cost of dishwasher vs hand washing

Dishwasher vs. Hand Washing: Which Method Saves More on Cost and Effectiveness?

/38 Comments/in , /by Mary Hunt

When choosing between hand washing and using a dishwasher, the decision often boils down to cost and effectiveness. Is hand washing really cheaper and just as effective as a dishwasher? In this article, we’ll dive into the cost comparison of dishwasher versus hand washing, exploring dishwasher efficiency and evaluating which method offers better performance for clean, sanitized dishes. Find out which option is the best fit for your household and how to make an eco-friendly choice!

cost of dishwasher vs hand washing

Many of us might prefer the personal touch of hand washing, especially if we don’t generate enough dirty dishes to justify running the dishwasher more than a couple of times a week. But how does hand washing stack up against the high-tech efficiency of a dishwasher? Is hand washing really as effective and economical when compared to the advanced dishwasher efficiency? The answer might surprise you!

Health and Safety: Temperature Requirements

When it comes to killing germs and bacteria on your dishes, the water needs to be scalding hot—around 140°F, according to Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., an expert in environmental health sciences. However, setting your home water heater to this temperature can be dangerous, as it increases the risk of scalding accidents in the bath or sink.

Hand washing

Most home water heaters are set to a safer 120°F to prevent burns. This temperature isn’t hot enough for effective hand washing, which requires water at 140°F for at least 2 minutes to truly sanitize your dishes. Even if you could tolerate the higher temperature, it’s not practical or comfortable for your hands.

Automatic dishwasher

Here’s where dishwashers excel: since the early 1990s, many models come equipped with built-in heaters that raise the water temperature to a safe 140–145°F. This ensures thorough cleaning and bacteria elimination without risking scalding your skin. Plus, by using a dishwasher with a booster heater, you can keep your home water heater set to a lower, more energy-efficient 120°F, reducing your household’s water heating costs.

Effectiveness: How Does Hand Washing Stack Up?

When it comes to cleaning your dishes, hand washing can certainly do the job, but is it as effective as using a dishwasher? Let’s break it down.

Hand Washing

Hand washing involves scrubbing dishes with soap and hot water, but its effectiveness largely depends on how thoroughly you scrub and rinse. Most of us aim to do a good job, but without the right temperature and consistent technique, it’s easy to miss spots or not fully eliminate all bacteria. Additionally, if you’re not using a sanitizing rinse, you might leave behind some germs that could linger.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers, on the other hand, are designed to tackle grease and bacteria with precision. They use high temperatures and strong jets of water to reach every surface, including hard-to-reach spots. Modern dishwashers often feature multiple cleaning cycles and settings tailored to different levels of soil, ensuring your dishes come out sparkling clean and sanitized.

The Verdict

While hand washing can be effective for everyday cleaning, dishwashers provide a more thorough and consistent clean. They offer the added benefit of high temperatures that you might not achieve with hand washing alone, making them a more reliable choice for sanitizing your dishes. Plus, with the convenience they offer, it’s no wonder many prefer the automated approach.

Tips for Effective Hand Washing Without a Dishwasher

Not everyone has the luxury of a dishwasher, and some delicate items, like Grandma’s cherished Wedgwood, are best kept out of the machine. But don’t worry—hand washing can still be effective with a few extra steps to ensure your dishes are both clean and sanitized.

The Hand Washing Process

  1. Scrub Thoroughly: Start by washing your dishes with hot, soapy water. Make sure to scrub all surfaces to remove food particles and grease.
  2. Sanitize for Extra Assurance: To make sure your dishes are fully sanitized, follow this simple tip from the Oregon State University Extension Service: After washing, soak your dishes in a solution of 1 gallon of hot water and 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Skip the Rinse: Don’t rinse the bleach solution off. Instead, let the dishes air dry on a rack or drying mat. As they dry, the bleach will evaporate, leaving your dishes clean and sanitized.

soak dishes sanitize in water and bleach

Why This Works

The bleach solution helps eliminate any remaining bacteria or microorganisms that might not be removed through hand washing alone. This is especially important if anyone in your household is ill or if you’re concerned about maximum cleanliness.

By incorporating this sanitizing step, you can feel confident that your hand-washed dishes are as safe and clean as possible, even without the help of a dishwasher.

Economics of Dishwashing: Water, Time, and Cost

Water

Hand washing dishes often uses significantly more water compared to a dishwasher. Unless you’re washing a small number of dishes quickly, you’re likely running the tap longer than necessary, especially if you rinse multiple times. In contrast, modern dishwashers are designed with efficiency in mind. Thanks to advancements in dishwasher efficiency, including recent federal standards that have reduced water usage by 20%, an Energy Star-certified dishwasher now uses less than 4.25 gallons of water per cycle. This makes it a far more water-efficient option compared to hand washing.

