Stylish and attractive as your kitchen sink might be, you can save three weeks a year by using a dishwasher, rather than washing your dishes by hand, researchers say. Not only do dishwashers make for light work in the kitchen, they can also mean a surprisingly large saving in water usage. If economy is important to you, make sure you choose a model that meets your criteria, as well as being efficient. Research shows that the average dishwasher uses 15 to 20 litres of water, with some models using as little as 10 litres, whilst hand washing in the kitchen sink uses 85 per cent more water for the equivalent amount of dishes. The average sink holds 20 litres but, whilst washing a large number of dishes, you will likely have to pour dirty water away and refill the bowl several times. Many people leave the tap running to rinse off soap suds, leading to more water wastage. Built-in dishwashers, often known as integrated dishwashers, have become very popular in recent years, particularly models that can work quietly away in the background. Some dishwasher manufacturers offer low noise models with decibel levels as low as 53 dB (the normal noise level of a conversation is around 60 dB). Modern dishwashers are also extremely efficient, with some models having the capability of washing and drying ten place settings in under an hour. Not many of us could complete such a large amount of washing and drying up in an hour.