I used to pre-rinse everything like a maniac until my water bill came in

I spent about six months scrubbing every plate, fork, and cup under hot water before loading the dishwasher. My water bill went up by $25 a month and I thought it was just normal. Then my neighbor told me modern dishwashers have sensors that actually work better with some food residue. I tested it with a caked-on lasagna pan and it came out spotless. Now I just scrape off the big chunks and let the machine do its job. Has anyone else seen their water bill drop after they stopped pre-rinsing?

2 comments

2 Comments

lewis.drew1mo ago

Used to be the same way. My mom always taught me to pre-rinse everything so I thought that was just how you do dishes. Then I got a new dishwasher and read the manual which basically said stop doing that. Felt wrong at first but after a month my water bill went down by about $15. The real test was a bowl with dried oatmeal that I just threw in there on purpose and it came out clean. Totally changed my mind on the whole thing.

robinson.holly1mo ago

That bit about the dried oatmeal is what REALLY got me. I've been Team Pre-Rinse forever too and I just can't wrap my head around how a dishwasher is supposed to scrub that stuff off without any help from me first. So when you said you threw that bowl in there on purpose, were you like watching it through the window the whole cycle? Because I would have been staring at that thing like it was a science experiment. And did you have to scrape at all after it came out or was it seriously just gone?