What's the "right" way to load the dishwasher?

[cristeen]

Dh and I have this ongoing thing about the dishwasher and how it gets loaded.

As far as I'm concerned, if I can fit something into the washer in such a way that the spray can hit it and the dishes come out clean at the other end, then it's all good. This usually means I wind up with a "puzzle" as I arrange the pieces to fit as much as possible in there.

DH however seems to think that the entire surface of the dish needs to be exposed to the spray. Oftentimes this means that only 2 or 3 large bowls or pans wind up on the bottom shelf (whereas I can fit those 3 bowls with another 3 bowls plus a stack of plates and the blender). I think this is a waste of water and electricity. Usually I go behind him and rearrange the dishwasher before I run it.

When he was emptying the dishwasher today, he was bitching at me because the tupperware was still damp (I do one load a week that is almost entirely tupperware from his lunches). For some reason the plastic always takes AGES to dry. I said I had no idea why it was still wet as I had run the dry cycle and then let it air dry another 18 hours. He says it's because I pack the dishwasher too full.

So the question is, which of us is right? Are we both wrong? What's the "right" way to load the dishwasher?

[Peony]

I think you are right because that is what I do too.

[delicious]

i am with you. and my stuff doesnt always get totally dry, either...so i open it and let them airdry after. or dry them with a dishtowel.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I do it your way. Saves water, energy, and time! The plastic does always seem to be wet though, so I just dry it quickly as I unload it. I don't thiink it has anything to do with how much is in there.

[Ellp]

Thats what I do too! I figure my way's better because more dishes can be done in the same load. My Dh will load the bottom rack with a couple of bowls, and a mixing bowl and call it done!!

My FIL is worse. He'll do 3 loads of wash for a dinner of 4 people just because by the time he dismantles the food processor to run it through, all the pieces take up the top rack! Sheeeeshhh....

[ThreeBeans]

You're right :

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Dh and I have this ongoing thing about the dishwasher and how it gets loaded.

As far as I'm concerned, if I can fit something into the washer in such a way that the spray can hit it and the dishes come out clean at the other end, then it's all good. This usually means I wind up with a "puzzle" as I arrange the pieces to fit as much as possible in there.

I load the same way you do. I do 99.9% of the housework so dh better not complain; I want as many dishes clean as possible at the same time.


Because plastic, unlike metal, ceramic or glass, is not a dense material that absorbs and retains heat. Dense items remain hot, evaporating away any water collected. Plastic items cool quickly, allowing water to remain after it collects or condenses.




http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh/kitchen5.htm

[Mama Dragon]

Somewhere inbetween I pack it, but not that much.

[kamilla626]

You're right. Plastic almost always stays wet because it cools down a lot faster and the water doesn't evaporate off of it. But you go right on crammin' that baby as full as you can!

[JesseMomme]

I do it your way too

[cristeen]

It's so nice to be validated.

Of course, DH started the dishwasher running while I was doing yardwork... I went to grab the tongs out of the finished washer to make lunch and see my kitchen scissors and my microplane in there. :

Don't know how many times I've told him sharp objects do not go in the dishwasher. The heat dulls the edge. Not to mention it's destroying the handles on my scissors (this is the 2nd time I've caught him running them through there).

I know I really shouldn't complain... I'm lucky he's willing to do the occasional load (and clean the entire kitchen while he was at it. Well, his version of clean, anyway.

[Viola]

I didn't know about heat dulling the sharp edges, but I do know plastic does not dry in the dishwasher the way metal, glass and ceramics do.

[ecoteat]

I wonder about putting knives in there. I put the cheapo ones in, but my nicer ones I wash by hand. But if I'm not using the heated drying (I always air dry) is it as damaging to stuff?

And I've always wondered why the plastic stuff comes out wet--now I know!

[Marsupialmom]

I agree with you on loading the dishwasher. Don't agree with you about heat dulling blades. Use does that. Now heat can distroy wooden handles that are on some knives so those wouldn't go in.

[Sagesgirl]

The right way to do it is the way the owner's manual tells you to do it. I am certain that two or three bowls in the bottom isn't ideal, but it may well be that shoving everything humanly possible inside isn't either. When all else fails, read the directions.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Sagesgirl

When all else fails, read the directions.

What are those? :

The excessive heat of the dishwasher actually disturbs the alignment of the metal in the thin edge of the blade, so that it no longer would "line up" correctly to hold an edge, or so we were told in culinary classes. And they were referring to the heat of the water itself (which a lot of dishwashers super-heat). Technically, I wouldn't care if he put the regular knives in there because they're cheapy knives and are serrated anyway. But if I let him do that, then *all* my knives would go in there, and that would be expensive.

[Alkenny]

I'm kind of in between the two of you. I don't pack them in there too much or they don't get clean, but it's not efficient to wash just 2 or 3 bowls that way niether (might as well wash them by hand!)

[JesseMomme]

My bils and Dh always put the bowls and small plates on the top rack and for some reason they never come clean up there and "stuff" gets sprayed onto them and dries and has to be scrubbed off...I wonder why that is...I'm forever crabbing about that: "put the bowls on the bottom!"

[CaraNicole]

if i use the dishwasher i pack as much in there as i can fit! i am more of a handwasher though, i hate dish washers, wish i knew why...

[annekevdbroek]

I do it your way too. In my book dishes should not be prewashed (unless they are super dirty, which is when they should just be handwashed). The dishwasher must be completely FULL before it is run.