Dishwashers are a very useful and valuable appliance used by every working family to save time. We do not know how to use dishwasher? We all love eating spicy food, but nobody like cleaning utensils. Nowadays, made are also charging very much for utensil cleaning. So, What if you invest one time and then use it for the rest of time life and make your life easy?
More about it.
One thing I love about this dishwasher is that it makes sure that utensils are cleaned properly and all the germs are removed from them. Many of us are not aware of how to use the dishwasher. When we buy a dishwasher for the first time, I was also not aware of how to use the dishwasher. Let us read about how to use the dishwasher.
How to use dishwasher?
Following are the steps to use the dishwasher:
- First of all load the top and bottom racks of the dishwasher with dirty dishes.
- Load the detergent in the dishwasher.
- Select the wash cycle.
- Start the cleaning.
Load the Top and Bottom racks of the Dishwasher
The first step for how to use dishwasher is to make sure that utensils get cleaned evenly and properly, scrape the extra food from the plates before you load the dishes into the dishwasher. Keep the space between all the utensils properly and set the dirty side of the dishes toward the water jets. Avoid overlapping dishes or plates. Doing so prevents the water jets to spray and clean the dishes. As we know dishwasher has two racks.
- Top Rack
- Bottom Rack
Top Rack
The top rack is used to place small utensils like cups, bowls, mugs, glasses, and water bottles. It is recommended to use the plastic dishes on the top rack only. But check its manual. If you are using plastic dishes, then check for dishes that dishes are dishwasher safe or not. You can use the top rack to place small plates between the bowls. Never load heavy and big utensils on the top rack.
Bottom Rack
The bottom rack is used for big utensils. You can place plates, serving platters, dishwasher-safe baking utensils, stainless steel pots, or other heavy utensils. It is good to position the pans and pots along the sides or toward the back of the dishwasher. Add all the utensils to the utensils rack and make sure to face the sharp utensils like forks and knives downward to avoid any injury. Before closing the dishwasher, make sure that the utensils are not blocking the wash arm.
- Many new dishwashers have three racks so that you can load more utensils.
Load the detergent inside the dishwasher
The second step to know how to use dishwasher is to load the washer. It depends on the model are you using that where to load the detergent from the dishwasher. But most dishwasher has a detergent point inside the door of the dishwasher at the bottom area.
Load this way
- Put the detergent inside the detergent dispenser.
- Add rinse aid to the rinse aid dispenser up to the marked line that indicates full. Many dishwashers do not have this rinse aid. You can buy it separately and use it or you can use detergent tablets that already include a rinse aid.
- After that, close the lid properly. when the dishwasher completes its pre-wash cycle, it opens the lid and mixes the detergent with water.
Tips for dishwasher detergent
Select the wash cycle
The third step to know how to use dishwasher is selecting the wash cycle. Almost every dishwasher comes with three cycles. These are Quick, Normal, and heavy-duty. You can select the appropriate cycle size according to the utensils. (How dirty utensils are and the size of the load) Set the cycle as per the requirement. To do so, use the buttons located on the top of the dishwasher door on the front side. The wash cycles are:
- Quick
Sometimes we need a fast cleaning, but keep in mind that it requires more energy, water, and higher temperature to clean the utensil fast. Use it only when dishes are lightly dirty and need quick results.
- Normal
This is the wash cycle used mostly by all of us. It cleans the utensils without using excessive water. This wash cycle is preferred for dishes that are not heavily dirty.
- Heavy Duty
As its name indicates that it is used to clean heavily dirty utensils. It uses extra water and a higher temperature to clean the cookware effectively.
So you can choose the wash cycle as per your requirements.
Start the cleaning
The last step is to know how to use dishwasher is to start the cleaning. It is good to check that the wash arm is not blocked by any utensils. Then close the door and press the start button. Normally it takes 2-2.5 hours to clean one batch of utensils. It has a light on the front side that indicates whether the wash cycle is completed or in progress.
Warning and Tips
- Load Plastic Dises carefully
It is recommended to use plastic dishes very carefully. Because plastic utensils are very light and move inside and damage other utensils and water jets. Put the plastic utensils very carefully on the rack.
- Do not load some Items.
There are many utensils made from stainless steel, glassware, bone china, and micro or dishwasher-safe utensils. These are safe to be used in the dishwasher. But some utensils are not to be placed inside it. These are
- Wooden utensils, plastic, casseroles, metal utensils, copper, aluminum, gold, and bronze. These utensils shred their color.
- Kids’ cups, and glasses with designs.
- Non-stick utensils need not be put in the dishwasher. If the manufacturer mentions dishwasher safe only then use non-stick utensils.
- Don't overload.
Mostly, people think that they clean all the dishes in one cycle only. It is good if utensils are fewer, but do not try to overload them. Because it blocks the movement of the spray arms and utensils will not clean properly. It reduces the washing efficiency.
Boosting Tips
- It is good to select the half-wash cycle If this option is available in your dishwasher. It helps in saving water, detergent, and energy.
- Use the rinse aid and dry the utensils in a better way.
- If you do not use a rinse aid, then stains of water left on the utensils.
- Select the right washing cycle for proper cleaning.
- You can use the dishwasher freshener to keep the dishwasher and utensils fresh and avoid odor.
- Never use bleach or detergent to clean the dishwasher.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Yes. It is good to use the dishwasher daily if you are working and have no time for your household work. But if you are a housewife then prefer to use it only when requires or you feel tired. Because using machines or appliances too much makes you weak.
The very first thing to avoid is plastic utensils that indicate not dishwasher safe. The next thing is Printed cups or mugs, palates that have printed on them, and aluminum, gold, silver, and wooden utensils. Do not use non-stick utensils that indicate not dishwasher safe.
Yes, the dishwasher sanitizes the dishes because it used hot water to clean the dishes. Getting water kills all the bacteria and germs. So it is safe to use.
Dishwashers are a good option for Indian kitchens. It cleans the dishes at a high temperature and this makes sure that all the germs remove. It is very useful in Indian kitchens because Indian food is made from a lot of oil and spices.
Yes. Many models clean the kadai and pressure cookers too. Initially, dishwashers are made to clean light utensils only. But now it is capable of cleaning almost all kinds of utensils.
Dishwashers are not used widely in India because Indian kitchens are compact and small to accommodate one. Another reason is that Indian have maids to clean the dishes. But as time is going on, Indians are also believing in the dishwasher after knowing its benefits.
Yes, you can clean vegetables in the dishwasher. Just load the vegetables and fruits without detergent and skip the drying setting.
It is not true that dishwashers use more electricity. It is an energy-intensive appliance that uses heat, water, and electricity. It uses less energy than expected.
Conclusion
Whenever we buy a new dishwasher it is difficult for anyone to understand how to use dishwasher. But it is easy to use. Just follow simple steps. These are
- Load the top and bottom racks of the dishwasher.
- Load the detergent into the dishwasher
- Select the wash cycle
- Start the cleaning
This is simple to use. I explain in detail how to use dishwasher and its tips and warning.
You can read my other articles here.
