Eco Friendly

What to Look For

It may come as a surprise that automatic dishwashers are a lot more eco-friendly than hand washing. But there are even greener ways to get your dishes clean.

The University of Bonn found that dishwashers use half the energy and one-sixth of the water of hand-washing, getting dishes much cleaner in the process. If you'd still like to decrease your carbon footprint a little more, consider these features when buying a dishwasher:

Half-load Wash Rather than waiting for the dishwasher to fill up or running a full wash with only a few dishes inside, some washers offer a half-load function that uses only enough water and electricity to wash a partial load.

Dish Drawers If you have dish drawers instead of a full-size dishwasher, you can easily run a half wash, saving some water and energy.

Turn Off The Dryer If your dishwasher offers a drying function, turn it off to save electricity.

Energy-Saver Cycle Some dishwashers, such as the Kenmore 13929, offer an energy-saving cycle that's designed to use less water and electricity.