DawnM Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Ok, VENT away! How do you PROPERLY load a dishwasher????? I have to vent and say that going from Corelle dishes to Fiestaware has increased my dishwashing exponentially. Those bowls are way too fat to fit neatly in the spaces provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Darned if I know. I'm an Incorrect Loader. I put things in the proper locations and everything is correctly oriented...I just don't put things CLOSE enough to other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I don't care how they are loaded. Any job not done by me can be done however the person doing it wants as far as I'm concerned. What I DO care about is when they are unloaded, if they didn't come clean (rare, but happens!), do NOT put them away as if they are clean. Seriously, how difficult is it to LOOK at what you are doing? And if light plastic stuff got flipped because you didn't load it properly, do it right next time. It's not clean (enough for me) either considering it was holding gunky water in it. Granted, it might be sterile due to the heat and cleaner than what we eat off of when camping, but still... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I take issue w/ the term "vent". It's instruction of the logical, efficient way to do it. :lol: 1. See these three slots for silverware right there in the middle? Right there? They are smaller than the others. Those are the only slots that hold the knives so they don't fall over and get stuck in the other sections so you can't fit other pieces in. 2. See this huge PC pitcher/mixing bowl thing? It takes up too much room in the DW. Hand wash it. It'll only take a few seconds and will save a ton of room in the DW. 3. If you nest the (small, shallow) bowls too closely, only the inside of the first one and the bottom of the last one will get clean. Really. That's enough to start you off. ETA: 4. You know this little glass jar we keep in the DW and it is never upside down? When that is full of water, the DW was run and it's full of clean dishes. Do NOT put dirty dishes in here now! But feel free to empty the DW. This policy has been in place your entire life, btw. (For my children only.) I've read of other ways to signify clean or dirty too. One day I'm going to buy a roll of yellow police tape to put on the DW when its contents are clean. I mean it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 I take issue w/ the term "vent". It's instruction of the logical, efficient way to do it. :lol: 1. See these three slots for silverware right there in the middle? Right there? They are smaller than the others. Those are the only slots that hold the knives so they don't fall over and get stuck in the other sections so you can't fit other pieces in. 2. See this huge PC pitcher/mixing bowl thing? It takes up too much room in the DW. Hand wash it. It'll only take a few seconds and will save a ton of room in the DW. 3. If you nest the (small, shallow) bowls too closely, only the inside of the first one and the bottom of the last one will get clean. Really. That's enough to start you off. Seriously????? I had no idea why those smaller slots were there. They seemed pointless to me.......I wish I were kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 The Fiestaware bowls are a space hog in the dishwasher! I have to put them in differently. Plates go perpendicular: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - bowl bowl - - - - - - - - bowl bowl - - - - - - - - I can't figure out how to describe it words. Fat lot of good that English degree is doing me today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Seriously????? I had no idea why those smaller slots were there. They seemed pointless to me.......I wish I were kidding. I really don't know if our DWs in our other homes had this or not, but the one we have now? Yeah, they fit better. I am not Monica Geller, I promise, but it's just easier to use those for knives. I gladly start off the loading process, so just follow suit. I didn't want to admit this, but I put all the forks together and all the spoons together. I don't care where they are as long as they're in the same slots and NOT in the skinnier slots. That's for knives. (See #1 above). And yes, I'm careful to make sure they don't nest so both sides get clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I don't know. DH says I do it wrong so he does it. I'm not going to argue with him. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I don't know. DH says I do it wrong so he does it. I'm not going to argue with him. :) LOL! Smart girl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 So appropriate that the OP's user name is Dawn. :) Here's how I load the dishwasher: I get a dish and stick it where it fits until no more dishes fit. It's like dish Tetris. Then watch somebody else who apparently has way more time on his hands re-arrange the dishes as he sees fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 At lunch I load the breakfast dishes. After dinner I load the lunch and dinner dishes. I put washing detergent in the washing detergent thingie. I hit start. I unload it in the morning. The type of dish you are is not as important as the order in which you appear in the sink, but within reason plates go into plate slots and bowls sort of stay together. Glasses usually hang out on top, but by dinner they are going in the bottom, because I've got kids who have to get a new glass for every drink of water. