Spin doctors dish out 10 tips

Have you ever loaded the dishwasher – only to find your partner redoing it “properly” later? What loading it “properly” actually means can be a bone of contention in many households, but getting the job done right will help ensure dishes really do come out clean, as well as saving time and energy. Here are 10 dishwasher rules, including some top tips from Finish Dishwasher Tablets, along with a few of our own...

Check your stuff is dishwater-proof

Be sure all items are “dishwasher safe” before you load them. Most items can go in the dishwasher, but some non-stick surfaces could become less effective after a spin, and it’s not a good idea to put lead crystal glasses in either – they should be washed by hand.

No need to pre-wash

Just scrape any leftover food off dishes. Anything thick and caked on should be removed, but smaller particles like grains of rice may come off in the dishwasher.

However, wiping off with a cloth will lead to much better results. Let experience be your guide, and if dishes aren’t coming out clean, try pre-rinsing in hot water to loosen food.

Stack from the back

You don’t want to have to keep rearranging dishes every time you want to slot another one in.

Size matters

Finish’s experts recommend putting larger plates at the back and loading in size order. Put pots and pans open-side down in the bottom section.

Take care with glasses

Make sure glasses aren’t touching each other, because the water pressure could make them bang against each other and break.

Smaller glasses should go on the top rack and taller glasses on the bottom. If you have a plastic, mesh-like piece on the top rack, use it to grip wine-glass stems to stop them getting scratched or cracked.

Put plastic on top

The heating element in most dishwashers is on the bottom, and if plastic items are placed near it they could melt. Also, make sure they’re secure so they don’t flip and fill with water.

Lean the dishes

If you stack things slightly on their side, it not only ensures the detergent reaches everything, but also helps the water drain away effectively. So lean dishes inwards and downwards if you can.

Don’t overcrowd

While you should always make sure the dishwasher’s full, so you’re getting value for money (and being energy-efficient) with each wash, it’s never good to overcrowd it. Items won’t be properly cleaned if the water can’t reach them.

Don’t stack things on top of each other

Stack bowls neatly at an angle, so the detergent can get inside them and so they’ll drain. But don’t let them take up too much room.

Safety first

Either wash sharp knives by hand, or put them face down in the cutlery rack to avoid accidents. Put all other cutlery handle-down.