Green Living Ideas
EnergyBe Eco-Friendly When Washing Dishes
Green living can be applied to any aspect of our everyday life. This is not to say that every act needs to be an ideal example of green living, but at least greener living. Take washes dishes, for example. A few simple tips can turn your dish washing routine into something a bit closer to green living.
Washing pots, pans, or any dishes in the sink
First and foremost, practice green living by scraping off as much food as possible from the dishes before putting them in the sink. Then, be a superstar with green living by composting the food. Or, if you're not ready for composting yet, by removing the food you will at least keep it out of the sewage system. Another related green living tenet also reminds us not to cook or take too much food in the first place, thus reducing the amount needing to be composted or thrown out!
Next, don't run water down the drain while washing dishes. Instead, fill a wash sink (which includes soap) and a rinse sink (no soap) with just as much water as you think you'll need. To employ this form of green living does not necessarily require a two-sided sink as you could always use a large mixing bowl for the rinse area. Additionally, using less soap and choosing eco-friendly dish detergent help increase your green living quotient.
The dishwasher
If you'd rather use the dishwasher, follow green living and don't run the dishwasher until it's full. It wastes a lot of energy to run the dishwasher for just a few dishes. It's also a good green living idea to refrain from using the heated dry cycle many dishwashers have. Most modern dishwashers give you the option of skipping this cycle. Once the dishwasher cycle is over, just crack open the door and let the dishes air dry (or towel them dry), saving energy.
One of the other things you can do to support green living with your dishwasher is to purchase an Energy Star approved appliance. This will mean that you use less energy each time the dishwasher runs, promoting greener living.
