Everyone In The Dishwasher!

You may think you know how to properly load a dishwasher, but do you really? There are certain things that belong in the dishwasher and certain things that don’t. It is also very important to place the items that are dishwasher safe into the washer correctly.

First, the don’ts. Chef’s knives, steak knives or any other type of knife (except a dull blade, all metal butter knife) should not be placed in the dishwasher. Anything with a wooden handle like wooden spoons, offset spatulas and pastry brushes or wooden cutting boards should be washed by hand. Fine china and crystal would take a beating in the dishwasher so hand wash them and line the bottom of the sink with a dishcloth or mat to prevent breakage. Sterling silver and silver plated cutlery will not fair well either. One last category, pots and pans…check the label on the box or owner’s manual to see if it is dishwasher safe. Some are (all metal) and some aren’t (Teflon coated). The metal or glass lids usually clean up great in the dishwasher.

Once you know what to actually put in the dishwasher, make sure you load the appliance properly. The top rack should be used for glassware and plastic containers. The heat on the top rack is not as intense and will not melt your Tupperware lids. When racking glassware, make sure each piece is secure and not touching neighboring items or they may clank together during the wash and break. Make sure to rinse your plates and stack them sideways, with similar sizes together to maximize space. Use the silverware rack for your forks and spoons but put the handle up on some pieces and the handle down on others so they do not “spoon” each other and they will come out sparking clean. Finally, either use the heat dry option on most systems or hand dry them promptly with a towel at the end of the cycle to prevent water spots.