In response to a question about how to wash dishes sustainably in a single-basin sink, TikToker Love of Earth Co. (@loveofearthco) posted a video showing viewers the most sustainable way to hand-wash dishes.
The scoop
The hack is pretty simple. All you need to sustainably hand-wash dishes is your index finger. But first, scrape any leftover food into your compost bin (remember, this is the most sustainable way of doing dishes). Then make sure the sink is clean before filling it with soapy water. All pretty simple. Here's where the hack comes into play.
@loveofearthco Replying to @vitotessio How to wash dishes sustainably in a "Single Basin" sink!🌟🌎💧🫧✨ #zerowaste #ecofriendly #plasticfree #sustainability #sustainable #sustainableliving #recycle #savetheplanet #zerowasteliving #environment #gogreen #reuse #handmade #vegan #noplastic #nature #zerowastesmallbusiness #zerowasteliving #sustainability #organic #lesswaste #sustainablefashion #reducereuserecycle #zerowastelifestyle #plasticpollution #natural #zerowastehome #saynotoplastic #recycling ♬ Primrose - Kupla
The TikToker says they never fill the sink up past the halfway point of their index finger. Wash your dishes as you normally would, then use what they call the "three-second rule" to rinse your dishes. Turn on the faucet for only three seconds to rinse each dish.
After washing and rinsing the dishes, they do another finger check to see how much more water they used, and it's not much.
"My guess is I used around five gallons of water to wash these dishes," the TikToker says, "which is pretty good considering that the average dishwasher load only uses about four to six gallons."
How it's helping
Clearly, this hack can help you save on your water bill, but it can save you elsewhere as well. If the difference in water usage between using this method and using the dishwasher is miniscule, it may not seem worth it. But using the method shown in the video not only has the potential to save on your water bill, it also saves on your electric bill.
Reducing water consumption diverts less water from rivers, bays, reservoirs, or wherever your water comes from, which helps the environment. On top of lowering your electric bill, you'll also be reducing the demand for dirty energy that emits pollutants into the atmosphere.
What everyone's saying
While some commenters shared their own variations to the hack, others were happy for the advice.
One commenter said: "Great tips here!"
Another said: "I appreciate seeing this ... I'm not as organized as you and I envy it."
While another grateful viewer commented: "Love this hack thank u."
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