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Myth-busting truths about using a dishwasher by AEG-Electrolux

Susan Dean of the Electrolux press office dispels some of the myths regarding dishwashers
It's hard to believe but only four in 10 households in the UK have a dishwasher! To anyone who has had one, being without a dishwasher would be like being without your washing machine - you simply can't live without one once you have had one!

Many people still justify their reason for not having one because "they guzzle so much water and energy". In fact this is one of the biggest myths. Just take a look at what a dishwasher holds - 12 place settings or 120 pieces of cutlery and crockery. Now - can you imagine washing all these in one tiny bowlful of water (as little as seven litres of water) - that's what the AEG-Electrolux Proclean dishwasher can do! It's a fact that using a dishwasher saves water and energy. Here we bust that myth and several others!

The 10 greatest dishwashing myths

1. Myth: "Doing the dishes by hand is more environmentally friendly than using a dishwasher."
Truth: Doing the dishes by hand wastes energy and water. It consumes about twice as much energy - even more if done under running water - and 10 times as much water as using the dishwasher.

2. Myth: "If I pre-rinse by hand, my dishes will get cleaner."
Truth: It is estimated that 30% of people pre-rinse by hand. With a good dishwasher, you don't have to pre-rinse by hand to be sure of getting immaculate results.

3. Myth: "Knives get dull in a dishwasher."
Truth: There is no such evidence.

4. Myth: "I should always try to wash at a low temperature to save the environment."
Truth: That depends. Lower temperatures can be more environmentally friendly, but they do not remove all types of ingredients. It saves water and energy to use an intensive cycle which uses a high temperature for a shorter amount of time, compared to re-washing dishes by hand when they don't get clean.

5. Myth: "You should not put crystal glasses in a dishwasher."
Truth: Just choose the right cycle. All types of glasses can be run in a dishwasher if you choose a glass programme.

6. Myth: "Completely filling the machine worsens results."
Truth: Not if you use a machine that automatically adapts its program to the load and has an advanced water spray system.

7. Myth: "Matt plates and glasses are the result of a bad dishwasher."
Truth: Excess detergent, not a bad dishwasher, is what takes away the sparkle.

8. Myth: "If my dishes are not perfectly clean, I should run them again."
Truth: You only get one chance. If the dishes don't get clean the first time, the leftovers hardens together with detergent during the drying program and sticking to the dishes like concrete. This is why it's crucial to get it right the first time with a dishwasher that sprays and rinses every dish properly no matter where it is loaded.

9. Myth: "Expensive detergents are more effective than cheaper ones."
Truth: Experiment. A more expensive detergent is not necessarily better than a cheaper one. Sometimes, it's just a question of branding.

10. Myth: "Detergent is the only thing that gets the dishes clean."
You need detergent, but most of the cleaning results from high temperature water spray repeatedly hitting the dishes from different angles.

Tel: 08445 611611
F: 08445 618 920
W: www.electrolux.co.uk

17th September 2010