The dishwasher trick you're probably not doing, but should
You can spend more time arguing over the right way to load a dishwasher than the time it takes for the machine to run, so we’re here to help cut through the grease and get to the bottom of the matter.
Consumer Reports deputy home editor Paul Hope says many people improperly load the dishwasher.
“People put things in the wrong parts of the dishwasher. And they put things in there that really have no business being in the dishwasher at all,” he said on TODAY April 8.
Hope answered burning questions about optimizing your dishwasher. Read on to find out if you may be among the folks who load a dishwasher wrong.
Should you pre-rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher?
Admit it — you’ve had this argument. If you believe cleaning off the dishes is the way to go, Hope is here to shake your belief system to the core.
“You definitely don’t need to pre-rinse. And, in fact, believe it or not, that can actually cause a dishwasher not to work as well, and not to clean as well,” he said.
Hope said today’s dishwashers come with soil sensors that need food bits to figure out how to clean dishes. He added that detergent sticks better to dirtier surfaces than clean ones.
There is one caveat, though.
“You should scrape off larger items, solid pieces of food,” he said, while also reiterating that small pieces of food can go in the dishwasher.
What items should go in the top and bottom racks?
Hope says the largest and dirtiest dishes should go on the lower rack because that’s where water pressure is greatest.
Stacking items is a no-no because dishes that don’t touch tend to come out of the wash cleaner.
Smaller pieces, such as glasses, mugs and soup bowls, as well as anything plastic, should go face down on the upper rack.
“Those can actually melt or discolor if they’re down on the lower rack, too close to the heating element,” Hope said.
How should silverware and wine glasses be placed in the dishwasher?
Dishwashers have little slots for spoons, forks and knives. Hope recommended spoons and forks be put in with the handles down, while knives should have handles up.
Hope also gave a thumbs up to placing fragile items, like wine glasses, in a dishwasher, but only “as long as the stemware is dishwasher safe.”
What items should not go in dishwasher?
Hope said wooden items, serrated knives, cast iron and nonstick pans should never go in a machine.
“The heat from the dry cycle can really damage the nonstick surface. Cast iron can pit, it can rust. It’s not a good idea,” he said.
Cast iron items can be washed with warm water and a little soap, if necessary, while steel and ceramic cookware should be cleaned with non-abrasive powders.
What kind of detergent should I use?
Consumer Reports tested various detergents and discovered that some of the least expensive options perform the best.
“There are store brands that actually clean as well or even better than some of the leading brands and manufacturers,” Hope said.
Gain Ultra, for instance, earned the same rating as Dawn Ultra, but costs 30% less, while Walmart’s Great Value dishwasher gel is on par with the more expensive Cascade Complete Oxi Dawn and Target’s Up and Up Ultimate pods is equal to Cascade Platinum ActionPacs with Dawn.
Plus, an unexpected dishwasher tip
Hope also had a tip for optimizing your dishwasher: The machine will achieve its peak potential if you run your sink’s hot water right before you run the dishwasher, he said.
“That means that all the water that’s feeding into the dishwasher will actually be hot at the start of the cycle,” Hope said. “It’ll help it clean that much more effectively. And it’ll help it dry better at the end, too.”
It’s also important to clean the dishwasher’s filter, which is situated at the bottom of the machine, every six months.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
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