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I really don't know if our DWs in our other homes had this or not, but the one we have now? Yeah, they fit better. I am not , I promise, but it's just easier to use those for knives. I gladly start off the loading process, so just follow suit. I didn't want to admit this, but I put all the forks together and all the spoons together. I don't care where they are as long as they're in the same slots and NOT in the skinnier slots. That's for knives. (See #1 above). And yes, I'm careful to make sure they don't nest so both sides get clean. Forks and spoons MUSTN'T be separated by type. Because sometimes the spoons "spoon" and thus don't get clean. SSA = Some Spooning Action is WRONG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Forks and spoons MUSTN'T be separated by type. Because sometimes the spoons "spoon" and thus don't get clean. SSA = Some Spooning Action is WRONG. You think I don't know that? (Said like Frank, Jr. on Friends when Joey told him that he was 18 and his gf was 44 and that when he's 36, the gf will be 88. Oh, that I could find a link to that one scene.) No spooning takes place. I'm that good. Dh came home and wanted to do something in the kitchen. I didn't tell him about this thread, but suggested another way to do that thing. Then I added, "...but I'm not Monica Geller." He replied, "Yeah, she's loosey goosey compared to you." Really, I can be a total slob in so many other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 There is no method to my madness. But yeah some dishes fit way better than others. What kinda baffles me is that my MIL can fit 2x as much in her dishwasher and stuff comes cleaner. I don't understand that. The dividers in my dishwasher seem so much further apart. So I can't fit as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 This reminds me of Lionel in As Time Goes By. He has a running line about always loading the dishwasher from the back. If anyone here starts rearranging stuff in the dishwasher, odds are someone will recite "I always load the dishwasher from the back!"I cram in stuff until no more fits. Then I shove in a few more things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 This reminds me of Lionel in As Time Goes By. He has a running line about always loading the dishwasher from the back. If anyone here starts rearranging stuff in the dishwasher, odds are someone will recite "I always load the dishwasher from the back!" I cram in stuff until no more fits. Then I shove in a few more things. I love that show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 My dishwasher has these things on top of the silverware slot that you can put your spoons in so they won't spoon. They still manage it. The sad thing is that the forks must then always point up and one day I went to grab a spoon and jabbed my finger right down on one of the forks. The thing went right up under my fingernail. I'm all for forks down after that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Start putting the silverware in at one end of the holder thingie, and work towards the other end. I HATE having to search amid dirty forks etc. to find an empty slot for another spoon. It one is systematic and fills form one end to the other that is not an issue. I kinda have a system for loading, in particular glasses on top, since many, MANY of the prongs have broken off that would otherwise hold stuff from banging around. Don't mess with my system or stuff will either break or come out upsidedown and full of dirty water. Bleah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Scrape chunks of food into the trash. Otherwise, someone has to contort herself to reach the bottom of the dishwasher and clean up slimy debris. Unless the dishwashing is going to be run immediately, dishes should be rinsed before loading them in the dishwasher. If they are coated with egg or sauce, rinse even if the dishwasher will be run. Sprinkling them with baking soda helps too. Dump the contents of cups and glasses in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher. If you forget, mop up puddles before someone steps in them. The spinning thing is a functional part of the dishwasher. If it can’t spin, the dishes will not get clean. Baking trays interfere with the spinning. They must be hand washed. Pots and pans must be hand washed. Knives go blade down. Put in the same slot as a fork or spoon, or put two knifes in one of the narrow slots. This helps prevent the knives from falling through the bottom of the caddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Fiestaware owner here. The bowls (cereal and fruit), mugs, and sometimes salad plates go on the top. Dinner plates go on the bottom. It all depends how much I have to wash. People aren't going to like this, but I rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I don't like using my dishwasher as a garbage disposal. I also don't like taking the time to load the dishwasher with food stuck on it, wait the 2 hours for the machine to "wash" and dry them, and then find dishes didn't get clean. Nothing makes me happier than a clean, sanitized load of Fiestaware coming out of the dishwasher (except when one of the kids puts them away for me!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I don't care how its loaded as long as you run it after you load it! Dh is terrible about loading the dishwasher and not running it because "there is room for more." A spoon or fork is not "more." :cursing: :cursing: :cursing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Usually cups, glasses, and bowls go on top. Usually cups/glasses on the outside rows, and bowls in the middle. Plates on the bottom. All going in one direction ideally towards the center (well both sides face inward). Big serving ware on top..like spatulas. Most silverware in the holder. If we have lots of bowls (or whatever) they spill over to the bottom, unless they are plastic or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 What's this magical dishwasher you all speak of??? LoL just kidding, wish I had such issues. Instead I have a scrap your freaking plate/bowl before putting in the sink and dump out what's in your cup and not in my dish water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 This reminds me of Lionel in As Time Goes By. He has a running line about always loading the dishwasher from the back. If anyone here starts rearranging stuff in the dishwasher, odds are someone will recite "I always load the dishwasher from the back!" I've never seen or even heard of this show, but I totally do this! :leaving: Truth told, I start at the back but on the side that is farther away from the sink (where we rinse and then load from). That way fewer dishes (and glasses and coffee mugs) get chipped when my family loads the DW. I'm careful, of course, and don't clang the dishes into items that are already in