Generally, which method of washing dishes is more efficient?

1.Running the dishwasher


or


2. Washing each dish by hand





Which method uses less water and energy, and overall cut costs?Generally, which method of washing dishes is more efficient?
Washing by hand. Because you can control as to how much water you need to do your dishes and liquid dish soap is a lot cheaper then detergent for the dishwasher. Washing by hand you also get your dishes a lot cleaner where as a dishwasher you may have to wash them twice just to get them clean. Depending as to how hard it is to get the food off. Washing each dish by hand is definitely more efficient.Generally, which method of washing dishes is more efficient?
It depends on how many people are in the home. Running a half full dishwasher is not an affective use of water and electricity. If you have to collect several days worth of dishes to fill it up it will be necessary to pre wash by hand so that debris doesn't harden on and you're washing twice. Most dishwashers have a setting to eliminate heat during drying, it saves on electricity but leaves spots.





The most important thing is to not leave water running when you wash by hand. I don't use a dishpan but I do fill a small bowl with soapy water and use that to dip the sponge into as I wash each dish, stacking the soapy dishes to the side. After washing all of them I turn the water on to quickly rinse. I think this is probably the best way to go. I add a few drops of bleach to the wash water so I get the same disinfecting effect as if the dishwasher was used.


The largest waste of resourcesr I've seen is someone running the water continually, squirting soap onto each dish as they go, washing and then rinsing each dish at a time. My mother will run the hot water full blast for 30 minutes to wash just a few dishes. I can't make her understand that if she does that, she might as well run the dishwasher with those few dishes in it, it's a terrible waste..
I would imagine that it depends on how many dishes you do a day.. I have a family of four so we run our FULL dishwasher at night on time delay every other night or so..... We use tabs rather than liquid or powde detergent and use air dry over heat dry.... I think it would cost us more to wash dishes by hand since we'd have to run the hot water and take the time to wash each dish by hand... We don't have trouble getting items cleaned or with spots.... Not to mention just the time it takes to wash the dishes in general... I HATE washing dishes by hand it sucks...! I LOVE knowing that while I'm sleeping the dishes are getting nice and clean!
Using the dishwasher, and not pre cleaning will save water and energy. Plus it will kill off more germs and bacteria.
By hand saves both water and energy, but not cost IF you include the time it takes as a cost factor.