With the rising cost of living affecting Britons across the UK, it is important to get the most out of your household appliances, including the dishwasher. According to Whirlpool®, a “properly” loaded dishwasher can help ensure “better cleaning” with each cycle. The appliance experts said there are “key” guidelines to follow if you want “sparkling” clean dishes.
1. Face dishes towards the centre
According to the pros, Britons should place dishes with their dirty side facing the centre of the dishwasher to help produce sparkling results.
This is because dishwashers use washer jets, which are located on the rotating spray arm in the appliance, spraying upward to wash and rinse dishes.
2. Angle dishes downwards
Placing dirty plates and bowls at an angle can help with effective cleaning of them as well as assisting with proper draining and drying.
According to Whirlpool®, larger items such as mixing bowls and pans, should be placed at the bottom of the rack, angled to face the centre of the appliances.
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Instead, use your dishwasher tines to separate items for an “optimal” cleaning cycle, ensuring they will come out nice and clean as well as dry.
4. Place items between the tines, not over them
Whirpool® experts said dishwasher tines are the protrusions on the upper and lower racks which hold and separate your dirty dishes. While these may vary between dishwashers, they tend to look similar.
To properly load your dishwasher, secure items between the tines on the rack to prevent them from knocking into one another or falling over during the cycle.
One common mistake is placing bowls facing upwards on the top rack, which will become full of water, meaning it’ll need to be washed again.
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5. Don’t pre-rinse dishes
It can be tempting to pre-rinse dirty dishes in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher, with many thinking the dishwasher won’t have to work as hard.
However, Britons can save themselves time and energy by refraining from this and dishwasher detergents are designed to interact with food particles left on plates.
Rinsing them beforehand can actually inhibit the cleaning cycle and is best avoided. Some dishwashers may even have a soil sensor, meaning you can choose how dirty your dishes are.
6. Don’t block the sprayer arms
According to Bosch, the dishwasher sprayer arms are responsible for distributing the water around the appliance which helps to clean the dishes.
However, if they are blocked, it may affect the washing performance and your dishes may not be washed completely. They also sometimes need to be cleaned as food debris can become lodged inside them.
7. Only wash dishwasher-safe items
Making sure you are aware of the items which can be cleaned inside the appliance and which cannot be washed is crucial, as it can avoid disappointment when your item comes out ruined.
Whirlpool® recommended hand washing items such as kitchen knives, fine china, wooden or silver dishwasher, cast iron pans as well as non-stick cookware.
Washing these items in the dishwasher may ruin the finish or cause damage, so it is best avoided.