The art of loading a dishwasher

Rinse before? No pre-rinse needed? Bowls in the top rack? Bowls in the bottom? Loading the dishwasher can be a bone of contention in the home. Everyone has their own method they believe is the right way, but in reality, it’s probably wrong ― at least a little bit. Let us show you the loading light to help you improve your dishwasher stacking skills.

Dishwashers are one of the most hardworking home appliances. On a daily basis, they do the heavy lifting in our kitchen and work overtime at family gatherings. But if you don’t load them correctly, your crockery and cutlery won’t come out squeaky clean, and your appliance likely won’t go the distance. Read on to find out how to improve your dish stacking skills.

How to load plates and bowls in your dishwasher

Large dinner plates as well as large bowls need to be loaded in the bottom basket. Each plate should sit between the racks without touching each other so the water can flow through freely. Rinsing your plates prior to loading isn’t necessary (contrary to popular opinion!) but you should scrape off any food as this could block the filter. NEFF dishwashers come with our RackMatic feature, allowing you to adjust the height of the top basket to create more space for big plates in the bottom basket – ensuring everything is cleaned properly.

Small bowls and saucers should be loaded in the upper basket, but make sure that they’re not catching on the third basket, if your NEFF dishwasher has one.

How to load glassware and cups

Fine glassware should always be washed in the upper basket because of its fragility. Tall glasses and tumblers should be placed along the sides, upside down and not touching, with shorter glasses placed towards the centre. If the bottoms of certain cups or dishes are slightly concave, it helps to lean them at an angle to avoid collecting dirty water. NEFF dishwashers have an etagere that folds out to keep wine glass stems steady and some have a glass rack in the lower basket for tall stemmed glasses.

There’s also a specific glassware program for sensitive glasses. Thanks to this program, nothing stops you from washing high quality, fragile glasses in your dishwasher. The gentle cleaning method uses low temperatures, an optimised rinse aid temperature and a longer drying phase to guarantee gentle and shiny washing and drying results.

How to load cutlery

How to best load your cutlery will depend on whether you’re using a cutlery basket or a cutlery drawer. You want each knife, fork and spoon to be separated so it gets a thorough clean. This is easy with a cutlery drawer as the prongs will separate them, but make sure all utensil openings are facing down and any parts with curves or indentations are sitting at an angle to allow water to drain.

If you’re using a basket, forks and spoons should be placed handle-down, while knives should be handle-up for safety reasons. It can be very tempting to remove the dividing lid to fit more cutlery in the basket, but don’t do it as they won’t be washed properly.

How to load pots and pans into a dishwasher

Pots and pans should be loaded in the lower basket where your dishwasher’s most powerful spray jets are positioned. Make sure they these don’t cover other items in the dishwasher, and you should also check any protruding handles won’t block the spray arm. Give the spray arm a spin before you start a cycle to be sure. If it’s blocked and you can’t reposition the pan, you can always utilise the RackMatic feature.

When placing pots and pans into your dishwasher, you can make the most use of space by leaning them at an angle against the prongs, rather than placing them flat. But if they have baked-on food on them, place them facedown and toward the lower spray arm.

How to unload your dishwasher

Empty the bottom rack first. Otherwise, water that collects on the concave surfaces of mugs and glasses in the top rack will spill onto the plates, pots, and dishes below.

Top tips for loading your dishwasher

• Face all plates toward the middle
• Place flat pans away from the door
• Don’t overload the dishwasher
• Avoid putting sharp knives in the dishwasher
• Always check your crockery and cutlery is dishwasher safe

We hope that this settles some of the debates that are raging in your household, but if in doubt you can always check the manual for your product.

Following it to the letter and still finding your dishes don’t come out squeaky clean? There may be a bigger issue than stacking technique. Try cleaning your filter or running a cleansing cycle without any dishes in it – and if all else fails, you can view the range of NEFF dishwashers right here.

About NEFF

NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashers designed to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure. For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools to creative meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.

Learn more about NEFF here.