How To Use The Dishwasher Correctly
The dishwasher has been for long the prime choice in the kitchen, slowly replacing manual dish washing at a time when everybody seeks to make the best of the spare time in the evening or on weekends. But do we know how to use technology correctly and efficiently so we unload perfectly clean dishes? Or we are confine to cramming some dishes and leave that to the dishwasher alone. Well, it looks like there are some advice we have to heed here, too, and it comes via Reader’s Digest. So here is how to use the dishwasher correctly.
The first tip comes from experts in the field. Mike Nerdig, marketing manager for dishwasher at GE Appliances says dishes should always go on the bottom rack because it’s specifically designed to hold them. The tines are designed to hold plates in a way that maximizes the number that will fit and to make sure hot water passes through to ensure proper cleaning.
Switch from classic liquid and powder to pods. Though traditional liquid and powder detergent get the job done, pods (little pre-measured gel packs) and tablets can perform better, after companies invested heavily in them. A test of various dishwashing detergents found that tabs and pods cleaned dishes best, without leaving behind water spots, film, or discoloration.
Make sure you place the dishes correctly. For instance, plate or bowl direction is important to ensure proper cleaning. Bowls go on the top rack and the ones in the rear should face forward, while the ones in front should face toward the back. Plates will get cleanest if they all face the center of the bottom rack.
If the bottom rack is for plates, then the upper rack is designed specifically to clean glasses and cups. Place glass and dishwasher-safe plastic cups face down, so water can reach inside. Place larger glass, such as pints, on the side and small or regular-sized on the other side.
Do not place forks, spoons, and knives in their own compartments, but mix them together which will help them get cleaner. Spoons especially, due to their shape, if mixed together, makes it harder for water jets to reach their surface. So alternate handle up and handle down to clean them better.
Finally, for those into the habit of rinsing the dishes before loading them: do not do that anymore. If you’re running a load right after a messy meal, just scrape off large food particles and do not pre-rinse. Your dishwasher detergent’s job is to cling to food and help wash it away. But if it may be days before your dishwasher is full enough to run, lightly rinse the plates first to prevent the dishwasher from getting smelly.
