Bosch Settles the Debate: This Is the Best Way to Load a Dishwasher

A dishwasher is a modern luxury. Ask anyone who’s lived in an apartment without one how much time they’ve spent scraping off last night’s lasagna from their plates and you’ll be grateful. But it can also be a source of conflict when your roommate, spouse, or family member loads it differently than you. Is there a definitively correct way to load a dishwasher? We reached out to the appliance experts at Bosch to find out the answers.

How to Load a Dishwasher, According to Bosch

First: Scrape off Large Particles

It’s the worst to open your dishwasher and find globs of food still stuck on your bowls and plates. So before loading your dishwasher, scrape large food bits off plates and pots. This might seem simple, but there’s an additional reason to take this step. Now, pre-rinsing? That’s a personal preference.

Bosch says an accumulation of food particles in the dishwasher filter can cause it to get clogged and prevent used water from draining properly. Having old dirty food in your dishwasher also kinda defeats the purpose. Just use a spoon or fork to remove the leftover food and load up. Those go into the cutlery baskets handle side up for ease of loading and unloading.

Second: Place Dishes Facing Downward

Dishes such as cups and bowls should be loaded facing down for the best washing results. Angle mugs on the top rack so water doesn’t collect on the tops. Likewise, give everything enough space to get clean. When dishes overlap, the water jets can miss reaching certain areas, resulting in less than clean plates. Plates facing inward will better access the spray arm during the cycle. 

Third: Organize Your Dishes Accordingly

Less soiled and delicate dishes made of glass, china, or porcelain should be placed in the top basket. Heavily soiled dishes go in the bottom basket for a more intensive wash. Anything super delicate like a family heirloom plate, you might be better off hand-washing.

Also, wait to run your dishwasher until it is full, but not overfull. Running a completely full cycle is more water-efficient than running multiple cycles to get a few plates clean. This is not only good for your dishes but for your wallet, as well!

Dishwasher Loading Don’ts

There are a few other things to remember when loading up for the night. Especially what not to do. Remember to never add kitchen knives, nonstick or cast iron cookware, or items made from porcelain, crystal, or fine china. You wouldn’t just throw a silk shirt into a heavy-duty laundry cycle, right? Be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions for how to best clean your plates when in doubt. Some materials are reactive to certain detergents, like citrus-scented products.

And whatever you do, make sure to be kind to your roomie who loads the dishwasher wrong. Now you know, you can work together to have cleaner plates and more dinner parties that don’t use so many disposables.