How to load a dishwasher for maximum efficiency
Dishwashers are one of the most used appliances of a home. However, most of us don’t give too much thought when loading a dishwasher. We throw in our dishes, add a dishwashing tablet and hit the start button without giving anything another thought. While it may seem like this approach is saving time, it is actually causing the dishwasher to run at lower efficiency, which can actually take up more of our time – and money.
According to Canstar Blue, a dishwasher can cost anywhere between 12-40 cents in electricity and water charges per wash. While the amount of electricity and water used depends on the size and star rating/efficiency of your dishwasher, there are other measures you can take while loading your dishwasher to make it clean better and be more efficient.
Ross’s Discount Home Centre is where many come to purchase dishwashers in Perth. As one of the leading home improvement centres we like to extend our customer service by not only offering quality appliances, but also offering quality advice. Today, I’ll explain how to maximise the efficiency of dishwashers to reduce energy costs. Not surprisingly, it has everything to do with how you load your dishwasher.
1. Start from the bottom
It’s a good idea to start loading your dishwasher from the bottom. Place large items such as pots and pans, baking sheets, plates and saucers the bottom rack. This is the only proper way to load a dishwasher. If you try loading in any other manner, you will reduce the efficiency of your appliance.
Start by loading your plates and saucers, keeping everything facing the center. You should stagger small and large plates and load larger items around them along the outer edge of the rack. This will allow hot water to flow easily to all items – the plates in the center and the pots and pans around them.
2. Move on to the top rack
Once you’ve loaded the bottom of your dishwasher, load the top rack. The top rack of your dishwasher is meant for mugs, glasses and cups and shouldn’t be loaded elsewhere. Make sure to load everything between the guides, leaving space between so that items are not in direct contact with each other.
Also, remember to keep your cups, glasses and bowls at a slight incline facing downwards. This will prevent water from pooling, and this, in turn, will facilitate more efficient cleaning.
3. Load cutlery with care
Next, load your cutlery, including spoons, forks and knives, on the top rack. But be extremely careful when loading these small items. You don’t want them to move around and cause damage to other delicate items.
Make sure you place your knife’s blades down and your spoons and forks facing downwards also. You can mix up the handles with some facing up and some facing down. Just ensure that items don’t nestle against each other for better cleaning.
4. Run your dishwasher only when full
Finally, as with most other appliances in your home, your dishwasher is most efficient if it is operated when full. Make sure to run your dishwasher only when enough items are loaded into it. You’ll waste less water and less energy by doing so.
And, if you’re looking to upgrade your dishwasher to a more efficient model, then head over to Ross’s Discount Home Centre to look at our range. In particular, I’d like to recommend our 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher and our 60cm Fully Integrated Dishwasher (door sold separately). These are our bestselling dishwashers in Perth, and you cannot go wrong in choosing any of them.
Conclusion:
It really doesn’t pay to throw everything into a dishwasher without considering the placement of each item. Doing so will result in an unclean wash and cause your dishwasher to run at a lower efficiency rate.
To increase your dishwasher’s efficiency, it has to be packed correctly. Start by loading large items at the bottom, then move on to the top rack and load your cutlery with care. And make sure to run your dishwasher only when it is full.
By following these tips, you’ll cut down on energy and water costs and, of course, have cleaner dishes every wash.
