Kitchens appliances save water, improve indoor air quality

In general, consumers are wasting more water by pre-rinsing dishes and not using the dishwasher cycles that could save water, according to research by Julia Beamish, JoAnn Emmel, and Kathleen Parrott.

Pre-rinsing in a sink under running water (usually hot water) can use up to 25 gallons of water for five minutes of rinsing compared to the one gallon used by a dishwasher pre-rinse cycle. The main reasons consumers give for pre-rinsing are habit, to delay use of the dishwasher, and the belief that dishes will not come clean without the pre-rinsing.

Research on consumer use of kitchen range ventilation systems found that consumers made infrequent use of their range ventilation systems to remove cooking pollutants. Common range pollutants include moisture, gas byproducts, grease, smoke, and odors. Of people surveyed, only 8 percent used their ventilation system whenever they cooked. The most common reasons for not using the appliance were noise and the feeling that it was not necessary.

Based on these findings, it is clear more consumer education is needed. Saving water in the home decreases community demands and infrastructure needs for water and lowers utility costs for the consumer. Indoor air quality, on the other hand, can impact consumer health.

“Green building topics, including water quality and conservation, air quality and moisture control, energy management, and waste management and recycling, are an important part of the design of kitchens and bathrooms,” says Parrott, an expert in environmental issues, certified kitchen design educator, and co-author of Home*A*Syst: An Environmental Risk Assessment Guide for the Home, which received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary’s Honor Award.

Virginia Tech researchers have shown that consumers are wasting water when they pre-rinse dishes under running hot water before putting them in the dishwasher. Turns out the dishwasher pre-rinse cycle is more effective and saves energy.