The Best Way to Load Your Dishwasher - CHOW Tip

A dishwasher is supposed to make your life easier, but unfortunately, most people don't know the best way to load one. Deborah Lewis of CHOW.com explains how to arrange your dishes and silverware so that everything gets clean while preventing any chipping, warping, or cracking.

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[Jorgia]

I was really hoping for some magical tip on how to get every single dish I own in the dishwasher at once.

[Osakhomen]

Thanks! My family had a dishwasher growing up, but it was never used to clean dishes, just as an extra drying rack/storage of plates. Now that I live alone and am super busy in medical school, washing dishes just take much extra time for me... I'd rather spend my free time relaxing, so this is very useful tutorial!

[Babsonthego]

OH.. Well.. as I have NEVER had a dishwasher have always wanted to find out how to load one.. I finally found a You Tube video that showed me exactly how.. Thank I never knew you should put the small plates with the dinner plates.. and I can now think of putting some of my taller handled utensils on the top rack...Yay... Love this ... Thank You...

[weeknightingale]

Thanks never thought about staggering my dishes or turning the hot water on before. Great! Thanks!

[Justme]

I can't believe I had to look up this video. I have very deep bowls that I'm never sure how to load them right without them taking up too much space in my dishwasher.

[johnwong]

This is just my experience...you say no pre-rinse is necessary yet I'm constantly stuck with the "post-wash chiseling" of all the food cement that somehow survived the wash. Peanut butter on knives are notorious. Anybody can stash away plates. Do you have any tips on optimizing space for bowls? Thanks!

[SuperTugz]

I like to wash my dishes in Dorito consomme for that southwestern kick

[LemLTay]

A few thoughts:

* Absolutely no need to pre-rinse items - just scrape large leftovers away then stack.  Reputable manufacturers and authorities test dishwashers with dried on egg-yolk, spinach paste and farex (cereal-based paste) as part of cycle testing, so *should* be able to deal with normal leftovers provided sufficient detergent is used and the correct cycle is selected.

* Do not recommend you stand the cutting board right in the front as that may interfere with the detergent dispenser as shown in this model.  The height of the pull-out handle on the front of the lower basket on some models indicates the maximum height of the items that should go there.  Try placing the cutting board along the length (or width) of the basket between the two rows of dinner plates or bowls, if necessary placing the board on a slight slant.

* No need to run the hot water separately first if your dishwasher is European or a single hose connection dishwasher.  Most modern dishwashers heat up the water used, and cold rinses are used for pre-rinsing and intermediate rinsing.  If you wish to connect to solar-heated / wood-fire heated water etc, look for a "without heater" cycle which will draw more water into pre-rinse cycles ("wastes" water) but saves on electricity ("saves" heating).

* Don't like reading lots of words in the dishwasher manual?  Here's a tip: flip to the loading diagram and look at the two or three pictures that the manufacturer used in their testing cycles.  Often the pictures will show you what the ideal layout in the machine is.

[holysinnerxxx]

Damn I cant wait to try this out. The GF insists on washing dishes by hand, but screw that...I'm using that dishwasher lol.

[carboncocoa]

I was half expecting this to be like a How to Basics video. :P
Good tips ;)

[ginduf]

my husband needs to see this, he does everything she says not to. i'll take note to make him watch it. lol

[Cadychan]

Before anyone scoffs and rolls their eyes, I've met people who can't even boil water, much less properly load a dishwasher. Chow's just being nice. :)

[bc]

I think most dishwasher detergents need some dirty food on the dishes for the enzymes to activate. If there is little to no food on the dishes prior to being put in the dishwasher, the detergent cannot activate. It will largely remain in its crystal format, attacking your dishes, usually in the form of etching and fogging your glassware.

[severuspls]

Actually the best way to load utensils is to load them handle up, this is so that you don't touch the part that goes into peoples mouths with your hands when you unload them.

[cut--]

I can't figure out how to load stemless wine glasses. I just switched to them and they are bottom heavy, which i like but they are like those "weebles" from the 70's.. they end up flipping rightside up and filling up with the yucky rinse water.

[shade]

All plates facing center isn't all facing the right or left side.

[KGB]

I NEED common sense videos like this to show to my girlfriend. She is always on me to overcrowd the dishwasher to save money. If I have to wash a plate after the dishwasher is done, it doesn't save much water, now does it?

[FrancisJohnYT]

If you are putting your smaller sharp knives in the tray load them handle down, while it is sharper to unload them if you load them blade down you end up damaging the bottom of the cutlery tray. This results in holes happening and your cutlery starts falling through and getting in the way of the spinning washer below and potential damaging the machine. You could wash your sharp knives by hand but who wants to do that.

[RoseBalloonss]

Thanks I didnt know how to sack dishes

[ESQuireTech]

You say to point all your flat dishes (plates and saucers) towards the center (where the water shoots from) yet you did not. You faced them all to the right... all across the lower rack. The plates on the right will have very clean BACKS, not fronts.