The dishwasher is definitely a crucial helper in everyday life. And for good reason, it helps us to save time on household chores such as washing up.
However, many people unknowingly make a mistake with this household appliance, causing high water consumption. If you break this habit, you can get more out of your dishwasher.
Should you rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher?
If the dishwasher is an essential household item, it’s because it saves you time and effort when cleaning your plates and cutlery.
Technological innovations have made this appliance less water-intensive.
However, many people make a mistake with this household appliance because they think they are doing the right thing.
If you want to get the most out of your dishwasher, don’t rinse the dishes before you put them in the appliance.
Pre-washing not only takes time and wastes water, it also prevents you from enjoying the performance of your appliance. And for good reason: by rinsing the dishes, you assume that there will be no more stains on the crockery.
However, dishwashers operate at high temperatures to ensure that the dishes are perfectly clean at the end of the wash cycle.
The hot water with detergent is responsible for the cleanliness of your dishes, not the pre-rinse.
If you get into this habit, you are limiting the potential of the dishwasher, but you are also wasting a valuable resource: water. Simply scrape the dishes without rinsing them and then put them in the dishwasher to rinse.
To remove dirt from dishes, you can also remove food residues with a spoon or paper towel instead of rinsing them first.
This smart move prevents food from clogging up the appliance. Some high-performance models are equipped to remove even the most stubborn dirt.
In addition, it is recommended to use the right amount of detergent to avoid overloading your appliance, maximise its performance and use a water softener.
The latter allows you to add a good amount of salt depending on the water hardness. It is therefore important to know the limescale content of your water.
You can enter this information on your water bill.
Which detergent should I use for the dishwasher?
Gel, powder and tablets are all types of detergents that you can use for your dishwasher.
There are also so-called “all-in-one” products that contain both salt and rinse aid.
It is recommended to use them with a “tablet” programme, if your appliance has one, and to place them in the detergent drawer and not in the cutlery basket.
As you will have understood, it is recommended that you do not pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in the machine in order to optimise rinsing and make further savings.