How to PROPERLY Load a Dishwasher

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When it comes to relationship troubles, it always comes back to the …

DISHWASHER!

But, really, who can agree on how best to load it?

Well, pro organizer Peter Walsh to the rescue — and just in time for Thanksgiving!

Aside from advising that you give your dishwasher a clean before the big day (he explains exactly how in the video above!), his main rule of thumb is to imagine the inside of your dishwasher as a sprinkler on your front lawn. And that’ll help you decide where to place everything!

RELATED: My Dishwasher Does THAT?!

But to truly settle the quarrels once and for all, Peter breaks it all down for us:

GLASSES

Place glasses on the top rack, and DON’T sit them on the tines!

Instead, sit them beside the tines (i.e. all those pointy prongs), so they won’t leave stains or marks on the glasses.

Rachael Ray Show


PLATES

Place plates on the bottom rack, outward facing in, so the water hits them in the right spots!

 

RELATED: This is the BEST Way to Clean a Mirror

 

Rachael Ray Show


BOWLS

Peter puts small bowls on the top rack and large bowls on the bottom rack.

And all bowls should face the back of the dishwasher, not the bottom!

Essentially, they should be sloped, like so:

Rachael Ray Show
Rachael Ray Show


UTENSILS

We all know where the utensil compartment is, right? So no room for argument?

Not necessarily! There's a right way to load these, too!

For starters, knives should always be placed blade down for safety.

As for other utensils, place some facing up and others facing down. This allows the water to move between them most easily, Peter says.

LARGE SERVING SPOONS

Place large serving spoons on the top rack and face down, so water doesn’t collect in them. Easy enough!

(PRO TIP: Never, ever put wooden spoons in the dishwasher, Rach says!)

LARGE SERVING DISHES

Stand these along the sides of the bottom rack, so they don’t block the water flow.

Rachael Ray Show

BONUS TIP: Why You Might Want To Run Your Tap Until It's Hot Before Starting The Dishwasher

"Many dishwashers will pull water from the sink and you want that water to be hot," The Little Book of Life Skills author Erin Zammett Ruddy explains. "So you need to run your tap until it gets really hot, and then start your dishwasher. Otherwise, it's going to start the water cycle with cold water — and you don't want that."

Life Hack: Why You Might Want To Run Your Tap Until It's Hot Before Starting The Dishwasher

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