Time Investment

I recently went through a kitchen remodel and was without a dishwasher for about a month. During that time, I had to rely on hand washing, and it was a real eye-opener. Despite my best efforts, I found myself constantly scrubbing and rinsing dishes, and the drying rack was always full. Keeping up with the dishes became a time-consuming chore, with dirty dishes piling up faster than I could clean them.

In contrast, my dishwasher handles the load quickly and efficiently, saving me valuable time and energy. Not only does it free me from the endless cycle of hand washing, but it also keeps my kitchen running smoothly.

Cost Comparison

When considering the overall cost, evaluating the cost of dishwasher vs. hand washing often reveals that a dishwasher is more economical in the long run. Thanks to improved dishwasher efficiency, it not only reduces water usage but also saves on your energy bills by operating more efficiently than hand washing. Additionally, a dishwasher saves you time, allowing you to focus on other activities rather than spending time scrubbing dishes.

So, while the initial investment in a dishwasher might seem steep, the savings on water, energy, and time make it a worthwhile consideration. Understanding the cost of dishwasher vs. hand washing, and the benefits of dishwasher efficiency, can help you make an informed choice that benefits both your wallet and your lifestyle.

Save Big with Dishwashers

According to Angi, switching to a dishwasher can save you up to $465 annually on water and energy bills. Modern dishwashers use just 3.5 gallons of water per cycle, compared to 9-27 gallons for hand washing. They also cut energy use in half and provide a hotter, more effective clean. With an average cost of $970 for a dishwasher and installation, it pays for itself in about two years, especially if installed by a pro.

Why a Dishwasher Wins Over Hand Washing

ost of dishwasher vs hand washing efficiency time and money

The evidence is clear when it comes to the cost of dishwasher vs. hand washing: dishwashers excel in efficiency. They outperform hand washing in water use, safety, speed, and overall cost-effectiveness.

Modern dishwashers, with their advanced dishwasher efficiency, use significantly less water and energy compared to traditional hand-washing methods. They deliver a thorough clean, achieve higher temperatures for better sanitizing, and save you valuable time—benefits that hand washing often struggles to match. This makes dishwashers a smarter choice not only for your wallet but also for ensuring a cleaner and safer kitchen environment. So, if you’re weighing your options, the cost of dishwasher vs. hand washing clearly suggests that a dishwasher is likely the more economical and effective choice for your home.

 

Question: Have you ever switched from hand washing to using a dishwasher or vice versa? What differences did you notice in cost, time, or cleaning results? Share your experiences.

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38 replies
  1. Charlie O. says:

    There is no doubt that dishwashers save time. Do they necessarily save money. If you’re a water pig when you wash by hand—leaving the water run during the whole process, then maybe. Cost of using a dishwasher: Cost of purchase, cost of installation, detergent (which has to cost more than using a reasonable amount of dish detergent) maintenance (you’ll need the repairman at least once during the life of your machine for a minimum of a couple hundred dollars), ant-spotting solution, and electricity. Convenience—no doubt. Economy—probably not. Health benefits—marginal at best. We have a dishwasher, and we like it.

    Reply
  2. Wanda Harrison says:

    While my oven is cleaning itself (yes, I’ve seen the advice/warnings about the self-cleaning oven), I put the racks in a bathtub with hot water and powdered dishwasher detergent. Cleans the racks AND the bathtub! (I might have gotten this idea from you, Mary). Thank you for all the great tips you give us.

    Reply
  3. Pat Goff says:

    Our dishwasher broke down and we were unable to fix it even with YouTube. We haven’t found a used one and can’t afford a new one at this time. I am actually saving every dollar until income tax refund time to fix a broken beam under the house. I wash my dishes the same way my mother did with two sinks and a drainer. Works for us.

    Reply
  4. Joan says:

    I switched from using a dishwasher to hand washing my dishes about 1-1/2 years ago and never looked back. As a senior with a bad back and knees, it was painful having to bend to load and unload the dishwasher. It took over 3 hours to wash and dry, and often things came out with baked-on soil which I then had to hand wash again. Plus, dishwasher detergents and rinse aid are pricey! Now I wash dishes by hand twice a day (after lunch and after dinner) for a 2-person household and only have to pay for liquid dish detergent. It takes about 10 minutes each time and I know the dishes are clean! I don’t have to bend and stress my joints, and I noticed my water bill went down slightly as well.

    Reply
  5. Alice says:

    I love my dishwasher! One more plus is the fewer broken dishes. No wet soapy hands means fewer dishes dropped!

