When it comes to loading a dishwasher, I have a very specific way of doing it. The right way.
Just kidding!
Sort of. I do rearrange my dishwasher if someone else loads it! I might have even secretly re-loaded the dishwasher at another person’s house before!
A little over a month ago, I saw a segment on one of the morning shows discussing dishwashers. They had an expert on to talk about the correct way to load a dishwasher so it caught my eye. Since I had just started this blog, I grabbed a pen and paper and took some notes.
Photo Credit: epredator
Loading your dishwasher.
- According to high efficiency dishwasher manufactures, you can scrape the food off your dishes but you don’t have to rinse them. (I’m very curious about this. I’ve definitely found food particles in the bottom of my dishwasher and in the silverware basket before. And I rinse first.)
- Using the bottom rack load dishes along the sides and back of the dishwasher.
- Load dishes so they face towards the middle of the dishwasher.
- It’s safest to load silverware so it faces down. It’s cleanest if the silverware faces up. (I guess you just have to be sure that you have a way of pulling the silverware out of the basket by touching the handle. Otherwise, it seems like hands touching it kind of defeats the purpose.)
How much dishwasher detergent should be used?
- Surprisingly, less dishwasher detergent is needed than what is directed on the instructions. (I’ve also read this elsewhere). The “expert” recommended decreasing the amount used little by little until finding the least amount that would get the dishes cleaned.
- Those with hard water will need more detergent.
- A rinse agent helps the look of your dishes and they recommended using it with every load.
Read your dishwasher manual.
The manual will outline specifics for your particular model.
Clean your dishwasher on a regular basis.
In case you need to know how to clean your dishwasher, I’ve recently written about how easy it is!
So, is my way really the right way?
I load my dishwasher slightly different than they suggested on the morning segment. So, perhaps my way isn’t the “correct” way after all. I’m not sure I can change though. Maybe I’ll try. Maybe.
How about you? Do you load the dishwasher a certain way? Do you rearrange the dishes when others load the dishwasher?
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
One of my friends must have seen the same show you did because we just had this conversation the other day!
I totally have a certain way to load the dishwasher. If someone else loads it, I definitely re-arrange it (but never at someone elses house!!! ;). My hubby (energy efficient Man that he really is) doesn’t put enough dishes in there. I can get a lot more dishes in it the way I arrange them. Heck, I am usually just happy that someone else put the dish IN the dishwasher for once that I don’t even mind re-arranging it most of the time!
The silverware thing really perplexes me. I put some up and some down and am just really careful when unloading it not to cut myself on a knife!
And, I am definitely a rinser. I cannot bear the thought of putting them in the dishwasher without being rinsed off. They get so much cleaner (no more hardened on food when they are supposed to be “clean”) and my dishwasher usually doesn’t smell everytime I open it to put another dirty dish in. I hate the smell of rotten milk (or any day-old food, for that matter), so this keeps me from having to hold my breath every time I open & shut it! ;)
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Lightbulb Moment =-.
Good point about the smell!! I am all for rinsing! Oh, and for the record, I’ve only rearranged the dishwasher at a very close family members house while helping them with the dishes :-)
Great tips, thanks. Did they say anything about using an actual rinse aid versus vinegar?
.-= Molly´s last blog ..Responsiblilty Re-schmon-sibility =-.
The show didn’t mention it. But, I recently read that vinegar works exactly the same. I haven’t posted about it yet because I want to try it out first!
Twitter: tammysrecipes
May 4, 2010 at 10:58 am
I love all your tips! :)
I scrape (if there’s anything to scrape) but don’t rinse. I figure why bother if the dishes still come clean?! (And they do… even in our old dishwasher, which still works great!) Also, not rinsing means that my boys (4 and 6) can put their dishes in the dishwasher even though they can’t reach the faucet/sink to rinse them. :)
One of these days I plan to take pictures of how my dishwasher looks when it’s completely full! Would be fun to compare with others! :)
Do you know if there’s a reason that canning jars or cups/bottles on the bottom rack don’t get cleaned inside?
.-= Tammy L´s last blog ..Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: Getting dinner ready on time =-.
Just amazing! I’d love to see it!! Maybe we could have a Kitchen Tip Tuesday or Real Clean Wednesday where all we do is compare loaded dishwashers. Ha!
I just saw your question for some reason! I don’t know for certain, but I bet canning jars don’t get clean on the bottom rack because the sprayer is concentrated in the middle. That’s why the recommend facing your plates towards the middle. Plus, items in the top rack won’t get very clean if there is something blocking the water from getting to the top rack. That’s what I’m thinking top of mind.
