How to Load a Dishwasher

When loading your dishwasher, it's important to make sure you're doing so the correct way for the best results. Otherwise, you risk your dishes not being cleaned properly and even getting potentially damaged or broken inside the appliance due to poor positioning.

It's also important to know how to load your dishwasher correctly to make sure your appliance is performing in a cost-effective and energy-efficient way, as this will mean less energy used on extra cycles. Let's take a look!

To learn how to correctly stack a dishwasher, either watch the video or follow our guide below.

The lower basket of the dishwasher is designed for larger items such as plates, bowls, trays and pots and pans. Let's start with the correct way to stack plates. Plates should be placed in the plate racks facing inwards. This will ensure that, when the spray arms spin, the water easily reaches the inside of the plate which will need the most cleaning.

When stacking bowls, make sure they are facing inwards like the plates but also downwards too. This will prevent them from filling up with dirty water and needing to be cleaned again.

This also applies to pots and pans, which should also be placed in the dishwasher's lower basket facing inwards and downwards.

Then we have trays, which can be placed around the edges of the lower basket. Just make sure they aren't placed in the front of the basket, as this is where the detergent comes from and the tray could end up blocking the detergent from circulating properly.

The cutlery basket is also positioned in the lower basket and is where all of your cutlery such as table knives, forks and spoons should go. For optimal cleaning, you should place all of the cutlery in the basket with the handles facing downwards whilst making sure they are spread evenly throughout the basket.

If you have any sharp knives to go in the cutlery basket, however, make sure they are positioned blade down. Otherwise, you risk cutting yourself when the time comes to empty the dishwasher.

If you have any items like BBQ skewers or chopsticks, these can also go in the cutlery basket. Just make sure that they are positioned in a way that won't allow them to fall down through the bottom of the basket. If this happens, they can block the lower spray arm which will prevent the dishwasher from cleaning your items properly.

Now let's move on to the upper basket. This is where you want to place glasses, mugs, large utensils that don't fit in the cutlery basket, dishwasher-safe plastics and smaller bowls. Let's look at glasses and mugs first. Like with bowls, these should be positioned facing downward to prevent them from filling up with dirty water.

Larger utensils should then be laid down on the upper basket's shelves, positioned so that they aren't overlapping with each other too much. Again, if any of these larger utensils have a curve to them such as ladles and large spoons, they should be positioned facing down to prevent them from filling up. The same rules apply to plastics, containers and bowls.

If you have any wine glasses that need cleaning, these can also go in the upper basket. Many upper baskets have wine glass stem holders that allow you to securely place your wine glasses inside. Just make sure they aren't too close to each other so they don't clink together.

When your dishwasher is full and securely loaded in the correct manner, give the upper spray arm a little spin with your hand to make sure it's moving and not obstructed by anything in the bottom rack. If this spray arm is blocked or can't move properly, it will prevent items from being cleaned properly, so it's important to make sure this isn't the case.

Once a cycle is finished, it's important to know that there's also a correct way to unload your dishwasher too. It's always best to start unloading the bottom rack first. This will prevent any dirty water that's potentially stored on the top rack from dripping down onto the lower items.

Finally, here are a few items that you should avoid placing in the dishwasher. First of all, wooden chopping boards should not go inside your dishwasher, especially if they're glued together by a seam. This is because the seam will be damaged by the dishwasher, which can cause your wooden chopping boards to fall apart.

You should also avoid loading anything overly fragile in your dishwasher, as there's always the chance they could smash or become damaged. This includes items such as vintage crockery, crystal glassware and so on. You also want to keep items such as cast iron skillets or copper-bottom saucepans out of the dishwasher, because these could also become damaged.

And there you have it! The best way to load your dishwasher for optimal cleaning results. Your appliance should now be cleaning your dishes, cutlery, pans and so on better and more efficiently than ever!

Now that you know how to stack your dishwasher for the best results, it's also a good idea to make sure you're using your appliance as efficiently as possible. Our article on energy-saving tips for your dishwasher will guide you through using your dishwasher in the most cost-effective, energy-efficient and eco-friendly manner possible, cutting down your energy bills and helping you save money!

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