Waterwise home
Kitchen
There are many ways to use water efficiently in the kitchen.

- Use the dishwasher only when full. Running a full load in a water-efficient dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand. If leaving dishes overnight, use the dishwasher’s rinse function, rather than the sink.
- Scrape your dishes and soak your pots and pans to remove food rather than rinsing them under running water.
- Rinse vegetables in a plugged sink or basin, not under a running tap, and then use the water on your garden.
- Don’t use running water to defrost food. Place your frozen food in the fridge to thaw overnight.
- While waiting for water to heat, collect it in a bottle and put it in the fridge. Running a tap until it’s the right temperature wastes up to a bucket of water a minute.
- Think before putting water down the sink! Empty water bottles onto the garden, pot plants or in pet bowls.
Find out more
- Learn about Smart Approved WaterMark.
- Refer to the Water Efficiency and Labelling Standards Scheme. (WELS)
In this guide: