Expert consulted: 
Plenty of folks swear by popping the dishwasher open the second it beeps. Others leave everything inside until the next morning. But is there a right way to do things?
"There's no need to open the dishwasher immediately after it finishes," says Noah Pinsonnault, a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care & Cleaning Lab. Here’s why, and how long you can leave things inside.
The end of the dishwashing cycle
Not every dishwasher dries the same way. "Dishwashers use different drying methods, and some rely on retained heat to evaporate moisture from dishes," Pinsonnault explains. "Opening the door before the drying cycle is complete can interfere with this process."
Fortunately, the dishwasher won’t signal the cycle is complete until after drying finishes, so you can open the door once it beeps.
When opening the door actually helps
Once the full cycle is done, cracking the door can help release lingering moisture and improve drying—especially for plastic items, which don’t retain heat as well as glass or ceramic, Pinsonnault says. If your food storage containers always come out dotted with water, this is an easy fix.
Some dishwashers even open their doors automatically at the end of a cycle to improve drying.
Watch out for steam and hot dishes
If you open the dishwasher shortly after it finishes, Pinsonnault cautions you to watch for escaping steam, which could cause burns, and handle dishes carefully, since they'll still be hot. Give them a few minutes before you start unloading.
Is it okay to leave clean dishes in overnight?
Absolutely. "It's perfectly fine to leave clean dishes in the closed dishwasher for several hours or overnight," Pinsonnault says. So if the cycle ends and you don’t have time to unload, you don't need to set an alarm. Your dishes will be waiting for you in the morning.
Noah Cortez is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor writing about
travel, culture, food, and lifestyle. Prior to this, he was a social media
editor at GQ Magazine, Complex, and Conde Nast Traveler, and his writing
has been featured in Tripadvisor, Hotels Above Par, Conde Nast Traveler,
and more. Find out more at noahcortez.com.
Noah works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He draws on scientific expertise garnered during his time as an environmental researcher, where he managed environmental monitoring equipment, analyzed water samples in a lab and developed protocols for restoration projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
