The past few months have looked different for families across our country, but as many of us settle into new routines at home, one thing seems to be a familiar constant: an increase in dishes being used.
If you still can’t quite believe the sheer quantity of extra dishes being produced in your home right now, don’t worry, you’re not alone. And while not every home has a dishwasher, if yours does, you can put it to work to not only help tackle the dish loads but also help decrease your energy bill. With some simple tweaks, and putting helpful insider tips to work, you can save time, energy & water and get squeaky clean dishes. And you can do it with powerful plant and mineral based solutions that nurture your family today and the planet for generations to come.
Save Time, Water, and Energy:
- Wash dishes in your dishwasher, which typically uses less water than hand washing. Though it may feel surprising, an ENERGY-STAR rated dishwasher can wash a full load of dishes using as little as 3 gallons of water, often far less than washing by hand[1].
- Using your dishwasher more can also save you time when you just can’t seem to stay ahead of all those snack bowls and juice glasses.
- Only run full loads to get the most out of each cycle, though do not overfill to ensure that water and soap can freely circulate around your dishes.
- To save water, instead of rinsing each dish individually, scrape off what you can, or use a, plant-powered dish soap on your dishes before loading. This will give you an extra defense against stuck-on food and help prevent any rewashing.
- Share the “load” and get the whole household involved in loading the dishwasher. Whether you’re living with a partner, spouse, or roommates, taking turns, or even making a weekly schedule, can help tame the dish chaos.
- Do you have teenagers or older kids at home? There’s never been a better time to learn a new skill!
Our full guide to reducing energy consumption during COVID-19 is packed with great ideas.
Improve Your Loading Routine:
- Since your dishwasher’s hoses and jets spray from the center out, line up plates on the bottom facing inward to maximize your machine’s cleaning power.
- Place cups and glasses on the top at a slight angle so water can better reach them.
- For super dirty dishes, our Ultra Power Plus Dishwasher Detergent Packs use plant and mineral based ingredients and a triple-enzyme formula to power away stuck-on food. Plus, they do it with 0% synthetic fragrances or chlorine bleach.
Find more insider loading tips.
Keep your Dishwasher Smelling Fresh:
All those extra cycles can occasionally lead to some off odors in your dishwasher when food particles get caught in the filter or small crevices in the machine. And nobody wants funky smelling dishes.
- Remove your dishwasher’s filter from time to time and scrub with a stiff brush, soap, and hot water. Refer to your dishwasher’s manual for how to remove. Manual misplaced? Use this handy on-line guide.
- If odors persist, clean the inside of your machine. Mix a simple paste of baking soda, dish soap, and water, then scrub away. Run an empty cycle to rinse out the mix.
Explore more causes and solutions for dishwasher odor.
Though we can’t reduce the quantity of dishes in your household, we hope these tips and suggestions help you get the most out of what is potentially your most treasured household appliance at the moment.
Stay safe and stay strong. We stand united with you for the health of this and future generations.
[1] https://www.nrdc.org/stories/9-tricks-save-tons-water