What’s worse than finding a sink full of dirty dishes? Finding them bundled into the dishwasher haphazardly, with no sense and no second-thought – and no chance of being washed.
If the dishwasher is loaded badly, you risk it not washing properly, and so waste water, electricity and time. So, you need to take care with how it’s stacked. The trouble is, the right way to load a dishwasher is widely debated, with heated arguments stemming from it.
That’s where I can help, as someone who tested dishwashers for over five years for the GHI, I’m somewhat of an expert on the topic. Here, I’ve rounded up the biggest mistakes you can make when you load the dishwasher, so you know exactly what not to do.
1. Letting plates touch
The first mistake is a big one, and it’s often why one or two items don’t come out fully clean. If plates, or for that matter any items, are touching when the cycle starts, the water can’t rinse properly. In fact, if there’s contact, food residue can get caught in-between and end up drying in place.
Plates generally suffer from this mistake the most as the tines on the basket bunch them close together. So, if there’s a varying size or thickness of plate, they’re likely to make contact. Take the time to keep each plate design grouped to avoid this. And remember the wider-gapped tines are for bowls, while the thinnest are for dinner plates and side plates.
2. Loading wooden utensils and chopping boards
Wood is definitely a no-go for the dishwasher. When exposed to water and heat for a prolonged time, wood will swell, warp and crack. So, wooden utensils, wooden chopping boards and even wooden handles should never go in the dishwasher; these should be washed by hand instead. Otherwise, you risk gradually damaging it.
What to read next
3. Overloading the upper basket
In my experience, the upper basket is usually more chaotic than the lower basket. Anything and everything seem to go here because there’s fewer tines and more of a flat space to stack. The trouble is, with skinny utensils, kitchen knives and sieves amongst other items going in here, things soon pile up and overlap one another. And then, not only will the dishwasher struggle to clean the items effectively, it will also take a toll on the cutlery in your third rack if you have one.
As with plate stacking, make sure items don’t make contact with one another with space for the water to flow in-between. Taller drinking glasses are generally better placed towards the sides, while mugs, plastic containers and shorter items should go towards the centre, where they won’t fall over.
4. Loading kitchen knives
I mentioned there being kitchen knives in the upper rack, but really these shouldn’t go in the dishwasher at all – even if the care instructions say dishwasher-safe. First, the harsh detergent and intensity of the cycle can dull the blade, and second, the knife is likely to struggle with rust due to sitting in a wet environment for so long. You also risk it doing damage to the dishwasher itself by cutting into the baskets.
Cleaning your knives carefully by hand and then drying immediately can help them to last much longer.
5. Not pre-cleaning the filter
Before you start loading, or after the dishwasher is emptied, you should be clearing and rinsing the filter to make sure there’s no food residue caught in there. Otherwise, it will contaminate the next cycle and get rinsed amongst the load – not a nice thought! To do this, once the dishwasher is empty, you need to twist and remove the round filter from the base and scrub it clean with soapy water (an old toothbrush can help) before reassembling.
Don't forget to deep-clean the dishwasher to keep limescale and mould at bay.
6. Blocking the spray arm
If you’re stacking anything tall in the lower basket, be it pans or trays, it can end up blocking the spray arm on the upper rack; the fan directly underneath the upper basket. When this happens, the dishwasher can’t distribute the water properly during the cycle and you end up with a wet mess that needs reloading and washing all over again. Always check the spray arm can rotate 360 degrees before you start the cycle, and adjust the height of the upper basket to make more room if needed.
7. Putting delicate items in the lower basket
The heating element is at the bottom of your dishwasher, which means on any given cycle, you’re getting a stronger, hotter performance in the lower basket and a slightly cooler performance at the top. That’s why items should be aimed down and towards the centre for the best result, with more delicate items placed in the upper basket, such as plastic containers and glassware. Plastic is less likely to warp and glass is less likely to shatter when subjected to a lower heat and intensity from the jets. But, it is important to remember to use the right cycle as well for the best wash.
