# Washing dishes and water usage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2012, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754 "2012-10-15T07:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754/21 "2012-10-16T02:06:58Z")
I use the two-sink method. I run the water into a container until it heats up, and I use that water to fill dishes for the pets or to water plants. I also don’t fill both sinks all the way, because the water gets kind of icky after the first couple of rounds, so I like to start over with fresh water. Because the dishwasher holds more than I can wash before the water gets gross, it uses less water overall than I do. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754/22 "2012-10-16T03:40:45Z")
putting all the dishes on the floor and letting pets and toddlers lick clean does the first degriming and saves water too. they also appreciate you for the extra treat. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754/23 "2012-10-16T07:09:45Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > No, this is wasteful. > > According to tests by _Consumer Reports_, efficient modern dishwashers clean dishes equally well whether they are pre-cleaned & rinsed, or just put straight into the dishwasher. So in pre-cleaning them, you are wasting the water you use, and the energy used in heating it. Not to mention your time & effort. Don’t bother with that any more. I just do a quick rinse to get the big stuff off (don’t want to deal with clogging a filter) and the machine seems to take it from there nicely. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754/24 "2012-10-16T12:38:05Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > I use the two-sink, no running water technique when I hand wash my dishes. Pretty sure this is quite efficient. > > Also I don’t own a dishwasher. Never really understood the point of them. 1. I use two sinks but rather than fill the rinse sink up and dip I let the washed dishes build up and then rinse them all at once. Wouldn’t a sink of clean rinse water get soapy too quickly? 2. How important is it to rinse with hot water? If the soapy water is hot enough you’ve already killed the germs haven’t you? … or does the hot rinse them more effectively? (My wife claims that hot rinse water will dry faster (I’m skeptical)). 3. As long as I’m in the dish washing process already I raid the dirty dishwasher for easy bulky items thereby postponing the next time I need to run it. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754/25 "2012-10-16T12:42:43Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > 1. I use two sinks but rather than fill the rinse sink up and dip I let the washed dishes build up and then rinse them all at once. Wouldn’t a sink of clean rinse water get soapy too quickly? IMO, it does. That’s why I insist on running water for rinsing. > [@](#): > > 1. How important is it to rinse with hot water? If the soapy water is hot enough you’ve already killed the germs haven’t you? … or does the hot rinse them more effectively? (My wife claims that hot rinse water will dry faster (I’m skeptical)). My own casual observation seems to support your wife’s position. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-dishes-and-water-usage/637754.md?page=1)