The number of people needed to run a dishwasher primarily depends on the frequency at which dishes are used and need to be cleaned. In a household setting, a dishwasher can be run with just one person if there are enough dirty dishes to fill it up. However, the more people there are in the household, the more likely it is that the dishwasher will fill up faster, making it more efficient to run.
Here are some general guidelines:
Single person household: The dishwasher can be run whenever there are enough dishes to fill it up. This could be daily or every other day, depending on the individual's eating habits and cooking frequency.
Small family (2-3 people): In a small family setting, the dishwasher may be run once a day or every two days, depending on the number of dishes used.
Medium to large family (4 or more people): In larger households, the dishwasher might need to be run daily or even more frequently to keep up with the volume of dirty dishes.
Keep in mind that some modern dishwashers have eco-friendly or half-load options, allowing users to run the machine with a smaller load of dishes. This can be helpful for smaller households or when there aren't enough dishes to fill a full load.
Running a dishwasher with a full load is generally more energy and water-efficient compared to running it with only a few dishes. So, it's a good idea to wait until you have a sufficient number of dirty dishes before running the dishwasher, regardless of the number of people in the household.