…when you’re at home.
I believe I’m one of the rare types who washes with cold water. Most would argue against it, but I get things done the same way as others. Also saves on the electric bill.
How do you wash your dishes? What’s your reasoning to do so?
For me, hot water for two reasons… (1) warm-to-hot water is more comfortable to the hands and (2) anything on the dishes come off faster with warmer water. I couldn’t imagine washing a pan that had bacon grease or some type of sauce with cold water.
also it’s a lot easier to dry a warm plate than a cold one.
That’s about the only time I’d use hot water.
Most times though, there isn’t gunk on things, and it isn’t necessary.
If I’m washing dishes by hand I use hot/warm water. It helps dissolve things faster.
ETA: No gunk on things? Do you put food in your dishes? 
Hot. Always hot.
As hot as I can stand it. And I tend to wash dishes… very thoroughly. I’m probably obsessive about it. (Also, I hate doing dishes.)
My friend’s wife washes in cold water. She doesn’t speak English, but she made it clear I should wash in cold water. I don’t know why.
Is it sanitary to wash dishes in cold water? (without adding bleach to compensate)
Yes, but they don’t sit in the sink for a week, so extra food washes right off.
Currently 28 to 1 on this one… boy o boy… I’m special.
Hot water. We have solar heating anyway, so the energy savings are moot.
I imagine that what you prepare and eat does make a difference in how much stuff is left on your dishes. The things we cook and eat can make a pretty serious mess, sometimes. Syrup, gravy, cheese sauce, oatmeal, etc. are more easily washed off in hot water.
I was taught that, for sanitary reasons, dish washing water should be as hot as you can stand it. I remember the Home Extension agent coming over to my then sister-in-law’s house and actually demonstrating. The agent also said to wash cups & glasses first, silverware & plates next, and pots & pans last.
Found this on about.com :
Wash in hot.
Rinse in cold.
There’s a reason that automatic dishwashers don’t have a “Cold” setting.
My water heater is so far away from the kitchen sink that if I’m washing by hand I’ll usually wash in cold. If I am running the dish washer, I let the faucet run until the water is hot so that the washer won’t have to heat the water.
When I was a teenager, I worked at a muffin place in a mall. One of my jobs was washing all the baking apparatus that was used during my shift. The water heater was not big enough for the space, and so, each night, I’d run out of hot water about halfway through. The first part of the cleaning, when I had lots of hot water, was easy-peasy. Once I ran out, however, it became a royal fricking pain.
Sticky stuff like muffin batter does not come off of bowls very well with cold water. Anything that has any fat or grease in it also is difficult to clean properly. I could do it, to be sure, but it took me much longer than it would have with hot water and required much more effort. It also required far more water and soap.
Hot hot hot water. I’m OCD and that’s one of my things. I am constantly changing the water if it gets cool and by the time I’m done with dishes, I end up changing the water about a half dozen times or so. I end up running out of hot water in the heater by the last load, so I put a big spaghetti pot of water on the stove to heat it, so the last sinkfull has hot water.
I’m a freak.
Hot water in the winter, cold water in the summer.
A comfortable “warm” here.
Dishwashers heat the water to 130 - 140 degrees, so your dishwasher is probably heating the water anyway even if it starts off pretty hot. And if your dishwasher is installed correctly it’s connected to the cold water supply, not the hot (though most people who install them think that’s dumb and hook them up to the hot water supply). Just let the dishwasher do its thing - they are pretty efficient.