Dishwasher experts share five things you should avoid whilst doing the dishes

Opening up the dishwasher to find your dishes haven’t been washed is a particularly galling experience. If you treat your dishwasher like a magic box and don’t consider how to properly use and care for it, this is probably a common occurrence.

If you need help with making the most of these time-saving marvels, Which? has got you covered with five expert tips.

Look after your dishwasher and it'll look after you (Maria Korneeva/Getty Images)

Their advice covers effective stacking, prepping your crockery for cleaning, and maintaining your dishwasher to keep it in top grime-fighting condition.

They’re even more water-efficient than washing by hand, which might come as a surprise, so it’s worth learning how to use them properly.

"Dishwashers are four times more water efficient than washing by hand if you use them the right way," says Which? as part of its series of TikTok and Instagram clips on the matter.

Let’s dive in.

Tip 1

Dishwasher expert Andrew Laughlin says that rinsing dishes is a mistake.

"I never rinse my plates," he says. "Just scrape off the food and put them straight in. Your dishwasher can more than cope with it, and it saves on water and energy."

Tip 2

Laughlin also says not to bother using the little slot for your detergent tablet or capsule.

"You can chuck the table straight in and it works just as well," he adds, although this one seems more like the most minor of time-savers than a game-changing tip.

Tip 3

The next tip is considerably more essential: do the maintenance.

"I never dodge maintenance," he says. "Keep your salt and your rinse aid topped up. Frequently clean the filter and regularly keep the door open to allow air to circulate.

"Doing this can help prevent the build up of mould, bacteria, and other general nastiness."

It makes a lot of sense: your dishwasher can’t do its best work without having all the necessary tools, and it has a tough time if nastiness is allowed to build up inside.

Tip 4

Next, Laughlin says you should never stack randomly.

"I never stack randomly,” he asserts. “Make sure everything is spaced out.

"Big items at the back, away from the middle. Plates facing inward and make sure no tall items are blocking the spray arms."

In other words, make sure the water can reach everything. Anything blocked by other items will dodge the water and come out dirty.

Tip 5

This one is more to make the most of your utensils.

"Sharp knives can go blunt,” says Laughlin. “Wooden items can swell and crack. And non-stick and vacuum flasks are a no-no too."

All pretty sensible stuff, but his advice hasn’t been met with widespread acceptance from the online dishwashing community.

"I tried without rinsing the dishes but my dishes were not cleaned," said one TikTok comment.

"Tried the whole not rinsing thing, half the dishes came out dirty," said another.

Of course, these commenters may have skipped the maintenance, failed to stack their items properly, or ignored the fact you should scrape bits into the bin first.

Glistening results from an efficient stack (Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty Images)

Another commenter rejected the idea of bunging the capsule or tablet anywhere but the designated spot.

"Some cycles do a rinse or pre wash, then will get rid of that water, if your tablet has been sitting in this water it will start to dissolve, by the time it put new water in to wash the dishes you will have a less powered tablet or pod!" they said.

Another added: "I’ve never gotten clean dishes when I don’t rinse, idk why everyone says that."

You really can’t help some people.