Follow these tips to save water and electricity when running your dishwasher:

• Save water by not rinsing dishes when loading the dishwasher.
• Turn off the drying cycle on the dishwasher to reduce power usage.
• Follow the directions in the manual for loading and running the dishwasher.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• How to Install a Dishwasher (article)
• How to Repair a Dishwasher Rack (video)
• How to Replace a Dishwasher (video)
• Advantages of a Dishwasher Over Hand Washing (video)

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Joe Truini: When it comes to saving energy around the house, the dishwasher might not be the first thing you think of; but you’d be surprised how much water and electricity you can save with a few simple tips. For example, if you scrape the dishes clean instead of rinsing them, you can save up to 20 gallons of water. Also, be sure to turn off the electric dryer because that’s just a waste of energy.

Also, read the instruction manual carefully. In this particular model, for example, I discovered that this hole in the lower rack allows the wash tower to extend up during the rinse and wash cycles, so the dishes come out nice and clean. They also recommended not putting a bowl or a large platter in this front right corner, because it’ll block the circulation of the detergent. Now, I never would have known either of those, if I didn’t read the instruction manual.

So you follow those simple tips, the dishes will come out nice and clean. And you don’t have to wash them in the sink a second time and waste water and electricity.