The Proper Way To Load a Dishwasher: What You Need To Know

While loading a dishwasher might seem like a simple task that doesn’t require much thought, there’s a proper way to do it. Correctly loading a dishwasher ensures that your dishes come out sparkling clean and extends the lifespan of your machine. So what’s the proper way to load a dishwasher? Here’s what you need to know.

Preparing Your Dishes

Before you even begin loading your dishwasher, you need to prepare your dishes. Rinse off any large pieces of food or debris that could potentially clog your dishwasher’s drain.

However, you don’t need to pre-wash your dishes. Modern dishwashers have sensors that detect how dirty your dishes are and adjust the wash cycle accordingly. Remember, rinse, don’t wash! Let the dishwasher do its job, and don’t waste water when you don’t have to.

Loading the Bottom Rack

The bottom rack of your dishwasher is primarily for plates, pots, pans, and bowls. You should orient plates toward the center of the rack, where the spray is strongest.

Place pots, pans, and bowls upside down so that the water can effectively clean them. Be sure to space your items out to allow the water and detergent to circulate properly. A relatively common reason your dishwasher may not dry the dishes properly is you’re not loading the bottom rack correctly.

Loading the Top Rack

The top rack is for more fragile items, such as glasses, mugs, and plastic food storage containers. Place these items upside down to prevent water from pooling in them. Also, make sure to place long utensils horizontally across the top rack to prevent them from falling through and blocking the spray arm.

Cutlery Basket

Most dishwashers come with a cutlery basket. When loading your cutlery, mix knives, forks, and spoons to prevent nesting. As a safety precaution, always place sharp knives with the blade facing down.

And while this may seem obvious, ensure you properly fasten the cutlery basket. Some newer models have movable and removable basket features that make unloading a breeze. Ensure you replace the basket properly.

Dishwasher-Safe Items

Not everything is dishwasher-safe. You should handwash items such as wooden utensils, cast iron pans, and non-stick cookware. Also, delicate items like crystals and certain plastics can crack or melt in the dishwasher, so wash these by hand. Loading these items into the dishwasher can damage the items and potentially cause interior damage to your dishwasher.

Conclusion

We don’t talk about the proper way to load a dishwasher enough, so following these simple guidelines is beneficial. You can ensure your appliance has a long lifespan and secure the items you load and unload. Remember, the key to a clean load of dishes lies in how you load your dishwasher.