Tips and tricks on how to best load your dishwasher

March 05, 2025 at 08:01 AM EST

(BPT) - One question has persisted in households everywhere: Is there a right way to load a dishwasher? The answer is yes. To ensure that your dishes come out clean when your washer is done doing its job, take a look at how you do yours.

The experts at KitchenAid brand share tips to help your dishes come out clean - and you may be surprised how easy your cleanup time can be.

1. Let go of rinsing

You may have been trained to pre-rinse dishes, but if you bought your dishwasher in the past 10 years, you may be able to give up this step. Pre-rinsing can be a waste of time and resources, as most modern dishwashers have built-in sensors that measure the soil level of each load. If dishes don't have soil on them, your dishwasher may cut the cycle short, leaving dishes less than pristine. Simply scrape off excess food and debris before loading.

2. Make sure everything is dishwasher safe

You don't want to clutter your dishwasher with items that don't belong, or worse yet, risk damaging anything that should be hand washed. Watch for items like:

Wooden utensils, bowls, cutting boards: They're porous and might warp.
Cast iron and non-stick pans: Hot water and detergent can destroy their coatings.
Silver or enamel: Heat and detergent can ruin these finishes.
Fine china: Some dishwashers have cycles specifically designed for fine china, but since they can break or chip easily, you may want to wash with extra care by hand.

3. Load for maximum spray

Load items so they're angled downward, toward the center of the rack. This method helps enable the maximum amount of spray jets to reach surfaces to clean them properly. Avoid close nesting or overlapping items, as that can block spray from reaching dishes.

4. Optimize loading with a third rack

When you're in the market for a new dishwasher, the KitchenAid^® 360° Max Jets™ Third Rack Dishwasher will free up more space with its convenient third rack for items like silverware, measuring cups and spatulas. Especially for large households or if you enjoy frequent cooking and entertaining, this dishwasher is designed to make your life easier, with over 50 wash jets to provide total cleaning coverage for dishes in all three racks.

The 7.25 cubic foot MaxTub Largest Dishwasher Tub* makes room for the 360° Max Jets™ Third Rack, which fits 10 extra glasses and mugs,** freeing up space for larger items below, and the fold-down rows in the lower rack accommodate cookware of various shapes and sizes. The 360° Max Jets™ Third Rack is the only third rack with 360° wash jets to clean pint glasses, coffee mugs and cereal bowls inside and out. The largest third rack available,*** it also has a removable utensil tray for cooking tools and moisture-wicking tines for thorough drying.

5. Think rack by rack

Start at the top by loading smaller, lighter items like mugs, stemware and small plates and bowls in your second and/or third rack. Large utensils, spatulas and ladles should be laid flat on an upper rack, as putting them in the utensil holder could block the lower level spray arm. Smaller utensils can also be loaded on the upper rack - just make sure they're placed so they won't fall through open spaces in the rack. Plastic containers should be loaded on an upper rack away from the heating element to prevent warping or melting. Only wash plastic items that are marked "dishwasher safe."

The lower rack is designed for large items like dinner plates and dishwasher-safe cookware. Alternating large and small items helps spray arms reach all surfaces. Place soiled pans, bowls and casserole dishes on their sides, especially for older dishwashers that might only have a spray arm in the bottom that could be blocked by face-down dishes. Oversized items like cutting boards or pans are best laid down on their sides or placed around the perimeter so the spray arm isn't impeded.

Finally, load the utensil holder with cutlery handles down, except for knives. They should be inserted blades down to protect fingers during emptying.

Pro tip: Unload dishwasher in reverse order, starting with cutlery and the bottom rack - this avoids having any water that's pooled in dishes in upper racks from splashing on items below while you're unloading.

No more arguing about how to load the dishwasher, now that you know the best method for keeping your dishes clean. Learn more about the KitchenAid^® 360° Max Jets™ 3rd Rack Dishwasher at KitchenAid.com.

*Based on usable volume.

**Compared to KDTE204K and KDFE204K models.

***Among leading brands based on usable volume.

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Tips and tricks on how to best load your dishwasher

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