Follow the Drop – Washing
Washing
Fun Fact
Our dishes: On average, dishwashers use far less water than washing dishes by hand 1
By choosing to travel to a household to join the washing, you are really pitching in to do your part! It is estimated that an average of 60% of domestic water in the home is used for washing and cleaning. This includes washing ourselves, our clothes, our dishes, the floors and counters2.As part of the washing water, you’ll notice that all of the grease, soaps, hair products, detergents, and cleaning products used end up going down the drain with the wastewater. Although water quality can be impacted, it is a relief to know that some of the products now available are designed to break down quickly and limit contamination.
Water quality can also be impacted by the dirt, oils and microorganisms that come off whatever is being washed. Laundering clothes made of synthetic fabric also results in microfibres and microplastics in the wastewater, although there are now new devices designed to catch the microfibres before they go down the drain.
Definitions
Contaminant: A substance that, in a sufficient concentration, will cause adverse effects to water, land, fish, or other things potentially rendering it unusable.
Microplastics: Small plastic pieces less than 5 mm long that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution.
Where next?
After you’ve served your purpose by making sure everything is sparkly clean, you have to make your next move. Do you want to stick around the house and be repurposed, or do you want to travel to the wastewater treatment plant to be cleaned?
References and Further Reading
- MacDonald, F. (2018). Here’s Why You Need to Stop Washing Your Dishes by Hand. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-better-to-wash-dishes-by-hand-or-dishwasher-environment-science
- Mortillaro, N. (2016, October 30). This is how much water Canadians waste. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://globalnews.ca/news/3016754/this-is-how-much-water-canadians-waste/
