It’s a household chore many people dread – and now it turns out you may have been loading your dishwasher wrong this whole time.
Experts from AO have finally settled the debate on how you should pack your dishes and crockery.
It’s a common misconception that your machine should be jam-packed in order for it to work effectively, they warned.
‘Dishwashers need space in between dishes and crockery in order to circulate water, so you’re not saving any money by squeezing everything into your machine,’ Gwil Snook, the retailer’s dishwasher expert, said.
‘In fact, you’re probably more likely to have to run cycles again or wash dishes by hand if you do this, as they’ll come out dirty.’
He suggests making a small gap between the items you stack in the dishwasher, as big as a 5p coin or your pinky finger.
‘That way, water can actually circulate in-between the items, giving the best result,’ he said.
He also revealed the ‘outdated habit’ that actually wastes water and time.
Experts from AO say you should make a small gap between your items – around the size of a 5p coin – to get the best result
New findings show that a quarter of Brits think pre-rinsing your dirty dishes before loading them in the machine leads to better results.
‘It actually works against you,’ Mr Snook said.
‘Modern dishwashers and detergents are actually designed to interact with food residue and dirty dishes.
‘They work by relying on enzymes that break down grease and particles during the cycle. So, if you rinse everything off beforehand, those enzymes have nothing to latch onto, which can reduce cleaning performance.
‘It’s counter-intuitive when you think about it really. Pre-rinsing wastes water and time, but it’s an outdated habit that many people still use.’
According to the data commissioned by AO there’s a divide in households, with women much more likely to pre-rinse dishes than men.
Londoners are also the biggest offenders, with a third of households in the capital making this pre-rinse mistake.
Mr Snook also said the top of the dishwasher should be reserved for mugs, while glasses, bowls and heavier items like pots should be put in the bottom.
Other tips include giving the spray arms room and making sure you use the right program for the kind of clean you actually need.
‘Our findings highlight how entrenched, and often unnecessary, dishwasher habits remain in UK households,’ Mr Snook said.
‘But with a few small tweaks, Brits can make sure they’re getting the most out of their dishwashers, saving them time, money and perhaps even household tension along the way.’
Earlier this year, experts at Which? tackled the question of whether knives and forks should go in the dishwasher facing up or down.
‘Countless household debates have been sparked off by the seemingly–simple act of loading the dishwasher,’ Which? explained. ‘One recurring questions is – should you stack cutlery items up or down?’
Advocates of the ‘up’ method argue it’s the only way to truly get your cutlery both clean and dry.
But proponents of the ‘down’ method are convinced that stacking sharp implements downwards is the safer option.
While both arguments have merit, the manufacturers all agree – cutlery should face down in the dishwasher.
