How Your Dishwasher Beats Handwashing

Many people were raised to believe that using an automatic dishwasher is a lazy way of washing the dishes. They get into the habit of washing the dishes by hand, because, for one or two people, using an automatic dishwasher doesn’t seem to make sense.

But, let’s examine that concept more closely. Perhaps using a dishwasher has benefits which remain relatively unnoticed.

Cleaner dishes

Perhaps the most apparent benefit of dishes cleaned by a dishwasher is that they are, well, cleaner. A study by the University of Louisville School of Medicine on dishwasher bacteria showed that a load of dishes washed in a dishwasher had an average of one bacteria per plate. In contrast, hand washed dishes in the same study had an average of 390 per plate--an almost 400 X increase!

For families, especially those with children and others with compromised immune systems, using a dishwasher makes sense.

Bacteria

At the same time, a dishwasher can be teeming with bacteria and fungus. After all, it's the perfect environment for bacteria growth, as it often contains old food, warm moisture, and fluctuating temperatures. So, what does this mean for the homeowner?

Essentially, it means that your dishwasher is not a sterile place at all, even though it produces remarkably clean dishes. The water can be full of bacteria at the end of the dish cycle. So, how does the dishwasher finish with a load full of clean dishes?

The drying cycle

After the wash and rinse cycle, the drying cycle takes over and finishes cleaning the dishes. It’s during the drying cycle when dishes become their cleanest. Not only that, but it’s important not to open the dishwasher before it cools down, because that warm, moist air which can escape right after the end of the dry cycle can also be full of unhealthy microbes. There is no reason to turn them loose in your kitchen! It also offers an excellent reason to have your dishwasher repaired if the heating element fails.

Finish the cycle completely

When you do open it, you may want to wipe down the rubber seal, which is a place where bacteria can hide between cycles. But, primarily, even if it does, it won’t affect the cleanliness of the dishes, and you can clean the seal when you perform the regular dishwasher cleaning.

Water savings

In addition to making dishes cleaner, a newer dishwasher also uses less water than hand washing. A dishwasher doesn’t fill up like a sink, but, preferably, uses the sprayers at the bottom to clean the dishes. A typical Energy Star dishwasher can use as little as three gallons, compared to handwashing, which can easily use twenty-seven gallons. It’s more efficient at heating the water than your water heater, as well which results in energy savings.

If your dishwasher or other appliance in your home needs to be repaired or replaced, we’d be happy to do that for you. Give us a call!

Freedom Appliance of Tampa Bay has 13 years experience in professional repair and installation of all laundry and kitchen appliances and dryer duct cleaning. Call  813-302-7672 tod