the DW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'm glad this thread is going on now. As I type, DH and ds are installing brackets for curtain rods. I voted for placement and left the room. Monica Geller will not visit this house tonight! Now, what to do when they come in here to put up the curtain rods for this room? I know! I can go check and see how the DW was loaded after supper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have not read all the responses, but honestly, I think most dishwashers our poorly designed. We're on our 2nd Miele because I swear they fit twice as many dishes as other dishwashers. And we have Fiesta too - darn bowls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have my ways...and I do put sized spoons together. I put them in different corners and rarely have a problem. Having the silverware in each square the same saves a lot of time. Since each dishwasher is different isn't half the fun figuring out the most efficient way for your dishwasher? That makes loading the first 100x almost fun. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 The food side of dishes must face the center where the force of the spray is strongest. Why doesn't everyone know this?!?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My husband will fit every single dirty dish/pot/glass in the dishwasher so it's completely over stuffed and then I need to rewash the items in 2 loads or 1 load and hand wash the rest. I am the resident dishwasher loader. Actually, everyone puts their dirty dishes in the dishwasher when they are done and I rearrange and turn it on. Kids unload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ps- we just got a new dishwasher and I HATE having the silverware on the door. Does anyone like this? Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have a weird one that would probably drive a ton of you bonkers. I don't like to load the DW as I go. I like to fill up the sink (just one side!) and then load. I know where certain items fit best and I like knowing what I have to work with before I start. If I throw a few things in here or there, I always end up rearranging things to make that one, weird thing fit. But if I had waited, I could have just done it right the first time. Luckily, DH doesn't care about dishes in the sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Lionel is right, load from the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 The food side of dishes must face the center where the force of the spray is strongest. Why doesn't everyone know this?!?!?!? There's a commercial where the guy faces the gross pans out toward the door. Drives me nuts! They would never get clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have a weird one that would probably drive a ton of you bonkers. I don't like to load the DW as I go. I like to fill up the sink (just one side!) and then load. I know where certain items fit best and I like knowing what I have to work with before I start. If I throw a few things in here or there, I always end up rearranging things to make that one, weird thing fit. But if I had waited, I could have just done it right the first time. Luckily, DH doesn't care about dishes in the sink. Oh, Melissa! I love this! *what I have to work with*!!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Fiestaware owner here. The bowls (cereal and fruit), mugs, and sometimes salad plates go on the top. Dinner plates go on the bottom. It all depends how much I have to wash. People aren't going to like this, but I rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I don't like using my dishwasher as a garbage disposal. I also don't like taking the time to load the dishwasher with food stuck on it, wait the 2 hours for the machine to "wash" and dry them, and then find dishes didn't get clean. Nothing makes me happier than a clean, sanitized load of Fiestaware coming out of the dishwasher (except when one of the kids puts them away for me!). Same here. My dishes are pretty much clean before they go into the dishwasher, and I still use the sanitize and heated dry settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I am loving this thread. I have issues with the way hubby loads the dishwasher, and I think someone has mentioned every one on this thread....nesting bowls and spoons is his biggest "crime" in this area, and he rarely rinses anything he's putting inside. Ps- we just got a new dishwasher and I HATE having the silverware on the door. Does anyone like this? Ugh. I hated it so much that I purchased a silverware caddy to go in the bottom rack. It holds so much more, and I am certain it gets things cleaner than that door thing. I do use the door one for tiny measuring spoons and similar stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My mother once saved a thing on the news about how to properly load your dishwasher so we could watch and discuss. It was pretty funny. Turns out we were both doing it "wrong." Last time my father was here he tried to load our washer and gave up. "Your plates and bowls don't fit in your washer," he told me. And it's true - I can't load my dishwasher they way you're supposed to, which is apparently with the plates facing in. The other thing that news segment told us was that you shouldn't wash off your dishes first because the washer needs the food particles to clean them, which, really sounded very odd to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ps- we just got a new dishwasher and I HATE having the silverware on the door. Does anyone like this? Ugh. That does not bother me. I've had both types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I hated it so much that I purchased a silverware caddy to go in the bottom rack. It holds so much more, and I am certain it gets things cleaner than that door thing. I do use the door one for tiny measuring spoons and similar stuff. The bottom rack is smaller than the rack in my old one to accommodate the silverware holder on the door. It's a good 4 inches shorter (I compared the 2). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My only dishwashing rule: don't put my good knife or mixer attachments in the dishwasher. Don't do it. I know where you live, I cook your food and you know my knife is large and very very sharp. