Q&A: What's the best way to load a dishwasher?

My kids load the dishwasher in a haphazard way and the dishes sometimes come out dirty. Is there a proper way to load a dishwasher?

Careful placement—combined with using an enzyme detergent and a rinse aid—can make the difference between your getting glistening dishes and grungy ones. Note that you can skip prerinsing your dishes. This step wastes time and energy and uses as much as 6,500 gallons of water per year. You can save even more water by running only full loads.

Follow our expert advice to help your dishwasher perform its best and keep your items from getting damaged:

1. Load large items at the sides and back of the dishwasher, so that they don't block water and detergent from reaching other dishes.

2. Place the dirtier side of dishes toward the center of the machine to provide more exposure to the spray. Don’t let dishes or utensils nest, or rest side by side, which can prevent water from reaching all surfaces.

3. Use the top rack for plastic and delicate items that are dishwasher safe.

4. Rest glassware on prongs to prevent breakage. And to prevent chipping, make sure that china, crystal, and stemware don’t touch other items. Don’t machine-wash brass, bronze, cast iron, disposable plastics, gold-colored flatware, gold-leaf china, hollow-handle knives, pewter, tin, or anything made of wood or with a wood handle.

5. Load silverware with handles down but place knives with the handles up. If your dishwasher has an open basket, mix spoons, forks, and knives to prevent them from sticking together.

6. Place items with baked-on food facedown and toward the sprayer in the bottom rack.

Essential information: Read our latest dishwasher report and visit our dishwasher page for expert advice on how to choose the right model and to check out our Ratings (available to subscribers). Continue reading this blog to find out which models we've tested.

What’s in our Ratings
The listings here include the dishwasher models we tested for our March 2008 report. Note that the models are in alphabetical order, not Ratings order. (Models in italics in parentheses after a tested dishwasher are similar to the model we rated.)

Asko Encore D3531XLHD[SS] • Bosch SHE33M0[2]UC (SHX33M0[ ]UC) • Bosch SHE45C0[2]UC • Bosch SHE58C0[2]UC • Bosch SHX98M0[9]UC (SHE98M0[ ]UC) • Dacor Epicure ED24[S] • Fisher & Paykel DD605[W] • Frigidaire Gallery GLD2250RD[S] • Frigidaire Gallery GLD4355RF[S] • Frigidaire GLD2445RF[S] • Frigidaire Professional PLD2855RF[C] • Frigidaire Professional PLD4555RF[C] • GE GLD4600N[WW] • GE GLD5900N[WW] • GE GLD6700N[WW] • GE Monogram ZBD0710N[SS] • GE Profile PDW7800N[WW] • GE Profile PDW8600N[WW] • GE Profile PDW9900N[WW] • Haier ESD310 • Hotpoint HLD4000N[WW] • Jenn-Air JDB1105AW[W] • Kenmore (Sears) 1359[2] • Kenmore (Sears) 1373[2] (1383[ ]) • Kenmore (Sears) 1374[2] (1384[ ]) • Kenmore (Sears) Elite 1334[2] • Kenmore (Sears) Elite 1378[2] (Elite 1379[ ]) • Kenmore (Sears) Elite UltraWash HE 1312[2] (Elite UltraWash HE 1342[ ]) • Kenmore (Sears) Elite UltraWash HE 1315[2] • Kenmore (Sears) Pro 1387[3] • KitchenAid KUDK03CT[WH] (KUDK03FT[ ], KUDK03IT[ ]) • KitchenAid KUDS03CT[WH] (KUDS03FT[ ], KUDS03ST[ ]) • KitchenAid KUDT03ST[WH] (KUDT03FT[ ]) • KitchenAid KUDU03ST[SS] (KUDU03FT[SS]) • LG LDF7810[WW] (LDF7811[ ]) • LG LDF9810[ST ] • Maytag MDB5601AW[W] • Maytag MDB6601AW[W] • Maytag MDB8751BW[W] • Maytag MDB8951BW[W] • Miele Inspira G2120SC[W] • Thermador HD Series DWHD64EM[SS] • Whirlpool DU1055XTS[Q] • Whirlpool DU1100XTP[Q] (DU1145XTP[ ], DU1148XTP[ ]) • Whirlpool Gold GU2455XTS[Q] • Whirlpool Gold GU2700XTS[Q] • Whirlpool Gold GU3600XTS[Q]

Comments

[Bosch Man]

When I was a kid, and it was my turn to do the dishes and load the dishwasher, I used to ram the dishes in there any way possible. Now, that I'm older and wiser, or just older, I have learned there is a "proper" way to load the dishwasher. Who knew?