I saw this video somewhere, I think it was a TikTok video originally. Anyway, this woman said you can save a little bit on your utility bill by turning off the heated dry cycle of your dishwasher. Instead, at the end of the cycle open up the door while it's still hot and steamy, put a dish towel in there (hanging off the top but mostly inside the dishwasher), and firmly close the door.
So I did try this a few times and yeah, it works. My dishes come out perfectly dry. Not going to be a huge savings for us because we're a small family and we don't run dishes everyday, but for others it could be more significant. Also, I don't know how well it works if you don't catch it within a half hour or an hour of finishing. I'm thinking once the heat from the wash cycle is gone this may not be as effective.
Save a little money on electricity by turning off the Dry cycle on your dishwasher and using a towel in the end
byu/C0ugarFanta-C inFrugal
Posted by C0ugarFanta-C
14 Comments
How much money are you saving doing this?
No
Yeah, no thanks. The real pro move is to buy the Bosch with the magic crystals in the bottom so plastic stuff comes out dry.
Saving that little on your utility bill over your dishwasher doesn’t sound worth it tbh. Sure I have dry dishes after but I also have other adult responsibilities to manage that aren’t worth whatever petty amount of money this is worth.
Oh please! My time and convenience have value, and it’s more than a few pennies saved on my electric bill.
I do this, set it on the short cycle and after it’s done open the door and leave it cracked. Dishes dry on their own within an hour or so.
isn’t the heat drying part of sanitizing?
Or you can save even more money if you hand wash them. Hell, eat off the floor, no dishes required. Even better.
I run on eco mode without heated dry then just open the door, mop off the top of anything where water has pooled, then let it air dry for an hour or so
I work in the appliance industry and you may save 3 cents a year doing this but I guess totally worth it to spend a half hour drying each time you use your dishwasher. Time is money people.
You guys use dishes? I’m not doing this frugal thing right
I don’t understand the negative comments you are getting. Not only are you saving electricity costs for the drying cycle but in warm weather, you are reducing your AC bill by not adding all that heat to your home.
I never use the dry cycle on my dishwasher. And no, I don’t always open it immediately after it finishes. When I do open it, I pour off any water trapped in the tops of bowls or the rims of plastic containers and then leave the door open. If I manage to do it just before bedtime when no one will be moving around the kitchen, I leave it wide open and it’s ready to unload in the morning. It takes no extra time at all.
Using a towel to dry is unsanitary
I open the door on the dry cycle, mainly because if I don’t, a stream of steam comes out of the front of the dishwasher, which is both somewhat hot, and the remnants of the detergent in the steam irritate my nose and throat (my dishwasher is in the middle of my kitchen, directly under the only workspace. I curse whoever put it there daily). I generally find I don’t need to dry the dishes, as once the steam escapes while hot, the dishes dry off fairly quickly from the residual heat.
Yeah, I guess there’s a tiny bit of savings? Maybe? But I don’t think you’re going to make a noticeable difference.