Twitter: tammysrecipes
May 6, 2010 at 3:47 am
Okay. :) I always wish my dishwasher had a see-through door! Wouldn’t that be cool?! :)
.-= Tammy L´s last blog ..Easy and fun: Homemade pita pockets =-.
Never thought of that! It sure would!!
Twitter: LoriCouponomic
May 4, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I love this! I would love it if you would link it to my Tueday’s Tips, Why Frugal Living linked below. Thanks!
.-= Lori @ Couponomic Stimulus Package´s last blog ..Why Frugal Living? =-.
The more kids I have – the less picky I am! : )
.-= Gwen T´s last blog ..Sisters =-.
Ha!!! Good Point!!
Thanks for the tips! I found your blog via Tackle it Tuesday, but I will be back to visit often!
.-= Lana´s last blog ..Tackle it Tuesday! =-.
Twitter: itscome2this
May 4, 2010 at 7:28 pm
The silver ware always gets me. My mil loads it with the handles down & uses that logic that it gets cleaner, but I’m thinking if that’s the case then the bottom of the plates & the bottom of the handles don’t get clean … sounds kind of funny to me!! And I’m with you, why would you then want to put your dirty hands on the clean part that goes in your mouth!
I think that every dishwasher has to be loaded differently, because the racks are not configured the same. So I load my current dishwasher the same way every time, because I’ve found (I think. So far, anyway) the most efficient way to fit everything in there – but it isn’t the same as the way I loaded the dishwasher in our last house.
We load all of the silverware facing up, except for sharp knives. I don’t think getting them dirty is an issue if your hands are clean when you put the dishes away.
.-= Rachel R.´s last blog ..Making Skirts Work (WFMW) =-.
Rinser!!! But then I rinse them before they go in my dish water too if I’m washing by hand, which I do while I’m cooking or bulky item. Can’t stand stuff floating in my dish water… oooh I think I may throw up a little… ick.
I use vinegar as my rinse agent and it works wonderfully. I clean it once a month by running it with a pkg of lemon Kool-Aid in it. Now if I could just find a recipe for dishwasher liquid that really worked.
And yes I’m guilty of re-arranging after someone else loads. I’ve been know to do the dishes at a friends house because I can’t stand to see dirty dishes piled next to the sink! And yes I do know I’m more than a little anal, but I try to keep it under control. I don’t re-arrange right in front of them. I do at least wait until they leave the room… giggle
My niece puts things in so whomper jawed that next to nothing fits in it. My younger sister loads it so full nothing gets clean. Me I load it just right… :o) Dang we sound like the homemakers version of the 3 bears.
I’m a totaLNazi when it comes to loading the dishwasher! I swear, I can always fit everything in the entire sink in and it all comes out clean… most of the time! Thanks for your website, I’m having a hayday reading everything while I rock a sick little one. This is totally my kinda site! I will be back!
Ah, well I’m so glad you’re reading but sad about your little one! Hope the sickness fades soon.
I had the same trusty dishwasher for years, 13 actually, and never any problems concerning food residues on dishes either pre or post wash. Unfortunately, my old dishwasher gave up the ghost, and we have had to replace it with a brand new model, from a different manufacturer.
I find this machine is trickier to load, and I am only satisfied with the wash result when I give dishes, pots and pans a quick rinse before loading. This was not something I ever had to do with its predecessor. I have also noticed that instead of a 90 minute wash and deep scrub for the really baked-on dishes, I have to allow over 3 hours for my new appliance to achieve the same……..Anyone else experienced similar problems?
I am a dishwasher Nazi. I often re-adjust the dishes after family member fail to do it “properly.” Lectures abound on the “right” way to load, with a reason for every placement. I treat items like a Chinese puzzle, with configurations that maximize the number of items that can be stowed for each washing — but in such as way that soiled surfaces can be power washed. All flatware handles down, except the pointy things — a concession to my wife, who cannot seem to reach into the machine without finding the tip of a steak knife with the palm of her hand. The wash cycle is not launched until the appliance is full. My approach allows for the additon of more than a dozen items when the less skilled have deemed the machine to be full. Dishes are always pre-rinsed so that the outcome is not a bunch of “clean” dirt clinging to the crystal. (The latter also minimizes blockages do to drain build up). Oh sure, my wife is threatening a divorce over it, and the kids now run out of the kitchen during clean up, but it is a small price to pay for preserving on of the few remaining customs of a civilized society.
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