Greener Dishes
The Great Dish Debate
There is vigorous debate about whether hand-washing is more energy efficient than eco-friendly dishwashers. We've done a little research, and were surprised to learn that, according to scientific research done at the University of Bonn in Germany1, dishwashers are actually more environmentally friendly than conservatively hand washing your dirty dishes.
Here are some tips to get the most out of your dishwasher:
Make sure you're using an Energy Star dishwasher. Older machines used about 10 gallons of water, but the energy efficient models only use about 4 gallons.
Don't rinse the dishes before loading them. Newer models are all capable of cleaning un-rinsed dishes, and you'll conserve a lot of water.
Only run the dishwasher when it is completely full.
Set the dishwasher to the lowest setting possible.
Run the dishwasher at night when there is a surplus of energy in the house.
Avoid the Heated Dry setting. You can open the door and let the dishes air-dry, which will save a lot of energy.
The Detergent Dilemma
To maintain a green kitchen, you may want to inspect your dishwasher detergent label. Most dishwasher detergents include phosphates that have been known to pollute water sources and increase algae growth to the detriment of aquatic wildlife. Traditional detergents may also be comprised of chlorine, synthetic fragrances, dyes, petrochemicals, and so on.
But there's still hope! You can make your own dishwasher detergent free of chemicals, dyes, and other unwanted ingredients. See our Green Home Recipes for the Homemade Dishwater Detergent.
Washing with Strong Kangen Water
If you do not own a dishwasher, or just prefer to wash your dishes the old fashioned way, Strong Kangen Water can help! Strong Kangen Water is a powerful cleaner, with extra strength and absorption qualities to help fight tough grease and grime from your dishes.
Strong Kangen Water can help you save on your water bill. It takes a quarter of the usual amount of water to rinse off Strong Kangen Water, as opposed to chemical detergents. For a trustworthy recipe for Kangen Water® Dish Soap.
You can make your dishes greener and cleaner by turning to Kangen Water®. Think Clean, Think Kangen!
1http://www.landtechnik.uni-bonn.de/ifl_research/ifl_research_project.php?sec=HT&no=1
