Doing dishes with dishwashing machine typically uses less water than doing them by hand. To get the cleanest dishes while using the least water, energy and detergent, try the following tips.

When running a dishwasher, make sure the machine is full. There's no need to rinse the dishes before putting them in the machine, scraping is enough. Try out your machine’s different settings to see if you get satisfying results with the ones that use less energy and water. You want to make sure the water in the machine is hot to get the cleanest dishes, so if your machine doesn't have an integrated water heater, let the water run in the tap to get the hot water going, you can then use this extra water to wash the dishes that didn't fit into the machine. Try also reducing the amount of detergent and use environment-friendly products. If not in a hurry, use no-heat drying to save energy. When buying new appliances, check energy ratings and in USA choose one with Energy Star.

Some dishes can’t be washed in the dishwasher, so when hand washing them, don’t do it under running water as that can end up wasting a lot of water. Instead, fill a sink with hot water and some detergent. Set dishes on the side to drip and rinse them all together in cool water.