No one wants to eat off of a plate with yesterday’s dinner stuck to it. That’s why we make sure we buy high-quality dishwashers and name brand dish soap or detergent to make sure they come out perfectly clean.
But all of that can be for naught if you’re not loading your dishwasher correctly.
There are plenty of wrong ways to do it that might be sabotaging your dish washing game. Check out the tips below to learn how to load your dishwasher properly.
What Goes Up Top, What Goes Down Below
Ok, this one is pretty obvious… glasses, mugs, and cups go on the top. It’s also where you should place your longer and odd-shaped utensils other than measuring spoons and small utensils. Those can go in the utensil rack. You can also place small bowls up top.
The bottom is for your plates, pots, pans and larger items. Though homeowners were traditionally told to place their dishes facing the center of your washer, most dishwashers today are built so it’s not necessary. Their water streams will get all sides of your plate.
Separate Stainless Steel and Silver
If you’re stainless steel and silver flatware touch in the dishwasher it could cause a reaction that creates indents in your silver. Make sure you separate them!
Space Your Items Out
When you load your dishes, cups, and other items in the rack make sure that they aren’t touching. The water jets can move your items around and make them knock into each other. This can lead to breakage and/or nasty water spots.
Never stack your items, especially dishes. The water won’t be able to spray in between them. You can also try placing little plates in between your big plates.
Glasses Go In Between the Tines
Place your glasses and cups between the prongs in your machine not on top or over them. This action creates watermarks.
Don’t Block the Rotating Spray Arms
Sometimes items can slip through your dishwasher rack. This can end up blocking that the rotating arms that spray water and soap onto your dishes and prevent the arms from getting your load as clean as it can be.
It’s best to place items with long handles, as well as pots and pans, and other items that can block theses arms on the sides of your rack since the arms don’t reach all the way to the sides.
Angle Cups
Angle cups and glasses as best as you can so the water will slide down them instead of pool on top of them.
Plastic on Top
Most dishwashers, especially older ones, have a heating mechanism located at the bottom of the machine. This is what heats up the air during the drying cycle. So, you’ll want to keep your plastics, such as Tupperware, on the top shelf to make sure they don’t melt or warp.
Don’t Block the Detergent Drawer
Make sure that your detergent drawer is completely unobstructed so that it can open properly and enough water can get inside while your dishwasher is running. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a gloopy gunk of detergent in the drawer when your cycle is through, as well as dishes that aren’t clean.
Don’t Overload
Overloading your dishwasher can also block the rotating spray arms and detergent drawer. It can also prevent items from getting their cleanest.
How to Position Utensils
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to think about how you will be unloading your dishwasher before you load it. With that in mind, you’ll want to load knives with their point facing downward so that they don’t stick you when you pull them out. As for forks and spoons, some people prefer to grab them by the handles so they don’t touch the area where people eat from.
You should always make sure that your utensils have spaces in between them. If you don’t have a basket that has individual holes for your silverware, try to place them curve to curve or back to back instead of in the same direction so there is space in between for the water to get to them.
Bowls on Incline
Bowls should be placed about two to three inches in between each bowl so that the soap and detergent can get in between them. You should also try to place them on an incline.
Keep Things That Don’t Belong Out
Only put dishwasher safe items into your dishwasher. Wooden utensils and plastic can warp and metals like pewter, iron, or bronze can tarnish.
Large knives should always be hand washed so they don’t get dull and you may want to think about doing the same with your delicate glassware to prevent breakage.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
featured image credit: Kim Piper Werker via Flickr
