Conserve: Water in the Kitchen

Since I recently looked at the many ways that you can conserve water in your bathroom, I thought I might look into conserving water in the kitchen. And when you look at conserving water in the kitchen you can't help but stumble upon the question that everyone is asking ...

Is it better to hand-wash dishes or use the dishwasher?

Well, I am here to tell you that every website I looked at said the same thing. Dishwashers use less water overall than you would if you were hand-washing your dishes. Especially if you have a energy star dishwasher. There was even a study that proves that using a dishwasher is better for the environment than if you were to wash your dishes by hand. This is a link to an article on Tree Hugger than also has a link to the study.

So now that we have that figured out, are there any other ways to save conserve water in the kitchen? You bet there is.

1. Make sure the dishwasher is FULL before you run it.
• It not only saves water, it saves you money and the time that you would spend putting away those 5 loads that could have all gone in at the same time.
  
2. Don't let water run down the drain.
• Don't defrost meat by running water on it. Plan ahead and let it thaw in the fridge or use the defrost feature on your microwave.
  
• When you rise your veggies, do it in a plugged sink or in a bowl of cool water.
• Consider keeping a jug of tap water in the fridge so that it's just the right level of chilly so that you don't have to wait for the tap to get really cold.
• Save all the grey water you can! You can use it to water the garden or anything else you can think of.
3. Use your garbage disposal sparingly.
• You will save quite a bit of money by not running the water to wash all the nasties down your sink.
  
• What is your other option? Start your own compost bin! Save water and make your own dirt for your garden.
  
4. Get an aerator for your kitchen sink.
• By these work like a low flow shower head and can significantly cut down on the amount of water you use.
  
5. Be sure to have any leaks fixed.
• Leaks = wasted water (and a higher utility bill).

I found these and other fabulous tips at the Queensland Government site, Savewater.co.au, and The Town of Cary site.