Stop now, if you wash the dishes like this you spend 300 euros more: a mistake that ruins families | The bill takes flight

Many Italian families believe that washing dishes by hand is a better choice economical compared to using the dishwasher. This perception, rooted in old habits or perhaps in a past where consumption was very different, is proving to be a decidedly costly mistake. The habit of leaving hot water running continuously while scrubbing dishes and cutlery has become a real drain on household finances, especially with the unstoppable increase in energy and water costs in recent years.

What seems like a simple daily gesture hides a significant economic impact, capable of eroding a significant part of the family budget without us realizing it. It’s time to dispel a myth and confront the unequivocal reality of the numbers.

2025 data: water and gas, an unsustainable luxury

The 2025 data reveal: water and gas, an unsustainable luxury.

Analyzing the cost projections for the year 2025, a very clear picture emerges: water and gas, both indispensable for hand washing with hot water, now represent a luxury that few families can afford. A manual wash under hot running water consumes on average between 30 and 60 liters of water per session. Added to this is the cost of heating this quantity of water, directly impacting the gas or electricity bill.

A modern dishwasher, on the other hand, with a full load, uses approx 8-12 liters of water per cycle and uses much more efficient heating technologies. Making a simple and conservative calculation, a family that washes the dishes by hand twice a day spends on average between 250 and 350 euros more per year, just in terms of water and energy, compared to someone who uses a full dishwasher. This gap is expected to widen as commodity prices escalate.

It’s a thick cost invisiblebut constant, which erodes the purchasing power of families, taking away resources that could be used more profitably for other essential needs.

The dishwasher: an ally for the wallet

The dishwasher: a smart investment that is good for your wallet.

Contrary to what many still believe, the dishwasher, if used correctly, is one of the most important household appliances efficient and advantageous in terms of water and energy consumption. The secret is to fill it completely before each wash cycle. A full load cycle optimizes the use of water, energy and detergent, drastically reducing waste and maximizing efficiency.

The modern technologies integrated into dishwashers allow you to choose low energy consumption programs, eco cycles or rapid programs for less dirty dishes, customizing use based on real needs. Furthermore, dishwashers heat water internally in a more controlled and targeted way than the domestic water heater for hand washing, avoiding heat loss and further reducing gas or electricity consumption.

Adopting the dishwasher as your main tool for cleaning dishes is not just a question of comfortbut a truly active strategy for domestic savings. It’s an initial investment that pays for itself quickly, turning an expensive habit into a sustainable practice and, above all, extremely convenient for the family budget in the long term.