DISHWASHING TIPS

Washing dishes is at once one of our least popular sports and most notorious water users. Running a dishwater can consume up to 15 gallons. And even washing by hand is liable to send five to gallons down the drain. Short of using paper plates or letting Fido lick them clean, here are several ways you can save water.

1. Use the dishwater for full loads only.

2. Dishes only need to be scraped clean, not thoroughly rinsed, before being placed in the dishwater.

3. If you must rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwater, use your sink sprayer (next to the faucet) instead of running tap water.

4. When shopping for a new dishwater, look for adjustable temperature and water-level control features.

5. If you wash dishes by hand, rinse them in a sink full of water.

6. When washing by hand, use the least amount of detergent so as to minimize the amount of rinse water needed.

7. Also you can conserve energy by letting the dishes air-dry. Bypass the dishwasher’s drying cycle.

Source: California Department of Water Resources; Irvine Ranch Water District and Mesa Consolidated Water Districts