(BPT) – Have you ever found yourself rearranging the dishwasher after a family member, roommate or partner loads the dishes? One of the great household debates is how to properly load the dishwasher, and how to use your appliance to properly clean your dishes. To rinse or not to rinse? Bowls on top or bottom? Should pots, pans and plastic go in the dishwasher at all?
From better drying results, to finally settling the debate of how to properly load your dirty dishes, Bosch home appliances, a leader in high-quality appliances, shares their tips and tricks to best use and care for the dishwasher.
1) Select a quality dishwasher: The secret to spotless dishes starts with a quality dishwasher. When purchasing a new one, look for one that does the hard work for you, with features that simplify cleanup post-meal. These include drying technology, flexible loading features, energy efficiency and design options — and of course, a thorough, reliable clean.
2) Load your dishwasher like an expert: Dishwashers operate best and produce the cleanest dishes when loaded properly. To maximize space and ensure your dishes are clean and dry, load your dishwasher with the following simple steps:
- No pre-rinsing needed: Simply scrape food off the plate before loading.
- Load your glasses at an angle to avoid water pooling on top and dripping when unloading.
- Make sure your plasticware is dishwasher safe, and that you’ve followed your dishwasher’s manual and instructions for plastics (Pro tip: With Bosch dishwashers, you can place plastics anywhere, even on the bottom rack, for safe drying.).
- Ensure tall items, such as large plates or pots, are not blocking the movement of the spray arms.
- Avoid stacking silverware and put knives sharp end down for safety.
- If you own a Bosch dishwasher, your unit may have some of the following features that make loading easier:
- A third rack adds versatility and offers more loading capacity compared to those with two racks.
- The RackMatic feature adjusts the flexible middle rack to make room for large items on the middle and bottom rack.
3) Maximize drying: There’s nothing more frustrating than unloading your dishes from the dishwasher with your plasticware still dripping wet. A few simple switches in your cleaning routine can dry your dishes more easily and make cleanup a breeze.
First, look for a unit with CrystalDry technology. This feature in select Bosch dishwashers delivers thorough, reliable drying results as opposed to units without. Next, be sure to use Rinse Aid to help dishes dry faster, especially on plastics. Finally, for enhanced drying utilize special drying options such as “Sanitize” or “Extra Dry”; Sanitize operates at a higher temperature to help eliminate bacteria and enhance drying results, while Extra Dry delivers enhanced drying results.
4) Keep your dishwasher spotless, inside and out: Just because your dishwasher cleans your dishes doesn’t mean it remains clean itself. To keep your appliance clean and operating efficiently, follow these tips for a proper clean.
Starting with the exterior, wipe down door seals with a damp, soft cloth. To clean stainless steel, wash with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth. Always wipe in the direction of the steel’s grain, and never use abrasive cleaners, chlorine-based cleaners or abrasive sponges.
For the interior, use dishwasher cleaner to remove grease, starch and protein residues. To remove hard water deposits and limescale, use a dishwasher descaler. Additionally, clean your filter every few months to remove food debris that may hinder your dishwasher’s performance. It’s located at the bottom of your dishwasher and can be cleaned with warm, soapy water and a scrub brush.