Suggestion!

**Savers** · 06-26-2009, 12:29 AM

How often should I run the dishwasher or do laundry?

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-26-2009, 01:50 AM

I run the dishwasher when it is full, and do laundry when I am out of clean underwear.

**frugalfranny** · 06-26-2009, 02:25 AM

When you have a full load.

**Grainlady** · 06-26-2009, 07:15 AM

Our water-saving method...

Dishes:
-We run the dishwasher once every 4-5 days, when it's full (household of 2 adults). Dishwashers use between 4-gallons per cycle (Energy Star) and 6-gallons non energy saver, up to 14-gallons per load - depending on if you pre-rinse or not, and how many wash/rinse cycles you use.

-We use approximately 1-gallon of water for clean-up after meals and doing any dishes we don't put in the dishwasher - we don't put silverware, cutlery, pans, or plastic of any kind in the dishwasher.

How to do dishes with 1-gallon of water (which is saved water from the shower):

-Wash your dishes in a small plastic tub.
-Heat 5 cups of "saved" water in an electric kettle. An electric kettle uses less energy to heat water than a kettle on the stove because the water is in contact with the heating element.
-Add approximately 5 cups of cold water to the hot water.
-Rinse the dishes with the remaining 1-gallon

------------------------------

Laundry: Full loads. We wash 6 loads per week divided on two different days. That's a clothes line full each time.

Compare that use to my sister-in-law and her daughter who BOTH run the dishwasher after every meal, and it's not unheard of for my SIL to toss 2-3 things in the washer.

**Momto2Boyz** · 06-26-2009, 08:46 AM

Yep, run only when you have full loads. If I need plates and they are in the dishwasher, but it's not full, I simply do them by hand until I have a full load.

Same with laundry. I only run one load every month that isn't a full load. I run a load of whites on hot water with bleach, once a month to keep bacteria out of my washing machine. Otherwise, I wash with cold and only full loads. (And I would do my bleach load full...but I don't have enough bleachable whites to run a full load!).

**gapeach** · 06-26-2009, 08:55 AM

I run the dishwasher only when it's full. When I do laundry, I wash only full loads. Our water bill averages $17/month, most of this is a base charge, fees & taxes.

**stinkbug** · 06-26-2009, 09:45 AM

Is this a trick question???

**ttistin** · 06-29-2009, 01:09 AM

I do at least one dishwasher load a day. I try to keep it at one load but sometimes it doesn't happen. I Do 3+ loads of laundry a day.

My kids don't seem to understand that just because they had something on for 5 minutes does not make it dirty, They toss it into the dirty clothes hamper with all the other dirty clothes so I end up washing it again.

**FrugalMomof3** · 06-29-2009, 10:21 AM

I run the dishwasher when it's full or when I notice the cubbards looking bare with no bowls, usually 1 time a week.

I wash clothes around 2 times per week, family of 3 + son is home from college and he washes his own.

**Judi Dial** · 07-14-2009, 09:40 AM

I can't answer the dishwasher question, I don't have one.

For us, a family of 2 it takes 2 full loads a week of clothes and 2 small loads of household cloth stuff. I COULD get away with only doing a really full load of our clothes once a week and one of household items, but I don't. Our washer lets me adjust the size of the load, so I do that.

The household stuff gets washed in two loads as 1 is rags and the other are the cloth napkins, placemats, and towels we use.

IHTH!

Judi

**Jamielane** · 07-14-2009, 09:47 AM

I do laundry every.single.day. ugh, the dishwasher gets run every two or three days. Only when nothing else will fit in it. There are 4 of us here.

**ladykemma2** · 07-14-2009, 09:50 AM

i try not to use the dishwasher. i discovered that when i use it my electricity bills jumped by 30 dollars. we are in a drought here in houston, so i have been washing in dishpans and throwing the gray rinse water on the plants.

**baxjul** · 07-14-2009, 09:55 AM

I run my dishwasher daily, when it is full.

I do laundry about every other day.

**dean** · 07-14-2009, 09:56 AM

I don't have a dishwasher...wait....yes I do...me....I do them every day.
Sometimes more than once!

I wash clothes when I have a full load. I keep them sorted on the basement floor next to the washer. Sheets once a week.

**AmyBoz** · 07-14-2009, 09:59 AM

I do my dishwasher when it's full, approximately every other day...sometimes every day. It is something that I know costs a little more, but the convenience is worth it to me.

As for laundry, I do it once a week. That way, I know we'll never have a day where someone doesn't have anything clean to wear.