How To Properly Load Your Dishwasher
Dishes not coming out clean? That means there’s hast to be something wrong with your dishwasher right? Not necessarily.
Many people think when their dishes come out dirty, there may be a problem with their dishwasher. Sometimes, your issue could be as simple as improving your loading method.You would be surprised by how much more efficiently your dishwasher works when loaded correctly. Something as simple as rearranging your dishes can have a major impact on how clean your dishes are when they come out.
It never hurts to have a professional take a look just incase your problem is with your dishwasher. Give the team at First Aid Appliance Repair for a repair on your dishwasher. We service Foothills, and the surrounding areas.
Plates: The plates go into the bottom section of your dishwasher. They should face the centre of the dishwasher, leaning inwards and downwards. This is so that the rotating arms and the jets have access to spray water onto the face of the dishes.
Bowls, Cups, Glasses: Bowls, cups and other glasses should be placed on an angle so that they get sprayed with water from the jets below. Bowls should be stacked on an incline, so that the water and detergent can get access to the inside of the bowl, and also so that it will drain out after the bowl has been cleaned. These should be placed in neatly and evenly, so not to overcrowd the dishwasher.
Tupperware: The heating element in most dishwasher is located on the bottom of the unit. Tupperware and other plastic dishes should be placed on the top rack, farther away from the heating element to keep them from melting or losing their shape.
Cutlery: Cutlery includes knives, spoons forks, and other utensils. Most dishwashers will come with a cutlery basic, which is designed to keep them in place during the washing cycle. The cutlery should be placed in the basket with the handles facing up, especially the knives. Cutlery should be placed in the basket evenly, so that the they don’t overcrowd each other as they won’t get cleaned this way.
Trays and Cutting Boards: Large trays and cutting boards go on the bottom racks, on the outside slots, or wherever there is space. Depending on the material of your cutting board, it might be better to wash them by hand, since dishwashers tend to disfigure the shape of plastic cutting boards.
Other Helpful Tips for Efficient Dishwashing Experiences.
Spinning arms and jets: Make sure that the rotating spray arms are able to spin easily before you start a cycle. This will help you determine whether or not anything is blocking the device, so you can move things out of the way and rearrange as need to make sure water is getting to all of the dishes.
Pre-rinse sparingly: Obviously scrap leftover food scraps into the trash and make sure nothing is baked onto your dishes. But don’t remove every mark; dishwasher and detergents actually work better if they have something to well, clean. When you rinse every bit of debris off, you are essentially doing the job for your dishwasher. This can also cause glassware to come out looking murky, since the detergent doesn’t have food debris to go after.
Know when to wash by hand: Sharp knives should be washed by hand as they can dull over time in the dishwasher, and they can damage the racks. The same goes to plastics, wood and glassware; some dishes just aren’t made to withstand the harsh heat of the dishwasher.
Don’t overload: It might be tempting to crowd a week’s worth of dishes in all at once, but that’s not going to get them clean. Overcrowding will not allow water and detergent to reach every surface of the dishwasher, and thus not clean the dishes. These dishes can go on either the bottom or the top racks, as long as water has access to them. Save yourself having to rewash dishes by doing a second cycle, or save on water and energy and wash some dishes, like pots and pans, by hand.
Make sure everything is secure: the jets in your dishwasher are strong, and if your cups and bowls aren’t properly placed on the racks, they can easily get turned over and fill with water. Take a moment and make sure nothing is loose or sitting on top of other dishes.