7 Quick Tips and Tricks for Getting the Best out of Your Dishwasher!

Dishwashers are one of America’s most popular home appliances with around two-thirds of American households owning one. By making dirty dishes less of a chore the dishwasher has won pride of place in the kitchen with most households running theirs around 5 times per week on average. 

They are a great invention and beat hand washing the dishes hands down due to their convenience and their significant water savings. 

Get great results from your dishwasher every time with tried and tested techniques.

If you are looking for ways of getting the best from your dishwasher, we share some simple tips that can make all the difference to keeping your dishwasher running well. 

Here are 7 quick and easy tips for getting the best performance out of your dishwasher every time!

As the workhorse of the house, a dishwasher can get used and abused but by adding these little tweaks, you can enjoy cleaner dishes with hassle kept to a minimum. 

1. Learn how to load your dishwasher with finesse.

Now, we are not suggesting that you pre-wash your dishes by hand for the perfect clean, but by taking care of how you arrange your dirty dishes, cutlery, pots, and pans you can definitely take advantage of the cleaning power of your dishwasher: 

• Load up from back to front, to prevent reaching over manky crockery as you go, and fragile pieces can be reinforced.
• Take advantage of the rotating sprayer arm by loading your plates and pots facing the center.
• Placing cutlery pointing down (this is sanitary and avoids smears when unloading).

2. Always unload your dishwasher from the bottom.

By unloading from the bottom, you ensure that your plates and pots escape drips and splashes from water that may have accumulated in items on the upper rack of your dishwasher!

3. Hold back on the detergent for a more brilliant clean.

With dishwasher detergent, there can be too much of a good thing.

Being overzealous with the detergent and salt can lead to a dull, misty, and even scratched finish to your crockery and glassware. Cut back and retain the shine!

4. Leave a bowl full of white vinegar in your load for extra freshness.

White vinegar’s active ingredient is acetic acid which is an excellent natural cleaner and sanitizer.

It will not only boost the cleaning of your dirty dishes but also help keep your dishwasher fresh and clean. 

5. Throw small and loose items in a mesh laundry bag to keep them together throughout your cycle.

Bits like bottle tops, baby cutlery, and spice jars can be put in the bag and laid across the top shelf of your dishwasher.

6. Save energy (and cash) by only running your dishwasher when you have a full load.

Convenience always comes at a cost and even though it only costs around 20 cents to run a load through your dishwasher, repeated use does add up, especially when you use the dry cycle. 

Give the grid a rest and do your bit by only running your dishwasher when it is full. 

7. Do right by your dishwasher and give it a clean once in a while!

There is nothing worse than that funky smell of a dirty old dishwasher. 

Years of use without cleaning or sanitizing the appliance will leave it with limescale, watermarks, and dank drainage. It is worse still if you store dirty dishes in there for days at a time. 

The results of this neglect will sooner or later show up on your dishes too.

Keep your dishwasher clean and fresh by running a bi-weekly sanitizing cycle and deep cleaning and deodorizing your dishwasher with bicarb and white vinegar. 

Did you know that lemon Kool-Aid can clean your dishwasher too?

Check out this crazy dishwasher cleaning technique and other intriguing dishwasher hacks in our article “7 must-try dishwasher hacks for every home”.