4 common dishwasher mistakes made by Kiwis

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Does your household love the convenience of having a dishwasher but find that your dishes aren’t as clean as you’d like? Your pre-wash habits could be to blame!

To help you get the best results from your dishwasher, we’ve listed the most common mistakes so that you can avoid making them while also saving time, money and water.

1. Pre-rinsing dirty dishes

Research shows that 80% of Kiwis admit to rinsing their dishes before putting them into the dishwasher² but pre-rinsing dirty dishes can be an unnecessary use of water! It can trick your dishwasher into thinking your plates are cleaner than they are resulting in the initial grime being left behind. Instead, we recommend that you scrape solids off into the bin and let your machine do the rest! Our Freestanding Dishwasher in dark stainless steel (WSF6608KXA) adjusts the right cycle time for you by sensing the level of grime on your dishes ensuring the best results all the while saving water.

2. Avoid bundling cutlery

Mixing your cutlery in the basket is essential to removing tricky grime and stains off your forks, knives and spoons. By separating your utensils (which tend to stack tightly together) you will allow water and detergent to better circulate making for an easier and better clean and saving you extra time scrubbing in-between your silverware. 

3. Waiting until you have a full load

Do you run out of dishes because you have been waiting for the dishwasher to be full before using it to save energy and water? If this sounds like you, it’s time to change your habits. You no longer need to load a dishwasher completely before using it so that you’re getting the most out of a cycle. Our in-built time programs like Fast 30, Time Saver or Half Load technology let you choose to only clean the middle or lower rack – so the wash is tailored to your needs and your dirty dish situation.

See our comprehensive Dishwasher buying guide to choose the right one for your family.

4. Overloading the dishwasher

While shoving everything into the dishwasher seems rational because more gets cleaned at once it isn’t the most effective method. Remember, less is more! Badly stacked items can block the dishwasher jets and detergent and you may find yourself re-washing things. But, if you stack with space between your dishes and cutlery, water can reach every surface and you’ll get a more dependable and stronger wash every time meaning you won’t need to repeat the load or pick crusty bits of your cutlery that have been left behind.

²https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1509/S00770/more-than-80-of-kiwis-rinse-their-dishes-before-dishwasher.htm