How to use a dishwasher?

[samclem]

Here's a follow-on question: How to best get the dishes dry in the dishwasher (after the drying cycle is done, if that is used)? Some people say to leave the door shut so that that the dishes stay warm longer and thereby dry faster. I favor opening the door while everything is still hot, reasoning that the relative humidity in the closed dishwasher is 100% and that the dry air in the house, especially when it is warmed by the warm dishes, will do a better job of carrying away water.

I typically don't use the heated drying cycle, but I do wash the dishes using the high-temp option.

[pb4uski]

I open the door and let them air dry. Six of one/half dozen of another I suspect.

[Sue J]

I run ours at night and in the morning everything is dry. I do have to watch for water on top of a few glasses (concave bottom) but I keep a towel handy just for that.

[Sesq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational But I'll admit that now that they've banned phosphates from dishwasher detergents, there will be the occasional one of my items that comes out with a bit of dried on gunk.

We buy our detergent online so we can get the commercial version and get our phosphates. Gotta love loopholes.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J DH actually washes every plate, glass and utensil before putting it in. He could just use the dishwasher as a drying rack because things are clean when he puts them in the dishwasher. I've seen him take out dirty things that I have put in and he washes them to make room for more of the clean things he's already washed. It's one of those things that I've decided to accept as "endearing" because he can't seem to do it any other way and at least he's cleaning up the kitchen.

We're in the same camp except gender roles are reversed. I'll scrape off the big chunks and put the dishes in. DW washes everything to the point that I wonder "why bother putting them in the dishwasher?"

But if that and her paper towel habit are the worst things she does I can live with it.

[Free To Canoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC And of course the follow up question--what's the best loading method?

Warning Will Rogers! Danger, marital difficulties ahead!

[Bestwifeever]

Crazy, I know, but generally we just follow the directions in the user manual that comes with the appliances. Our dishwasher has no built in disposal thingie so we would be cleaning its filters of green beans, lettuce leaves, grains of rice and anything else that is not water soluble if we did not scrape plates well. It also does not dry plastic.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Crazy, I know, but generally we just follow the directions in the user manual that comes with the appliances.

Wow. RTFM. "Read the Friendly Manual?" written by the folks who designed and produced the product? Who'd have thought of that?

Yeah, I'm one of those who actually RTFM.

[Telly]

Quote:

We clean them off pretty well. There are only two of us and the dishes will sit for a few days sometimes. I always though the dried stuff would be harder tfor the machine to remove.

That's what we do too.

Quote:

Here's a follow-on question: How to best get the dishes dry in the dishwasher (after the drying cycle is done, if that is used)? Some people say to leave the door shut so that that the dishes stay warm longer and thereby dry faster. I favor opening the door while everything is still hot, reasoning that the relative humidity in the closed dishwasher is 100% and that the dry air in the house, especially when it is warmed by the warm dishes, will do a better job of carrying away water.

Same here. Otherwise, it's just a small vent opening and not much circulation either.

We follow the manufacturer's recommended loading method. Which means I encourage guests not to put stuff in the dishwasher... otherwise I just have to pull it all out again and load it right.

[grasshopper]

dishwashee.jpg

[NoiseBoy]

Any large food residue goes either down the drain or into the garbage and then plates and glassware get rinsed off before going into the dishwasher. Pots and pans typically get filled with water and Dawn and are allowed to soak for a few hours before being put in. I do this because Monday's breakfast dishes (milk, peanut butter, OJ) could sit in the machine for 5 or 6 days before I run a load.


Regarding technique, on an episode of This Old House an appliance guy said that people should fill the "pre-wash" cup as well as the main compartment with detergent so I tried that and liked the results. I open the door to allow the dishes to air dry. I do not use the heating element because I think it might be hard on the flatware. The biggest PITA are the little puddles of water on the bottoms of the coffee cups. I finally learned to empty the bottom rack first before pulling the top rack with the cups out. That way the water from the cups has nothing to drip onto and I have fewer things to towel dry.


My friend has a much newer unit that includes a little support gadget on the top rack that she uses for her wine glasses. I covet that feature.

[GalaxyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J I hope you are not using the heat drying cycle when you put your cat in the dishwasher!

[MBAustin]

Saw this video referenced on another site a few weeks back. Turns out I've been loading my dishwasher pretty much like this for several years.

How To Load A Dishwasher Like A Brilliant Genius (VIDEO)

[pb4uski]

Much of the above I do. Some things they recommend that I didn't know - put glasses between tines on upper rack rather than over tines, alternate large & small dishes on the lower level, alternate silverware (I put mine all handle down except for sharp knives)

[Al in Ohio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon-nyc Not all dishwashers have a built in 'chopper'. Mine doesn't, a newish Bosch. I scrape and rinse like you.

Ditto that. I rinse off all food particles first and even thoroughly scrub egg yellow or anything that would leave a residue. Otherwise much of the cleaning cycly ends up re - pumping snd re- cycling yucky yet detergent laced water round and round on the contents before it drains and goes to rinse cycle. Eew gross!