As it turns out, there is: using the dishwasher. Research shows that using your dishwasher isn’t just easier—it uses less water and energy than washing dishes by hand. It found that, in most cases, the dishwasher is more efficient than hand washing. Image: Getty Images Elena ZaretskayaDishwashers leave less bacteriaThere’s another benefit to using a dishwasher, however: it kills much more bacteria on your dishes. This report, which is highly cited to this day, found that machine washing leaves significantly less bacteria on glasses and utensils than hand washing, with particularly high rates among establishments that use towels for drying after hand washing instead of air drying.