How to load a dishwasher (yes, there is a right way)

It may sound like a relatively straightforward task, but how to load a dishwasher correctly is a topic that has caused quite a stir on the Mumsnet forums. As pointed out by Mumsnet user flamesdancing, “It’s best not to discuss this if you are not up for a heated debate. Everyone has their own way of doing it and everyone is convinced their way is right.” Another Mumsnet user Snooglequack believes that “the only thing you can do wrong when someone else has taken the time to load the dishwasher, is to point out all the mistakes they’ve made.” A very fair point, indeed.

However, whether you have a freestanding or integrated dishwasher, loading your appliance properly can not only ensure your dishes come out clean every single time but can also protect your kitchenware and prolong the lifespan of your appliance, saving you valuable time and money. What's more, recent research by Hotpoint found that one in 10 Brits avoid using their dishwasher completely, as they have too many items they are afraid to ruin. 

So, to help you load your dishwasher more effectively, we’ve tapped into the wisdom of domestic appliance experts, gaining their valuable insights and recommendations. The verdict? It turns out there really IS a ‘right way’ to load your dishwasher… 

Here’s everything you need to know, and if you're short on time, you can skip to the section you need:

• Expert tips and tricks

• How to load a dishwasher's top rack

• How to load a dishwasher's bottom rack

• How to load a dishwasher's third rack

• How to know if your pots are dishwasher safe
  

In the market for a new appliance? We also have guides to the best slimline dishwasher, the best budget dishwasher, and the best dishwasher deals.

How to load a dishwasher correctly: expert tips and tricks

1. Sort before you stack

Rather than haphazardly throwing everything in, slamming the door and hoping for the best, sorting and organising your pots beforehand can help you maximise the space and ensure good cleaning results.

What the experts say

“Before loading the dishwasher, sort your dishes by type like small ones and big ones and remove any large food particles. To properly sort them, you’ll need to place larger items, such as pots and pans, on the sides and back, leaving the centre for plates and bowls.” - Polya Petrova, cleaning and appliance professional at Fantastic Services

2. Scrape leftover food first… 

Be sure to remove any leftover food from your plates, as failure to do so can not only affect performance, but blockages in your dishwasher's water drain or filter can actually damage your appliance.

While removing food is important, however, you don’t need to rinse plates entirely (see below for more on that).

What the experts say

“Scraping excess food from plates and utensils will avoid this falling to the bottom of the machine.” - Dmitry Letsman, Dishwasher Category Manager at Hotpoint 

3. But don’t pre-rinse as standard 

Unless you’re rinsing breakfast bowls of porridge that are tricky to clean once dry, there’s no need to give your dishes a rinse under the tap. Pre-rinsing not only wastes water, but it can actually impact the overall cleaning results, including how effective your dishwasher tablets are.

What the experts say

“Dishwashers assess your wash using inbuilt turbidity sensors, which measure how much dirt is in the water on the first rinse. If you’ve already rinsed your items, it can fool the sensors into thinking your load is cleaner than it actually is. As such, the dishwasher won’t wash as intensely and your crockery could still come out dirty. Enzymes in your detergent work by binding to food debris and dissolving it—if there’s not much food debris to bind to, they can’t clean to their best ability.” - Catherine Green, a cleaning expert at Smol

4. Avoid overcrowding

One of the most common loading mistakes is overcrowding your dishwasher, stacking items too close together and preventing water from circulating around the contents.

What the experts say

“Overloading a dishwasher or cramming too much in may result in some items blocking the jets from reaching other items, resulting in a poor wash performance and the persistence of food residue.” - Tom Akers, Product Training Manager at Miele GB

5. Consider the positioning 

Positioning is crucial too. Dishes and plates should be placed with the dirty side facing the centre of your appliance. Mugs, glasses, bowls and dishes should also be added to the racks facing down, preventing water from pooling inside.

What the experts say

“Position the dirtiest parts of each item towards the centre where the water spray is strongest. Imagine it like lining up a car in a wash for maximum coverage.” - Henrique Conceicao, Area Manager at Total Clean

6. Cutlery up or cutlery down?

A common query when loading a dishwasher is ‘should cutlery be added handle up or handle down?' The consensus is that handle down provides the most efficient clean, but sharper items like knives should be blade down for safety. 

What the experts say

“If you’re working with a cutlery basket on the bottom rack, I recommend placing forks and spoons handles down, but always place knives blades down for safety reasons. The mix of some cutlery handles up and some handles down will make it easier for the water to reach all areas.” - Catherine Green, cleaning expert at smol

 “If you have a cutlery basket, mix forks, knives, and spoons to prevent 'nesting', which can block water flow and hinder cleaning. However, if your dishwasher has a cutlery drawer, arrange each type in its designated slot for better organisation and efficient space usage.” - Lucy Baxter, Group Marketing Manager, Bosch

7. Unload with care

It’s not only loading the dishwasher which needs to be done with care, you should also consider how you unload your dishwasher too. It’s recommended that the lower shelf (and cutlery basket) is unloaded first, avoiding any excess water falling on the shelves below.

