Common Appliance Misconceptions

You need to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher

6,000 gallons of water per year is wasted rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

Dishwasher detergents are formulated to cling to food particles. Without these left over food particles the detergent has a harder time getting the dishes as clean as they could be. 

Dishwashers made in the last five years or so often have a special sensor that can determine the soil level of your dirty dishes. These sensors optically sense the food particles in the air or the water in the dishwasher to determine the type of cycle to run.

​If you are cleaning out your dishwashers filter according to the manufacturers recommendations, usually once a month, simply scrapping off the larger food debris is better for cleaner dishes and less water usage.   

​Microwaves emit radiation that is harmful

Microwaves DO NOT make your food radioactive. Microwaves produce non ionizing radiation. It is ionizing radiation that is harmful to you, your DNA specifically. Microwave ovens do not have enough power to displace electrons and therefor cannot damage your DNA.

​The energy that a microwave produces is just enough to excite the water molecules in your food. This excitation of the water molecules causes the water in your food to get hot which is how a microwave oven cooks you food.

The door of the microwave prevents microwaves from escaping and heating up the water molecules in your hand for instance. OUCH!  Never operate a microwave oven if the door does not completely close.

​Less use means longer life

Appliances are made to be used.

For example dishwashers have seals that are designed to work in damp conditions. If it is not being used the seals can dry up and crack becoming brittle.

​If you think you are saving water by hand washing the dishes think again. A dishwasher typically uses half the amount of water compared to washing by hand. 

​The more detergent the cleaner the clothes

Too much detergent in the washing machine will  leave a residue on your clothes. This build up not only will accumulate on you clothes but in the washing machine itself.

An average load only needs one tablespoon of detergent.

Build up from using too much detergent will cause the washer to work less efficiently, effectively and ultimately lead to less life in the machine.

​Electric ovens are expensive to use

Electric ovens typically only account for about 8% of energy use in households. Refrigerators on average account for about 30% of the energy use in a household.

​On average it will cost you about thirty cents an hour to run an oven on high, about the same as your toaster.

Ovens are manufactured to hold in the heat and have become fairly efficient. Cooking at the correct temperature and avoiding opening the oven door while cooking will help with efficiency. 
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