    Reply
  6. Anne-Marie says:

    After years of unreliable dishwashers, including high-end ones with horrible latching mechanisms, I gave up on them. They’re not saving me money if they’re popping open in the middle of the cycle… sometimes multiple times per cycle. Nothing like waking up in the morning to find your dishwasher still has 1-5 minutes to go. And those last few minutes take 20-30 actual minutes.

    Aside from annoying and costly dishwasher issues, family members always found a way to avoid loading the dishwasher. This task fell to one person to load and unload, which often left is without dishes when we needed them. When we moved into our new home, I said, “no more!”. Everyone is now responsible to immediately wash their own dishes, dry, and put away.

    As far as sanitization, we’re still alive.

    Reply
    • Pat Goff says:

      I agree. The newer ones don’t last as long as the older ones. My dish washer was in the house when I bought it in 2003 and it worked until about 2015. I think it was from the 70s as it was avocado green. I bought my dryer in 2005 (from the late 80s) and it is still going strong. My brother had to fix a thing or two but still works like new. Same with the washer but I think it is from the early 90s. Paid about $20 each for them. I will never ever use a front loader. We had them growing up in the 60’s and 70’s and I hated them. I still had to use them when I visited my mother but I was always happy to go home to my top loaders.

      Reply
  8. Derek says:

    I’ve gone back and forth with this. Since I live alone I feel like hand washing dishes is easier. However I cook and eat mainly at home and I end up doing 2 to 3 loads of dishes a day. I do them while I’m cooking so tell myself it’s just part of the cooking process. But it feels like I’m doing an endless amount of dishes and it’s just me at my place creating them. Every once in a blue moon I decide that I’m going to start using the dishwasher again and it lasts for only a couple weeks. It does save me time and the energy of doing them. But for me it’s not about the price of hand washing vs machine, it’s that too often I’m hand washing things I need daily and the machine isn’t full enough to use or it’s things that can’t go in the machine so I just switch back to hand washing everything.

    Reply
  9. James says:

    All costs have to be considered in.I have a 12 SQFT home. I do dishes once a week. my total electricity bill last month was $35. I have been here for a year, & am not dead yet. Disagree with my method all you want, I’ll pocket the cash.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      12 sq. ft.? Of course you should let your situation and resources be your guide. Consider EC a suggestion. Or entertainment? (However, facts are facts 🙂

      Reply
  10. Arlynn says:

    My questions are, when comparing the cost of a dishwasher versus handwashing dishes:
    1. Someone already mentioned the cost of electricity when you run a dishwasher – is that factored in?
    2. Is the initial expense of buying a dishwasher counted?
    3. Are dishwasher repairs counted as well?

    Reply
  11. Cary D. says:

    A huge problem with ALL of the cost comparisons I’ve searched for is that they’re always based upon many dishes (multiple place settings…for 4 people for example) with their comparisons..where I’ll agree, a dishwasher is more appropriate. However, I’m personally a one bowl, wooden cutting board, one spoon or fork (if that), and one small pot, only occasionally, kind of guy who insists a relatively quick hand wash is not only appropriate but more cost effective rather than waiting more than a week to fill the dishwasher. I can find no statistics to present my friends or relatives to support this…which is mildly frustrating. Conclusion: Thanksgiving dinner…dishwasher….Lunch time bagel sandwich or spaghetti dinner…hand wash gets the nod.

    Reply
  13. Sandie says:

    The only part that bothers me from this article is assuming someone is keeping the tap running for rinsing during hand washing. To me, that is a HUGE waste of water. Instead I turn my tap on and off to rinse each item before putting it in the rack. I also concur with the person who likes to warm up on a cold day by washing dishes!

    Reply
  14. Mark says:

    It is probably true that dishwashers use less water than most people do in handwashing, but I start washing as soon as I have an inch or so of water, and I rinse into the wash sink. I suspect that I use less than 4.25 gallons of water most of the time. But there are other costs — one commenter mentioned electricity; there is also the cost of manufacturing and then disposing of the appliance itself; also, there are always a few things that need handwashing, so you’re running the dishwasher AND sink water. Also, I’ll bet most people run the dishwasher every day, not just when it’s full — and it takes the same 4.25 gal for a full load or a half load, whereas handwashing only uses the amount needed. Or, if it’s a big meal, you fill the dishwasher, and then still do the rest in the sink. Also, why are people concerned about sanitizing their dishes? People have washed dishes for centuries without using 140 degree water, and lived just fine!

    Reply
  15. Stella Boyak says:

    I won’t mind putting dishes in the dishwasher but I still have to wash my pots and pans by hand. Putting them in the dishwasher creates a film on them. Or is a there a new type of soap that doesn’t?

