The ultimate guide to stacking your dishwasher
Believe it or not but there is an art in stacking your dishwasher. While some may just throw the dishes in whichever way they deem fit, there are a few rules to follow to ensure your using space to its full potential.
Consumer advocacy group Choice Australia has revealed some of the best tips and tricks when it comes to stacking your dishwasher to help achieve the cleanest dishes possible.
Never place wood, aluminium or copper in the dishwasher
While most items are safe to stack, there are a few exceptions.
It’s recommended that anything made of wood, such as chopping boards, rolling pins and wooden spoons should not be placed inside a dishwasher, as the material tends to absorb odours and flavours of the surrounding dishes.
Good quality knives and fine china should also be avoided, as the water pressure can damage the cutlery and ruin the detailing.
Anything that consists of a “reactive metal” should be handwashed, which means items made from aluminium and copper should stay away from the dishwasher.
Don’t bother pre-washing dishes
It’s a habit that most people fall into before loading up their dishwasher, but your favourite dishwashing tablet has enough power to remove all surface stains without you having to give it a pre-wash.
Just be sure to scrape any excess food scraps beforehand, to avoid the filter from clogging up.
Make sure the dirtiest dishes go in the middle
The answer to squeaky clean dishes is placement so write this next part down.
Plastics should always go on the top shelf to reduce the risk of melting, the same applies for anything made of glass.
Sometimes the spinning fan can miss the corners of the dishwasher so it’s a good idea to put the dirtiest dishes right in the middle for the most effective clean.
Lastly, place each and every plate and bowl downwards to avoid dirty water and don’t stack them on top of each other.