Have you ever noticed that everyone has their own way of loading a dishwasher for cleaner dishes? While some people just put everything in willy-nilly others are more particular. Some insist that silverware should all go in facing up or down. Some people put all their plates facing left or right while others face them inwards toward the center of the dishwasher. After dinner at a friend’s place recently I offered to load the dishwasher. Halfway through she politely (ahem) mentioned that I was doing it wrong. This got me thinking. Is there a way to properly load a dishwasher? And more importantly, does the way you load the dishwasher affect how clean your dishes get?
After extensively researching dishwasher user guides from multiple brands, not to mention watching numerous YouTube videos, I came to the conclusion that the answer is yes; there is a way to properly load dishes and how you load them will affect how clean your dishes get. So to get a better clean for your dishes here are a few general rules to follow:
HOW TO PROPERLY LOAD YOUR DISHWASHER
Placement For Cleaner Dishes
Bottom Rack – plates and larger items;
Plates and larger items should go on the lower rack. The dishwasher tines will give you an indication of which way the dishes should face. In most dishwashers, the tines face towards the middle of the washer meaning the tines on the left side lean right facing the middle of the washer while the tines on the right lean left towards the middle. You want to load dishes so they lean toward the center of the washer for the best cleaning. This is because the jets and rotating devices spray water up and outward from the bottom center of the dishwasher. Place larger mixing bowls at an angle where they will get the most water flow. Pots and bakeware should go face down and larger items like platters can go on the outside of the rack so they don’t impede water flow to the other dishes.
Top Rack – Cups, Glasses, And Small Bowls
Glasses, cups, and small bowls should all go on the top rack. Stemware and cups should be placed with the open end facing down (do I need to say this?). Place them at an angle so that water will run off the bottoms and the glasses can dry properly. Small bowls should be placed where the tines are closer together and larger bowls where the tines are further apart, again at an angle so water runs off.
As for your dishwasher-safe plastics, you want to check if your washer has an exposed heating element or if it is hidden. On most dishwashers, the heating element is on the bottom of the washer. If it’s exposed place your plastics on the top rack to avoid any contact with the element which could cause your plastics to melt. If the heating element is hidden you can place them on the bottom rack as well. Some dishwashers have a china crystal or delicate setting so if yours does you can load your good wine glasses on the top rack. Most dishwashers will have a mesh-like piece that folds down to gently hold your wine glass stems to avoid them getting scratched or broken. If your dishwasher doesn’t have a delicate cycle it’s best to hand wash your good china and crystal.
Silverware
Should you place it in the cutlery basket facing up or down? Well actually it appears mixing it up is the correct way. For safety reasons, it’s always better to put knives facing downwards. For forks and spoons, you can mix them up. Forks usually go in facing up but spoons should go in both ways if you’re putting them in the same section of the basket. In this case, it’s better to alternate one up, and one down to avoid them nesting (or spooning) which would prevent them from getting clean. Separation is key! Long pieces of cutlery can be placed lying down on the upper rack.
The main thing you want to avoid is crowding and overloading a dishwasher. Avoid overlapping dishes. This is one of the most common reasons dishes don’t get clean. You want all dish surfaces accessible to the stream of water from the sprayers for proper cleaning.
This diagram shows the proper loading instructions for a Whirpool dishwasher but it will be pretty much the same for most models. To be sure of the proper placement for your make and model you should check your dishwasher instruction manual.
Things That Should Not Go In The Dishwasher
Non-stick cookware (I’ve always put mine in. Hmmm…)
Good quality chef knives
Copper
Brass
Bronze
Wooden items (including wood-handled utensils)
China with gold leaf
So there you have it! The proper way to load a dishwasher. While I knew most of these things I still learned a thing or two (like no non-stick cookware!) so I hope you’ll find this post useful too!
Now as for whether to rinse dishes before loading them in your dishwasher or not? Well, that’s a controversial topic I’ll leave for another post!
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If you’ve enjoyed this post please check out my post on home cleaning problems you can solve with vinegar.
