The verdict is in: Dishwashers better than hand washing.

Hand washing one load of dishes can use 20 gallons of water, whereas water- and energy-efficient dishwashers use as little as 4.5 gallons. Make sure you run a load only when full and over time, that’s a big difference!

Also, try experimenting with not rinsing before you load the dishes and using a lower setting.

If you don’t have a dishwasher, remember to plug the sink so you don’t need to let the faucet run and to wash from cleanest to dirtiest saving those grimy pans for last.

Get more tips here.