What the experts say

“When unloading, the bottom basket should always be unloaded first. This is to prevent any water droplets from falling from the middle basket onto the dry crockery in the lower basket.” - Tom Akers, Product Training Manager at Miele GB

How to load the top rack of a dishwasher

As a general rule, the top shelf of your dishwasher is recommended for smaller items such as mugs and glasses, large utensils and more compact plates and bowls. In most cases, it’s advised to wash Tupperware containers on the top shelf too, keeping them away from heat sources which can cause the plastic to warp.

When loading the top shelf of your dishwasher:

• Stack glasses and mugs upside down on the sides of the shelf. This provides additional stability and prevents them from falling over. 

• Avoid placing tall items, such as long-stemmed glassware or oversized glasses, on the top shelf, as this can prevent the spray arms from spinning efficiently. 

• When stacking smaller plates, use the tines to prevent overcrowding. Angle them facing downwards and towards the centre of your appliance, ensuring good water coverage during the cycle. 

• Lay bowls and containers face down along the centre of the shelf, allowing the water to drain away without gathering in a pool on the inside. 

• Larger utensils, such as serving spoons and spatulas, that are too big for your cutlery tray or baskets can simply be laid flat on the shelves. However, position them carefully, ideally close to the sides to prevent them from slipping through.

How to load the bottom rack of a dishwasher

While most modern dishwashers come with height adjustable shelving, the bottom rack of a dishwasher is generally more spacious. As such, you can expect additional capacity on the bottom shelf for taller, heavier or more bulky items such as pots, pans and cookware as well as large dinner plates and bowls.

When loading the bottom rack of your dishwasher:

• Stack plates between the tines with the dirty side facing the centre of your dishwasher, avoiding overcrowding or stacking items on top of each other.

• Position larger items such as cookware and pans at the back, ensuring they do not restrict water or detergent from reaching the rest of the shelf.

• Where possible, fold down tines to help accommodate larger items such as pans and larger dishes.

• Angle pots, pans and dishes downwards and towards the centre, allowing water to drain easily from the inside. 

• Whilst portable, a cutlery basket should be positioned at the right hand side of your dishwasher, with knives blade down and other cutlery handles down to ensure peak cleaning performance.   

How to load the third rack of a dishwasher

Some modern dishwashers, such as selected Bosch appliances and our highly rated Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher, come with a rack at the top of the appliance. Sometimes known as a cutlery drawer, these flexible space-saving drawers can be used to accommodate smaller items such as cutlery, ramekins, utensils and small plates or bowls, all of which can be positioned flat along the base of the rack.

Lining up cutlery between the tines can prevent what is known as ‘nesting’, ensuring that all your silverware surfaces are exposed to water and detergent. 

How to know if your pots are dishwasher safe

It’s worth remembering that although it's convenient, not all items you find in your kitchen are safe to use in your dishwasher. Some items that you should check before throwing in include:

• Kitchen knives - Given their high value, it’s generally recommended to wash your best kitchen knives by hand. Items knocking together during the cycle, combined with the abrasive nature of dishwasher detergent, can damage your knives’ delicate blades.

• Non-stick cookware - The best baking trays and aluminium cookware tend to be covered with a delicate non-stick coating, which can easily become damaged in the dishwasher, causing it to peel, flake off, or simply become less effective. In many cases, washing them in the dishwasher can even void your product’s warranty, so if in doubt, wash by hand.  

• Delicate glasses/china - Planning to wash your Mum’s crystal glassware? Think again. Delicate glassware is at risk of chips and breakages due to the intense water pressure inside your appliance. The strong detergents can also be too harsh on some glassware, causing misting or fogging that is hard to repair. 

• Wooden items - Wood is a porous material, so whilst they may seem robust, adding wooden items to your dishwasher can result in water getting trapped inside, causing items such as chopping boards and spatulas to split and crack over time.

• Tupperware and plastic reusable bottles - These should be positioned away from the heat source in your dishwasher, so in most cases are recommended for cleaning on the top shelf only. If plastic items get too warm, they can warp and even shrink, making them entirely unfit for purpose. 

Still unsure? Henrique Conceicao, Area Manager at Total Clean, says: “If you’re unsure about whether something is dishwasher safe, it’s usually best to hand wash. Things like melted plastic or warped items often happen from ignored labels, so always check the heat resistance, especially on items like melamine, which can't handle high temperatures.”

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in parenting and home product reviews and round-ups. Having written reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of best buys, scrutinising expert opinions and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.  

Lucy treated herself to her first ever dishwasher back in 2022, so knows only too well the benefits of owning one when juggling busy family life. She’s also learned the hard way how NOT to load her dishwasher, warping a few plastic bottles and splitting wooden chopping boards along the way. 

Lucy has written numerous Mumsnet round-ups on dishwashers, including the best energy-efficient dishwashers, quietest dishwashers and top dishwasher cleaners, so she's the resident MNHQ expert when it comes to sniffing out the best appliances for families.

Read next: Best freezers