The program duration in the dishwasher

The dishwasher relieves you of tedious work by ensuring sparkling fresh glasses, cutlery and plates. But you’ve probably wondered at some point why the rinse cycles take so long. What would be much faster by hand, but also more tiring, usually takes a lot of time with the machine. Why is that? In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of the program duration for the dishwasher.

How long does a program take these days?

This question cannot be answered in a blanket manner. It depends primarily on which model you own, which program you choose and how old the dishwasher is. If you choose a so-called short program, for example, it will take a maximum of half an hour. If, on the other hand, you choose a standard rinse cycle, it can take between 90 minutes and three hours.

The rinse cycle always takes longer if you put away a lot of dishes that are also heavily soiled. This is because no express program can be used in that case.

Also of interest: Why does plastic not dry in the dishwasher?

Why do the new dishwashers take much longer than the old ones?

The new machines are designed with one thing in mind: They are designed to save energy, thereby protecting both the environment and your wallet. The programs effectively save electricity and water when they take longer to run. Among other things, a lower temperature is used for rinsing and drying. To still achieve the same result, the dishes must remain in the water or warm air longer. The reprocessing of the water also plays a role here.

While the rinse cycle used to be usually finished within 1 hour, nowadays you wait a very long time for the redeeming final signal. However, you don’t have to worry at all that the longer programs will cause the machine to wear out more or consume more energy. The opposite is the case, because the modern devices are designed quite differently.

Also of interest: Why do dishwashers not have a window like the washing machine?

What factors affect the duration of the program in the dishwasher?

This question can be answered quite simply. The more the dishwasher has to do, the longer the wash cycle will take.

Rule of thumb: If you load the machine fully and do not pre-rinse the dishes, you will have to use a normal program. This takes more time with modern, efficient machines.
As indicated above, the duration is influenced by the age of the dishwasher, among other factors. New machines need at least 30% longer than comparable old machines; sometimes even twice as long.

If you opt for an eco program, you can conserve resources even more. However, the dishwashing cycle will then take even longer. A positive side effect is that the dishes are spared and look like new for longer.

Also of interest: Dispose of dishwasher – These options are available

What factors play a role in energy-efficient dishwashing?

First and foremost, the age of the dishwasher determines how efficiently washing works. If you opt for a current model with a good or very good energy efficiency rating, you will achieve the same results with lower consumption. If, on the other hand, you define efficiency by the time the machine needs to do its work, you should choose a fast program and accept higher consumption. In the long run, however, a short program duration does not make sense.

Many consumers believe that they can increase the efficiency of the dishwasher by pre-rinsing the dishes by hand. This is not true. By pre-rinsing, you unnecessarily use a lot of extra water and energy for heating. Dishwashing detergent is also anything but good for our wastewater.

Therefore, in most cases, it makes sense to remove the coarse residues from the plates. You should refrain from pre-rinsing, unless you are dealing with burnt-on food or extremely greasy food.

Also of interest: How much electricity and water does a dishwasher use?

How can you shorten the dishwashing process?

When it comes to dishwashers, things always go faster when the machine has to do less to get the dishes clean. Don’t load the dishwasher full, use quick programs and remove all coarse debris from the dishes in advance.

If it is very important to you that the dishes get clean quickly, you should do without the Eco program. In addition, it is important to compare the different models even before buying with a focus on the program duration and see if the models also offer the option “half load” or similar.