    Reply
  16. Sheri says:

    I do both.
    My pots and pans and things I don’t put in the dishwasher I hand wash.
    I fill the dish pan with only hot water and dawn soap. I let them soak a little bit then Put on my gloves and wash. I rinse with hot water too. I run my dishwater once a week.

    Reply
  17. Tracy Lang says:

    Thank heavens most of us don’t really need to sanitize our dishes like restaurants do. Imagine all the dishes that have been washed by hand over the decades & we’ve all survived.

    Reply
  18. Katy says:

    Interesting stuff, very well presented. I’m a big fan of dishwashers, but I’ll wash things by hand when it’s a small load. The thing about “sanitizing” dishes cracks me up, though. You mean I made it through my entire life, eating off hand washed dishes that weren’t soaked in bleach, and I didn’t die?

    Reply
  19. Becky says:

    I agree with everything you said, especially the time it takes me to put the dishes in the dishwasher versus washing them by hand. But you didn’t mention the electricity used by the dishwasher. My 2-year-old GE takes 2 1/2 hours to run when I have the water heat boost on, and without running the drying cycle. I worry every time I run it, wondering how much it’s costing me. It replaced an old one that only ran for 45 minutes, so that was a jolt. It’s much, much quieter, and the hotter water makes a big difference, but I can’t imagine what it’s doing for 2.5 hours!

    Reply
  20. Linda D Radosevich says:

    With only three in our household (now two), I did my own survey. I didn’t use the dishwasher for a month, hand washed everything, and kept track of our water bill. Sure enough, the water bill jumped about $10! But to warm me up on a chilly day, put me in front of a sink of dirty dishes!

    Reply
  21. Suzanne Patterson says:

    I put everything I can in the dishwasher. But there are some things that aren’t dishwasher safe, like my melamine pieces that are favorites of my kids and anything that has metal trim. I also hand wash my knives to avoid dulling the edges. And I never put my vintage china, crystal, or silver in the dishwasher. It takes more time than I want to spend in the kitchen to hand wash those items, but the alternative is to stop using them. So I just do it.

    Reply
  23. Kim R says:

    100% agree. I have a Bosch dishwasher and it cleans dishes like a champ. I can put a baked on gunky, cheesy casserole dish in there after lightly scraping off any large pieces of food. The dishwasher totally cleans the dish to a shining finish, whereas if I had cleaned it by hand, I would have totally gunked up a scrubbing sponge, dirtied other implements scraping off the gunk, and it would still be hard to get all the stuff off every area, especially the corners. The same goes for greasy dishes-the dishwasher makes them squeaky clean again, whereas hand washing always seems to leave behind greasy areas that need to be re-washed. Dishwasher detergents are also designed to ‘eat’ the food stains and work better when you don’t clean your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. All you’re supposed to do it scrape any larger pieces of food off the dishes, and then let your dishwasher and the detergent do their jobs. Just don’t forget to regularly clean your dishwasher filter, and run a regular cleaning cycle using a dishwasher cleaner such as Glisten, Affresh, etc.

    Reply
  24. Kathy LaValley says:

    If chlorine bleach is used for a sanitizing final rinse, shouldn’t the water be cool water to avoid breaking down the effectiveness of the chlorine? That’s what we are taught for the training to take girls camping or troop house camping in Girl Scouts.

    Reply
  25. Richard Rorex says:

    There is one advantage to living alone. I only have to run the dishwasher every ten days or so. Having over fifty years of accumulating dishes, I just put the dirty ones in the dishwasher and when it is full, run it. I have a little magnetic on it sign that says “Clean or Dirty”, that way I know whether or not I have to unload the dishwasher and put away the clean dishes.

    Reply
  26. Vivian Trammell says:

    I have been a fan for years. Every time I read I learn something new. It is SO practical. Thank you for all the money you have saved me. Today you made me appreciate anew my dishwasher.

    Reply
  27. Marilyn says:

    The one thing I disagree with is the time involved. I can wash, dry and put away in about 15 minutes. By the time the dishwasher is done and you put the dishes away you have used a considerable more time. Besides, I enjoy doing dishes.

    Reply
    • Derek says:

      But that’s 15 minutes of active time. Sure the dishwasher might take an hour. But you don’t have to sit there and babysit the dishwasher. You can leave the house or do whatever you please while the dishwasher is washing your dishes.

      Reply
  28. Kay Jones says:

    While I agree with this, I also have found that with retirement and being widowed I have changed many of my routines. To encourage myself to do better than cheese and cracker for dinner I cook in batches, freeze and have a hot meal for dinner. This means lots of dishes when I do the cooking, but only a few on a daily basis. I have trouble only doing dishes when the dishwasher is full, so have to reach a compromise.

    Reply

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