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Load dishwasher without rinsing dishes thoroughly

Why This is Green

Rinsing dishes before you load them into a dishwasher is a waste of water. It’s also usually unnecessary. Depending on how old a faucet is, anywhere between 2 to 4 gallons of water are wasted per minute of rinsing. Federal regulations mandate new low flow faucets can’t exceed 2.5 gallons per minute.

Using less water not only saves money, it also leaves more water in the ground or in a reservoir for future use. At least 36 states expect water shortages in the next five years—even in places where it rains a lot. Giving up rinsing can also save energy and reduce your electric bill; heating dishwater to hot is costly.

Have you ever tried a load without pre-rinsing? You might be pleasantly surprised. New technologies have greatly enhanced the cleaning capabilities of dishwashers. And enzymes in detergent are there to eat off scum.

Learn More

How To

Scrape plates and load the dishwasher. If there is stubborn stuck on food, soak the dishes in a small amount of water before scraping.

If something truly needs to be rinsed, go for it. Cutting your rinsing to a few items still saves water. Running only full loads of dishes will also save water.

And don’t forget the eco-friendly detergent!