Stop Washing Time & Water Down the Drain

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Oct 13, 2011, 09:31 ET

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent Whirlpool Corporation survey conducted by Harris Interactive*, 87 percent of consumers pre-rinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. This may be why 21 percent of women surveyed say doing the dishes is their least favorite chore. That's a lot of work (and water)!

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Did you know that besides wasting water and time, pre-rinsing can actually impact the cleaning process? Pre-rinsing removes dirt particles, leaving virtually nothing for detergent to cling to and confusing dishwashers' soil sensors. New models feature sensor cycles which automatically select the right wash and dry settings for your load by using two separate sensors to measure temperature, soil level and load size.

So how will those baked-on, caked-on pans and dishes get clean? Whirlpool recently introduced a new dishwasher with both sensors and PowerScour™, a feature that uses 40 targeted spray jets to scour away baked on foods and deliver twice the coverage to clean even your large pots and pans without pre-rinsing.

In addition to saving time, skipping pre-rinsing can save up to 20 gallons of water per load according to energystar.gov. Compared to a conventional dishwasher manufactured before 2006, the new Whirlpool® dishwashers featuring the Resource Efficient wash system use nearly half the water and energy without compromising performance.

Still not convinced? Here are a few tips from the experts at the Institute of Kitchen Science:

Use your Dishwasher. For the 10 percent of dishwasher owners that do not use them, hand-washing dishes uses up to 23 gallons of water vs. one cycle in a dishwasher that uses 6 gallons of water or less.
Don't pre-rinse! According to energystar.gov, pre-rinsing your dishes wastes up to 20 gallons of water, and may impact your dishwasher's ability to deliver effective cleaning.
Clean the Filter. If your dishwasher is leaving food particles on items and not cleaning well, check the filter first. The filter needs routine cleaning as directed by the manufacturer.
Use the Right Cycle. The Industry-Exclusive Overnight Cycle allows you to quietly soak and wash your dishes for 7 hours while optimizing water and energy usage and delivering exceptional tough soil cleaning.

For more tips on everything kitchen, visit the Institute of Kitchen Science, an informational hub that will provide you with simple tips, advice and best practices for your home. To learn more about the Whirlpool brand please visit www.whirlpool.com or on our Facebook page.

*This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation from May 18-20, 2011, among 2,407 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Whirlpool Brand

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion in 2010, 71,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. Whirlpool brand recognizes that consumers lead busy, active lives and continues to create solutions that help consumers optimize productivity and efficiency in the home. In addition to designing appliance solutions based on consumer insight, Whirlpool brand is dedicated to creating ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances like the new Duet® washer and dryer (model 9750), the industry's most resource efficient laundry pair, overall efficiency based on equal weighting of cycle time and energy usage. Whirlpool is one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool brand please visit www.whirlpool.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/whirlpool. Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation's 100th Anniversary

Founded on Nov. 11, 1911, Whirlpool Corporation has influenced home and family life during the last century. The company is driven by the belief that everyone needs a comfortable place to call home and has a 100 year history of creating better ways of cooking, cleaning, refrigerating and storing. Whirlpool Corporation is focused on improving lives one person, one family, one home, one community at a time.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation