Last week, we asked our friends and followers in social networking if they’ve ever discussed or argued with someone concerning the proper way to load dishes and cutlery into a dishwasher. About 99% of respondents say they have; the majority say they’re annoyed by their spouses and in-laws’ improper method of using their dishwasher.
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“My husband is pretty much banned from loading the dishwasher on his own because he always, without fail, will either load it so that the spinning part cannot spin, or he puts a lot of cups in so they just collect the water instead of getting clean, or both,” wrote one frustrated dishwasher owner. “Then, I must redo the whole thing and re-run it.”
There really is a right way to load a dishwasher. The next time your spouse or in-laws instruct concerning the proper way to load a dishwasher, you can politely set them straight using the facts – courtesy of our appliance experts:
“Do I need to pre-rinse my dishes before putting them into my dishwasher?”
Answer: Nope! You must scrape excess food to your garbage disposal/disposer but skip the pre-rinsing and save water. Dishwashers are designed for food particle removal. No rinsing is needed unless your dishes and cookware have been left sitting out for several hours. In that case, you may need to soak them in soapy water to loosen particles before loading in to the dishwasher.
What goes in, what doesn’t
Locate a dishwasher-safe imprint before you place items to your dishwasher. Pay particular focus on plastic food storage containers, that have been known to melt if they are too near to the heating element in the bottom of the dishwasher. If you’re not sure, wash them by hand. If your piece of plastic melts towards the heating element it can be tough to clean it off.
Don’t overload. Cramming two loads into one load will restrict the water spray patterns, which will prevent proper cleaning and require you to have to rewash, wasting water. Dishes and cookware must have exposed surfaces facing wartrol arms.
Knives and other cutlery with wooden handles are best washed by hand because over time, detergent can cause wood being brittle and crack.
What goes where
The biggest myth associated with dishwasher loading? How stuff gets loaded into the cutlery basket!
Manufacturers advise that cutlery be loaded with the “business” end facing up, a.k.a. the finish that touches food. The reason? Better water circulation. Facing the business-end down within the basket restricts water flow. However, sharp knives and utensils must always face down to help prevent injury when unloading the dishwasher. Care ought to be taken, of course, when removing these utensils from the basket.
Dishes and cookware should have exposed surfaces facing wartrol arms. Knives and other cutlery with wooden handles are best washed by hand because over time, detergent can cause wood being brittle and crack.
Lower rack
- Plates, leaning toward the middle near the spray arm. Ensure the surface is exposed!
- Pots inverted.
- Cutting boards should be placed on the outer-most part of the rack.
Upper rack
- Plastic, glassware, mugs and cups. Make sure to leave space between them to ensure that there's no fear of breakage.
- Long utensils and knives may block wartrol arm in the lower rack so it's best to rest them flat in the upper rack
RepairClinic has dishwasher accessories and parts including and recommended replacement parts. Have your model no . handy and head here.
Keep it fresh
- Tip your dishwasher’s door down and spray cleaner or degreaser spray along the edge and lip area.
- Let this take a moment and then run a hot, wet rag regarding this to remove the mold.
- Clean the spray arm: Food particles can collect within the spray arm’s water holes. Make use of a pipe cleaner or paper clip to loosen particles or other debris from the holes.
- Clean or switch the filter: If your dishwasher has a filter in the center of the tub, take it off and brush away food. A filter with tears ought to be replaced.
- A drop-in dishwasher cleaner such as this one can also deodorize.
Stop rusting
Use touch-up paint to avoid damaging rusting when the rack tines’ plastic coating goes away. Tine tips like this can prevent further rusting.
