Dishwasher loading mistake is a 'big no-no' - one thing you should 'never' do with plates

Dishwashers make life a lot easier, saving on washing every knife, fork, glass or dish. But when it comes to stacking your dishwasher, opinions can be divided on what the right way is. However, getting the loading of your dishwasher right is essential to ensure every item comes out clean and ready to be put away.

Andrew Laughlin is a dishwasher expert from Which? and he claims there is a common mistake people make that is a "big no-no".

The Which? expert explained: "I always load the dishwasher fully before using it, but stacking up and overloading is a big no-no."

Not only should you avoid packing in too many bowls and plates, but you should also pay attention to how much space is in the cutlery basket.

"If you're using a cutlery basket I make sure items are not nesting," said Daniel. "That means there's no room for water to get in between the items.

"Sharp everyday knives should go in facing down so you don't cut yourself when you're reaching in. Really sharp carving knives should be hand washed instead as the machine can dull the blade."

If you typically rinse your plates and bowls before adding them to the dishwasher, then you could be making a mistake and wasting water, according to the dishwasher expert.

"I never rinse the plates. Just scrape the food waste into the bin and stack the machine," he said. "It'll pre-wash as part of its cycle so washing it by hand is just a waste of water."

When stacking your plates and bowls, Daniel advised always placing the dirty-sided plates facing inward and bowls and pans facing down. "This is where the water sprays out of," he said.

"Make sure there is room between each item so the water can circulate. Alternating between big and small items can help with this.

"And I always put the most dirty stuff like roasting trays on the lower rack because that's where the water pressure and the temperature is the highest."

He continued: "If you've got a mix of really dirty items and only mildly dirty stuff we'd recommend giving the really dirty items their own wash. This is often using an intensive cycle which bumps the temperature up to 70C, and also usually increases the water pressure too."

Cups, glasses and plastic storage containers should go on the top shelf as the top rack is typically cooler. This means any plastic will not warp and glass will be protected.

"I try to put glasses along the side supports because the jets are more powerful here, and mugs in the middle," he said. "For bigger glasses or if they have got a long stem I'll adjust the top rack.

"Most dishwashers come with an adjustable top rack but it's not always obvious how to do it. Check the instruction manual if you're not sure."