How to prepare dishes for the dishwasher..

[ryner1988]

Reply #17

John, yes I've put really dirty dishes in there and they have come out perfectly clean. I wasn't worried about how they'd come out, I was just a bit nervous about the machine developing an odor or getting gross in some other way if I routinely left really dirty dishes in there for days. But, glad to know my fears are largely unfounded -- the more time I spend on this site, the more I learn, and it's nice to know some habits I was just brought up with are largely unneded.

Ryne

 

[bpetersxx]

`

Well john hit the nail on the head and answered the question for me

I'm using liquid DW detergent in my compact DW

I thought that pods would be too much as it does not use much water

and I use barely a teaspoon of detergent i hope that is not too much or too little

 

[mrsalvo]

I started using Joy, Dollar General. It cleans pretty good, was surprised.

 

[DADoES]

 
I saw that Joy product recently on first visit to the new local pOpshelf, which is part of Dollar General.

 

[mark_wpduet]

It's amazing what dishwashers can do that we can't... In the past I've put things in dishwashers and I had zero expectation of it coming clean and it did.. Like some sort of witchcraft magic happened in there or something. Then other times, there will be peanut butter remnants left on a random spoon..

My thing is this: I think there's a difference in pre-rinsing for some and pre-rinsing for others. I think some people rinse until they can't see anything on the plate, glass or bowl...I pre-rinse EGG residue, milk residue...or raw meat juices just very quickly...you know, just to kinda get some of that nasty liquid off...but everything else just gets scraped and water doesn't touch it and it can sit in the dishwasher for days before being washed.

 

[cam2s]

I enjoy torture testing my machines, see how full you can fill and how nasty the load can be. 99% of the time they handle whatever I throw at them, with the exception of the aforementioned random spoon that doesn’t clean. Even when I’m not torturing them, whatever food soils don’t fall off in the sink go in. I only run my machines once or twice a week as well so they have a few days to sit. I’m currently using Hytron and Lemi Shine for detergent with excellent results.

 

[appnut]

I leave them dirty with just scraping for 3 to 5 days. And that includes cooked malto-meal.

 

[qsd-dan]

And that includes cooked malto-meal

Damn, I haven't had that in 30 years. Used to mix in a little brown sugar and milk with it. Surprised I don't diabetes from the sugary crap I ate as a kid.

 

[mrboilwash]

Am I the only one who licks his plate before putting it in the dishwasher?

 

[luxflairguy]

#27! But that's what the dog is for!

 

[ozzie908]

haha we have a pre rinsing dog too

Most useful with baked on foods !

I rinse tomato or rice off after scraping as don't want a pink dishwasher and rice in the filter is a pain...

 

[gelaundry4ever]

cascade platinum+

I just picked up some cascade platinum+ in the mountain scent and I love it. I wish they came in the citrus breeze scent as well as it is my favorite.

 

[kb0nes]

I prepare my dishes for the dishwasher by using them and getting them dirty...

They go into the machine with no rinsing. Being single I typically run my DW only once a week. I rarely ever see anything not come completely clean even after sitting like that.

I want to see my 20+ year old machine continue to haul the mail for many years to come, so I make sure to load it with lots of food soil and grease so the detergents don't destroy it.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

prerinsing

I'm not prerinsing my dishes. I want them to go in dirty and crusty to give the cascade platinum+ a workout.

 

[wayupnorth]

When I worked in a restaurant as a teenager, I was told to spray the stuff into the garbage disposer and always load facing the middle where the action was. I have always done that and still get perfectly clean dishes every time.

 

[pinkpower4]

Ultramatic (Reply 3) Cascade with Phosphates

I used to buy the Cascade boil out with phosphates from Amazon in the six pack for under $70. Now one box is $30, so I've been using Finish tabs. Is there a place I can still buy the Cascade with phosphates?

I have an old Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher and just scrape the dishes. It seems to work pretty good with the Finish, but I prefer the Cascade with phosphates if I can still buy it for a reasonable price.

I also use Finish rinse aid.

 

[awooff]

Prerinsing

#33. A residental dishwasher and a commercial dishwasher cycle are two different beasts all together. A 2 minute commercial dishwasher cycle and a 2 hour cycle on a residential dishwasher are 2 different balls of wax.

One thing we can all agree on is a dishwasher is best at rinsing above all else - if you can rinse it off, the dishwasher will have no trouble.

 

[henene4]

The biggest thing that makes DWs so absurdly efficient is that they can prerinse ALL items in a load no matter the size with like 3/4 of a gallon.

Even with low flow kitchen faucets, imagine rinsing the ENTIRETY of a full DW load in 30sec or less.

The one thing where one has to know ones DW or alternatively pre-rinse is highly pigmented foods.
Tomatoes, currys, certain greens etc.

If your DW does run a COLD prerinse for sure, those aren't an issue usually.
If it runs off of hot water, it heats the prerinse or maybe is known to likely skip the prerinse for sensor reasons, that can easily stain plastics.

I personally don't care much about that to be honest.
But others might be bothered.

But beyond that... I run my DW once a week since I live alone, and don't prerinse anything.

Only thing I do since recently is that I soak the glasses I use for my fibre supplement by just leaving them filled with water in the sink overnight.
If that fibre supplement isn't fully hydrated before being left for days, it can stick so much that even a 90min main wash dosen't completely remove it.

 

[askolover]

DH tends to rinse more than I'd like. I usually just throw them in the DW and let it do its job. I know which things it needs help with....dishes i've used to cook rice, potatoes, grits, or some beans need a scrub with the brush before they go in because that glue won't come out. I always rinse egg off because it stinks. I have used the rinse hold feature, which is the same as a pre rinse.