22 December

Ditch the dishwashing

When you’ve spent days in the kitchen preparing your Christmas feast, it’s only fair to outsource the dishwashing.

We’re not talking about your nephews and nieces. If you have the right dishwasher, you can save both water and energy compared to washing by hand and is also likely to avoid some squabbles.

After a big meal, stack the dishes, put your feet up and rest easy, knowing you’ve done your bit for the planet.

If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can use less water while handwashing by thoroughly scraping excess food from your dishes before you wash them. Put your double sink to good use by filling one side with hot, soapy water for cleaning and the other with warm water for rinsing. A bucket works just as well! Keep your tap off unless you really need it, and use less soap, which will mean you’ll use less water to wash the suds away.