Spring Cleaning Week: Dishwasher 101

To rinse or not to rinse? That question is nearly as old as time. OK, well, it's at least as old as dishwashers. There are two sides to this story:

The Rinse-Me-Nots
These people recognize that dishwashers were put on this earth to help us save time in the kitchen. Rinsing dishes first takes more time, which kind of defeats the purpose. They remind us that it's like cleaning the house before the cleaning lady comes over. They show off the features of their new hi-tech dishwasher and their ultra-strength dishwashing detergent that promise to get everything off the dishes, even if they haven't been rinsed. You probably won't be able to convince these people dishes should be rinsed, unless you're willing to come over and do it yourself.

The Pre-Rinsers
These people (you might be suspecting by now that I'm one of them) understand that dishwashers save time, and are therefore willing to spend just a few seconds rinsing the dishes before loading. They think of the icky, dirty water that will be splashing around the machine, full of spaghetti sauce and whatever else was on your plates, allegedly "cleaning" their dishes. They know their dishwashers are strong, dark, and handsome but they will never forget the time they didn't rinse and some hard crusty stuff was left on one plate. You probably won't be able to convince these people that dishes shouldn't be rinsed, unless you can get the Men In Black Memory Eraser so they forget about that time their dishes DIDN'T come out clean.

So which side of the Dishwasher Debate are you on? Do you skip the rinsing and use that time for a glass of wine instead? Or you do you rinse while drinking a glass of wine? Be sure to share in the comments!

However, no matter which side of the debate you end up on, there are a few indisputable tips:

1. NEVER put anything in the dishwasher that says it's not dishwasher safe. You risk warping or ruining the dish, and could even affect other dishes or your dishwasher.


2. You can wash flatware and you can wash real silverware in the dishwasher - but not at the same time. If, say, you're using your silverware for a dinner party but already have flatware in the dishwasher, it's probably best to just wash the silver by hand and toss the rest in the dishwasher.


3. Make sure each dish has access to the water flow. That means don't stack things or cram the dishwasher too full or have dishes pointed away from the water stream. Pay particular attention to spoons and bowls - they really like to cozy up to each other!


4. Wooden spoons and cutting boards are best left for hand washing. The dishwasher will overheat them, causing them to splinter and wear out faster.


5. Same goes for teflon pots and pans - they'll wear out a lot faster in the dishwasher. Also, pots and pans tend to be just a tad too dirty to come out of the dishwasher clean (think caked-on or burnt bits).

Happy cleaning!