Ms Fergeus said she believed using a dishwasher was the only way to go, both for the water savings and the time spent washing dishes.
“I’d never be without a dishwasher again,” she said.
“It does use less water – just think about how many times you fill up your sink to do your dishes.
“It saves time – otherwise I’d be at the sink all day.”
Ms Fergeus said both her dishwashers were put to good use.
“They both get at least one cycle a day,” she said.
While Ms Fergeus believes she saves a wealth of time thanks to her trusty dishwashers, there are some items she handwashes.
“I still hand wash saucepans, frypans and very delicate glassware,” she said.
There is evidence to show washing dishes in a machine rather than hand washing can reduce utility bills and save time.
It’s believed you use as much as six times more water to wash a load of dishes in a sink compared to a dishwasher.
Here are some tips from Choice on how to get the most out of your dishwasher.
- Choose a machine with a very high energy efficiency score and low water usage.
- Using the fast/eco wash cycle and waiting until before you go to bed to run a cycle or choosing a delay start option so you use energy at cheaper rates.
- Avoid a smelly dishwasher or having to pre-rinse dishes by choosing a model with a good auto-sensing program or half-load option.
Do you agree with Ms Fergeus or do you prefer ‘getting your hands dirty?’ Email mpatterson@fairfaxmedia.com.au to weigh in.