What Are the Benefits of Using a Dishwasher?

Though some people enjoy washing dishes by hand, most would probably prefer to use a dishwasher. Dishwashers save time and, while more expensive at the outset, actually save money. They're also safer and can help you avoid breaking dishes. There are a variety of benefits to using a dishwasher.

Though purchasing a dishwasher can be a bit expensive, there are many brands, sizes and features available to you. Modern dishwashers can be made with three racks, superior water-heating abilities and time delays so you can load the appliance at your convenience and let it run later once you've gone to sleep.

There are an overwhelming number of dishwashers on the market, so it pays to do your research before purchasing. Talk to friends and family and see which appliances they've had good luck with. Reading reviews online or in neutral publications like Consumer Reports can also be a good approach to finding the best dishwasher for your needs and budget.

Dishwashers for every price point can be found at Amazon, Home Depot and even Walmart.

Once the outlay of money to purchase your dishwasher is complete, you may actually find you save money having one. Dishwashers are designed to use water efficiently and heat it in a cost-effective way. Rather than fill the sink every time you need to wash some dishes, which uses a surprising amount of water (including for prerinsing and rinsing), you can wait to run your dishwasher until it is full of dirty dishes. Energy Star explains that a dishwasher it rates highly should cost only $35 or so to run per year.

An electric dishwasher is exceptionally time-efficient, in that it takes about 10 minutes to load or unload. The rest of the work is completed by the appliance while you do chores or relax. Many dishwashers are even powerful enough to remove stuck-on food from your bakeware and pans, which can save you significant time scrubbing over the sink.

Using a dishwasher is healthier and safer in many ways. For instance, washing a delicate teapot or glass tumbler that becomes soapy and slippery could result in broken glass all over your hands and the inside of your sink. Typically, dishes do not break inside the dishwasher. When they do, your hands are not there to bear the brunt of it.

Hot water in your sink can burn your hands. To power through very tough messes, you might need to max out the temperature in your sink. Though dish gloves will help, hot water may burn you. It will almost certainly lead to chapped hands over time.

Furthermore, standing over a sink to wash dishes can put a tremendous strain on your back and neck, depending on the height of your countertops. The Pain Center explains that doing dishes can promote back pain, since bending over a sink (particularly a deep one) causes aggravation to the discs of the spine and your soft tissues. This issue is intensified when you must vigorously scrub your dishes.