Washing the dishes might not be your favorite chore. That being said, it isn’t something you can simply ignore. Somebody must wash the dishes! There may not be a way to make the task more fun. However, there are things that can be done that will make cleaning the dishes more frugal.

Energy Star Dishwashers
Energy Star is a government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. Products that have been given the Energy Star label have gone through testing to ensure that they meet the current EPA specifications. Consumers who use Energy Star appliances end up saving money.

Energy Star dishwashers use less water and energy to clean your dishes (than do dishwashers that don’t have the Energy Star label). It is recommended that people who have a dishwasher that was made before 1994 replace it with an Energy Star dishwasher. Doing so will result in a lower water bill and a lower electricity bill.

Dry Dishes Overnight
A blog called Being Frugal By Choice has some excellent ideas about frugal use of your dishwasher. First, they wait until the dishwasher is full. Running a dishwasher that is only half full wastes water and energy.

Wash the dishes on an “energy saver” setting and use the “air dry” setting. Before you go to bed, open the dishwasher and pull out the racks. The dishes will dry overnight.

Make Your Own Dish Soap
Do you wash your dishes by hand (instead of using a dishwasher)? You can save money by making your own dish soap instead of purchasing it. There are plenty of different recipes for making dish soap that you can choose from. When you run out, just make more!

Use the Greywater
Greywater is water that has already been used in your home and that is safe to re-use on certain things. Many people scrape the food off their dishes, and then rinse them off, before putting them into the dishwasher.

Put a plastic bin into your sink. Rinse the scraped dishes over the bin. Use the greywater to add to your compost pile, to wash off patio furniture, or to water some plants. Making use of greywater is a great way to conserve water and to lower your water bill.

Wash Dishes by Hand
You don’t actually need a dishwasher in order to wash your dishes. If you only have a few dishes to wash, it doesn’t make sense use the dishwasher for them. Put the stopper in the sink before you start filling it with water. Don’t waste water by letting it run down the drain while you wait for the hot water to kick in. Remember to use the greywater on something else.

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