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 I don't do dishes anymore. Dh does them. Go ahead and be jealous. :coolgleamA: He can load it full and all come out clean. I can arrange it so that I think things should be clean and it just doesn't happen. I leave it to the master now (it might have been part of my plan). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 The other thing that news segment told us was that you shouldn't wash off your dishes first because the washer needs the food particles to clean them, which, really sounded very odd to me. When I had a dishwasher repairman out once, he was so surprised how clean the trap was in the bottom of my dishwasher. Yeah, because I don't use it as a garbage disposal. He did suggest putting a little cooking oil in the dishwasher before running the load. (Huh?) The last time I went looking for a dishwasher, the salesmen would tell me I shouldn't clean the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher - that it needed to sense the food so it would keep cleaning. Then I discovered the shortest wash cycle was over 2 hours. My short cycle is 85 minutes - and that includes 30 mins. for drying. Doesn't make sense to me. Elbow grease goes a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 So confession time. I hate the little cover with the slots for the silverware. I pulled it off and tossed it. I scoop all the silver, the 85 spatulas, wooden spoons, and whisks I manage to go through in the course of making a meal, and the tongs the little guys look me to chase the dog with, and throw them in all together. I'll bet some of you are twitching right now. I'm looking at you, Angie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Jeeeez-on-toast, what is with all you folks who wash stuff before putting it in? What is the point of having the d/w if you are going to hand wash first? Sure I have to clean the gunge out of the bottom from time to time, and yes, sometimes a few things don't get completely clean, but it's way easier to rewash one or two items than to hand wash every darn thing! And Sanitizing? My idea of sanitized is not letting the dog lick the clean things :huh: The only thing that annoys me is that our d/w is supposed to fit an entire 12 piece dinner setting. Possibly this would indeed be the case if we had matching stuff, but since we buy everything secondhand and nothing quite matches, most things have to be stacked only on every second position. Some of our spoons have to be stacked three places apart because they all angle differently. Um. I can't believe I'm even discussing this. Probably there is something dreadfully urgent I should be doing right now but that I am subconsciously avoiding... Oh and first time my Ms. 6 stacked it, she put every glass and mug right way up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ps- we just got a new dishwasher and I HATE having the silverware on the door. Does anyone like this? Ugh. I hate it too. So much that I took the silverware basket off of the door and put it on the side of the bottom rack. We are a family of 4, so not exactly a large family. Apparently I am the only person who can load the entire family's dishes and glasses into our dishwasher, get them all to fit, and come out clean. It's the price I pay... I'll throw out my vote on the silverware here, because I've always wanted to share this opinion, but silverware should be mixed, not segregated by type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My dishwasher has these things on top of the silverware slot that you can put your spoons in so they won't spoon. Mine has that, too, and I've folded them away since the day we got the dishwasher because I had no idea what they were for. I think I thought it was a cover to keep small things in the basket, like nipples to a baby bottle or cake decorating tubes. I am 53 years old and have had this dishwasher for like 8 years and I just now found out why it has those covers for the silverware sections. I managed to birth, raise, and educate four children. Truly a miracle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 ! And Sanitizing? My idea of sanitized is not letting the dog lick the clean things :huh: . My mother once corrected me and told me that the dishwasher door should be left open when it's done so the water could evaporate. I explained that if I did that the reachable dishes would no longer be clean, but covered in poodle spit. Since he visited her frequently, she started leaving hers closed, too. There was just something he couldn't resist about that water left on the clean dishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ok, VENT away! How do you PROPERLY load a dishwasher????? I have to vent and say that going from Corelle dishes to Fiestaware has increased my dishwashing exponentially. Those bowls are way too fat to fit neatly in the spaces provided. I have no answers but I can really sympathize. Our dishwasher died so we got a new one. No matter what I do, I just can't fit as many in. The spaces are just not made for my complement of dishes. I'm about ready to buy new dishes (if I knew what kind would work best.). I have decided that dishwashers should come with a label: "Compatible with Mikasa, Noratake...Not recommended for Fiesta, Pfaltgraf,...". (or maybe the dishes should be labeled: "Compatible with Bosch and Whirlpool only"). Paper plates look appealing right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 My DH overstuffs the dishwasher, too. He can't stand the thought of space, because space means "wasted water" or "wasted money" running the dishwasher twice. The problem is, the way he does it, only about 30% of the dishes come clean, and then they have baked on food that is really hard to get off. I rarely let him load it...which is annoying, and might be what he was going for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 There's a Miele (maybe all models?) with a pull out tray on the tippy top for silverware. I'm pretty sure I want to have its babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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