It’s a hot topic in the kitchen: should you rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher? If you’re in the habit of rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, you’re wasting time and water! If you’ve become a slave to the pre-rinsing habit, we’d like to enlighten you and dispel the myth once and for all: Modern dishwashers (and dish detergents) are equipped and able to handle the dirties of your dirty dishes. Read on to find out why.
Should You Rinse Dishes Before Placing in the Dishwasher?
The short answer is no.
Read on to find out why…
- Detergent Works Better with Dirty Dishes
The dishwasher isn’t the only thing working hard to clean the dishes inside. The enzymes in the dishwasher detergent are activated only after they comes into contact with the food particles. So, the dirtier your dishes, the harder the detergent works to get them clean.
- It’s a Huge Waste of Water
According to Consumer Reports, you waste an average of 6,000 gallons of water per year on pre-rinsing dishes. Fact: Kitchen faucets usually expel between 1.5 and 2.2 gallons of water per minute — that’s a lot of water!
When you use just the dishwasher to wash dishes, you’re using less than 5 gallons of water. That’s a savings of a few gallons per day. Did you know that dishwashers with the Energy Star label are said to cut water bills by more than $40 per year?
- Trust Your Machine!
If you’re worried about food still stuck on your “clean” dishes, don’t worry. Dishwashers get hot enough to not only vaporize food off your dishes, but at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, dishes will be completely sanitized. Advances in technology mean that many cutting edge dishwasher models come with smart sprayer technology and sensors that detect the level of grime and food on dishes.
- Not Convinced?
Of course we would love for you to take our word for it, but just in case you need more proof, check out the video below from Reviewed.com.
