The dishwasher is one of the most underrated kitchen appliances. When it comes to cleaning dishes, it’s a wonder machine that will save you time and energy while doing all the heavy lifting for you. But if there’s one thing people seem to be forgetting about loading a dishwasher, is how important it is to load your dishes in an efficient manner.

If you’re not sure about how to load a dishwasher properly, consult the owner’s manual. But if you’re just looking for some general tips that will help you to get your dishes clean every time then here are several important things to keep in mind:

  • Don’t overload your dishwasher. You want to leave enough room for the water to reach every item.
  • Load your plates on the side This will provide maximum coverage of water or detergent, which is important for getting tough stains off.
  • Put dishes that are more likely to be stained in a back corner Talking about porcelain and glassware over here! Pewter and copper go right up front since they’re less likely to stain.
  • Load your silverware in parallel to the dishwasher door It’s a lot easier for anyone loading dishes if they can easily see what needs washing and how it goes into the machine.
  • Load your glasses on the top rack so that they don’t slide around and make a huge mess!
  • Load your bowls on the side. They’ll be much less likely to crack if they are not stacked up against each other.
  • Load them high, too! Some dishwashers come with an adjustable upper rack. Don’t forget to make that adjustment if you’re trying to put in a large pot or something fairly tall in the bottom rack.
  • Don’t forget to push plates and bowls inward so that water can reach every surface of each dish.
  • Keep small plastic containers, glasses, cups and other fragile items on top shelves or at least four inches from the door’s opening.
  • Make sure food is scraped from dishes and utensils before loading the dishwasher, or it may fall onto other dishes in the process of washing.
  • Always read your machine’s manual for specific instructions about how to properly load, use, maintain and repair your appliance.

Tip On Unloading The Dishwasher

Unload the bottom rack first. Reason is because a little bit of water normally collects on the concave surfaces of cups and bowls and glasses on the top rack. When you unload the top rack first, some of that water will spill onto the lower rack. So, to save yourself a little bit of time, unload the bottom rack first.

Don’t Put These In Your Dishwasher

It’s very tempting to want to put everything in your dishwasher but the truth is – there are some items that should not go into your dishwasher and we’ll tell you what those are and why.

  • Sharp knives – although it’s alright to put butter knives in your dishwasher, avoid putting the good sharp ones in because over time, the dishwasher will dull them.
  • Wooden items – spoons and cutting boards and any other wooden items can easy warp and crack over time if they are put in the dishwasher.
  • Nonstick pots and pans – although it’s great to have nonstick pots and pans for cooking – they should be hand washed because a dishwasher can damage them.
  • Cast iron – another type of material found in pots and pans is cast iron and you should avoid putting these in the dishwasher. Dishwashing detergents will strip away the non stick surface on these types of items.
  • Aluminum and Copper pots and pans – if you don’t mind your aluminum pots and pans getting oxidized and faded over time then it’s okay to place them in the dishwasher.
  • Plastic cups, tops, bowls and straws – it seems like you would be able to put plastic items in the dishwasher but our experience has been that after time, they can melt and get warped so we recommend you hand wash these items.
  • Fine china and ceramics – these are often delicate items and the dishwasher may be too rough on them causing chips, cracks, discoloration, etc.
  • Fine silverware – the same holds true for silverware with intricate designs.

If you have any questions about your dishwasher or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.