How to Load Dishes in a Dishwasher

Loading your dishwasher may seem like a no-brainer, but when done wrong, dishes aren't clean and sanitary. When done right, you never have to use your fingernails to get dried pieces of food off. Taking your time to load the dishwasher properly will save you time in the long run, because all of your dishes will be clean when you expect them to be.

Instructions

1. Expecting a dishwasher to clean a soiled dish is pointless. It's hard to scrub off dried food by hand, so why expect a dishwasher to do it? Immediately rinse all dishes, even if you are planning to load the dishwasher at a later time. Foods such as egg, cheese or peanut butter will require soaking.

2. Load the dirtiest dishes closest to the center of the dishwasher, where the water pressure is greatest. This is true for both the top and bottom racks. Typically, the top rack is for glasses. You may find this to be a good place to set large knives, garlic press or plasticware/lids. Place large and small plates in the center, in the lower rack. With carefull planning you can use one "row" for plates and one for bowls to save space.

3. Load small items before loading large items. You may find that larger items, which are generally easy to handwash, might not fit. Don't expect frying pans to come completely clean from using the dishwasher alone. Hand-scrubbing is usually in order for pans with Teflon, especially if it has been used a few times.

4. Load silverware with the handle down, except for sharp knives which should be loaded handle up.

Tips & Warnings

• Although many companies offer plastic packs of detergent and a rinse agent, you will find that the "old school" way of using a separate dishwasher detergent only, plus filling the rinse agent receptacle with a rinse agent like Jet Dry, works better.

• Using the hot water wash and heated dry will increase your electric bill. If you rinse your dishes beforehand and open the dishwasher door when it is done with the wash/rinse cycle (and use a rinse agent), you do not need the heated dry cycle.

• Loading plasticware in the lower rack is almost a guarantee that the heat from the dishwasher will warp them. Always put plasticware/lids on the upper rack.

• Be sure to load the dishes so that they cannot fill up with water; bowls and plasticware tend to flip under high pressure.

• Only run your dishwasher when it is fully loaded to save energy.