I did a little googling, and the figure that came up over and over for doing dishes by hand was 27 gallons of water. Assuming US liquid gallons, that’s 102 litres.
We have a large double sink, each side of which can hold 28 litres* (7.4 gallons) brim full. So 14.8 gallons will fill both sides until the water is slopping onto the floor. In the real world we only fill one sink less than half full. Let’s call it 4 gallons, about the amount that a modern super-efficient Energy Star dishwasher claims under ideal conditions.
But 27 FREAKING GALLONS!!? I noted that the sites at the source of this claim tend to be manufacturers or manufacturers’ associations, and everyone just repeats it without question.This is self-serving bullshit at the two-months-salary-for-a-diamond-ring level.
We wash by hand, not because we are virtuous but because our kitchen is too tiny to fit a dishwasher. But having watched our friends load the dishwasher, argue about it, shuffle things around, fill the sink to wash the sharp knives, wine glasses,and heirlooms, wait an hour or two, and then put everything away, I don’t see the point.
Our situation is not everyone’s, of course. There’s just the two of us and we only wash the day’s dishes once per day. After hosting Xmas dinner, we’d be glad of a dishwasher, but fortunately we have family and friends who will voluntarily pitch in.
Again, every situation is different. My wife usually washes and I dry and put away, but if she has a cut finger or something the roles can be reversed, and if I’m on my own I’ll do the whole job. When our kids were at home they were expected to help as well. It typically takes 15-20 minutes.
*(about the size of a large raccoon)
