How to Load a Dishwasher

[[Category:How To]][[Category:Living How Tos]]

Guide Note: Doing dishes doesn't have to be a chore, especially if you have a dishwasher. Knowing how to load the machine properly will ensure that your dishes come out clean every time, and it takes less than half the time it would take to wash them by hand. How to Load a Dishwasher will show you step by step the proper way to load your dishes, from heavy-duty pots and pans all the way down to the silverware.

Table of Contents:

  • by Jenny Hudock
  • Our guides are currently updating this How To page. We invite you to recommend links and discuss this page (see sidebar at right) as we progress. Thank you for your patience.

Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by Bart)
(Creative Commons photo by Bart)
  • Thanks to the modern convenience of the dishwasher, getting dirty dishes clean is almost effortless. No longer cursed with the chore of scrubbing every dish until it shines, people everywhere are overjoyed with the extra time they save while the dishes practically wash themselves. It makes dish washing easier on the entire family, but a certain amount of skill and strategy is required if you want to make sure your dishes come out of the washer looking good enough to eat off of.

What You'll Need

  1. A Dishwasher
  2. Rubber spatula
  3. A Scouring Pad
  4. Dishwasher Rinse Agent
  5. Dishwasher Detergent

Step 1: Scraping off the Dishes

  • There is nothing worse than opening up your dishwasher and finding out yesterday's lasagna is no longer just stuck to the pan you cooked it in, but now it's stuck to all of your other clean dishes as well. Since most dishwashers are powerful enough to take on food particles, there is no need to rinse dishes beforehand, unless you are running a smaller, less powerful machine. You will want to make sure you get rid of any large chunks of left over food to keep from clogging your machine.
  1. Use a rubber spatula to scrape leftover chunks of food into the garbage.
  2. With a heavy-duty scouring pad, scrub away any baked on or caked on food to ensure that your baking dishes come out clean.
  3. Make sure you dispose of heavy grease so it does not redeposit on your other dishes.

Step 2: The Bottom Rack

Anyone can load a dishwasher! (Creative Commons photo by Phyllis Buchanan)
Anyone can load a dishwasher! (Creative Commons photo by Phyllis Buchanan)
  • Once the dishes have been cleared off, you're ready to begin loading. Starting with the bottom rack, there is a simple strategy you'll want to follow to ensure that the sprayer arm reaches all of the dishes. Think of it like you're working from the outside in from tallest to shortest.
  1. First place baking sheets and baking dishes around the outside edges to keep them from shielding shorter dishes from the sprayer.
  2. Next add in pots and pans. Face them straight down so they get the full brunt of the sprayer arm.
  3. Load plates and saucers so the dirty side of the dish faces inward and the full water pressure blasts away food build-up.

The Silverware Basket

  • The silverware basket is also located on the bottom rack. While it might make sense to group silverware items together for easier unloading, you actually want to mix silverware up. Because of the way forks and spoons are shaped, grouping them together might result in nestling which would block them from getting clean. All silverware should be handle down except for knives, which you will always load tip-down to avoid cutting yourself.

Step 3: The Top Rack

  • After you've filled the bottom rack, push the tray back into your washer and pull out the top rack. Glasses, bowls and plastic dishes get the cleanest on the top rack, which is also designed to keep them stable. The Top rack is also a great place for serving utensils, which tend to be much larger than regular utensils.
  1. Place glasses opening down on prongs. The prongs keep them from moving around during the wash cycle and breaking.
  2. Bowls fit nicely in the center of the rack. Stack them on an incline so the water can reach them.
  3. Plastic dishes should also face downward.
  4. Lay serving spoons face down to avoid collecting water.

TIP: Double check to make sure plastics are dishwasher safe.

Step 4: Using Rinse Agents and Detergent

  • Now that your dishwasher is full, it's time to add a rinsing agent and detergent.

Rinse Agents

  • Rinse agents are designed to help remove water spots during the rinse cycle. There are two types of rinse agents, liquid and solid. One of the most well-known is Jet Dry.
  1. If your dishwasher has a built-in dishwasher agent dispenser simply fill the dispenser with liquid. Built-in dispensers are usually located right next to the detergent cup.
  2. If you don't have a built-in dispenser, purchase the dry rinse agent tabs along with the small basket you hang on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Detergent

  • There are several different brands and types of dishwasher detergents, from powders and gels you have to measure out yourself, to tabs and pouches that have been pre-measured for convenience. Each of them has their own benefits, but in the end it is a matter of personal preference which one you choose.
  1. If using a liquid, powder or gel, fill both dishwasher cups according to the instructions on the detergent packaging.
  2. The pre-measured tabs and pouches generally instruct that you use only one. Follow instructions to find out which cup is best to place it in.

TIP: Never use regular dish soap in your dishwasher, as it will cause a sudsy flood.

  • Now that you have added rinse agent and detergent, close the detergent compartment, and then close the dishwasher door.

Step 5: Choosing the Right Cycle

  • You are now ready to run your dishwasher. The only thing left to do before you kick back and relax is to choose the wash cycle setting based on the types of dishes you're going to be washing.

SAFETY TIP: Never run the dishwasher while sleeping. You never know when you might have a leak or a motor problem.

  1. If it's a lighter load without a lot of pots or pans, use the normal or light wash cycle.
  2. Pots and pans require the heavy cycle, which runs the longest.
  3. To avoid spotting on glasses you may want to choose the heat-dry cycle.

Energy Saving Tips

Plastic is less likely to melt on the top shelf. (Creative Commons photo by Schwarzerkater)
Plastic is less likely to melt on the top shelf. (Creative Commons photo by Schwarzerkater)
  • Saving energy is a major concern for most households. Not only are more people thinking about energy costs, but they are becoming more environmentally conscious. The tips below are designed to help you save energy.
  1. If you find you need to rinse before washing, save energy by rinsing with cold water.
  2. Only run your washer when it's full.
  3. Choose to air dry, rather than heat dry.
  4. Follow loading instructions to make sure your dishes get clean the first time around.
  5. Use your machine's pre-set energy saving cycles.

Step 6: Unloading the Dishwasher

  • Your dishwasher cycle has finished running, and it's now time to unload and put the dishes away. Unloading the dishwasher is much easier than loading, as there are only a couple small tips to keep in mind.
  1. Unload the bottom rack first to keep from spilling water from the top rack down onto dry dishes.
  2. Dry wet dishes before putting them away, otherwise they may stick together if stacked.

Conclusion

  • Unless you decide to eat off of nothing but disposable paper plates and cups, you're going to have dirty dishes. Having a dishwasher makes every day living so much easier, especially when you have a family. In fact, if you do have a family, loading and unloading the dishwasher is a great chore to assign those kids looking for a little boost in their allowance. Be sure to have them follow this simple set of rules to make sure your dishes come out clean every time.

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