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January 2004
Quick tips to get the most from your dishwasher
With any dishwasher, you’ll get better performance if you load the dishes correctly, use a dishwasher detergent with enzymes,
and use a rinse aid. A few tips:
• Consult the user manual for guidelines on loading your machine most efficiently. Place the heavily soiled side of dishes
toward the center of the machine for better exposure to the spray. Keep large items at the sides and back so they don’t prevent
the water spray from reaching the detergent dispenser.
• Don’t let dishes or utensils nest, or rest side by side, which can prevent water from reaching all surfaces. To prevent
chipping, make sure that china, crystal, and stemware don’t touch other items. Don’t machine-wash brass, bronze, cast iron,
disposable plastics, gold-colored flatware, gold-leaf china, hollow-handle knives, pewter, tin, or anything made of wood (including
handles).
• Most machines do a fine job if you don’t pre-rinse dishes, so skip the sink. You’ll save about 6,500 gallons of water a
year (based on average household usage). You can also save water by running full loads. If you don’t like leaving dirty dishes
unwashed, run the rinse-and-hold cycle, which uses about 2 gallons of water--much less than used by hand-rinsing under running
water.
• Use a rinse aid such as Jet-Dry to help minimize spotting and a detergent with enzymes to dissolve starches and proteins.
Among the enzyme-based products that performed well in our detergent tests: Great Value (sold at Wal-Mart stores), Cascade
Pure Rinse Formula, and Electrasol Dual Action Tabs with Baking Soda.
