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whats your style when loading the dishwasher?

jewelerman

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 30, 2007
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3,107
Ive noticed lately that my friends and family members are very opinionated about how a dishwasher should be loaded.So are you O.C.D.about where and how dishes are placed and if the dished are rinsed off before being put in the machine?When do you run the machine?At the end of the day when its packed or after each meal when the kitchen is cleaned?Are pots and pans done by hand or put in the machine?I find it interesting that everyone has their own exact method and some people get really bent out of shape if their way isn't seen as the right way!
 

Jennifer W

Brilliant_Rock
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Jun 18, 2010
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I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp. I run it whenever it's full, and things are shoved in there anyhow. Anything that will physically fit is fair game. Pans, crockery, baking trays, whatever goes in. ;))
 

merilenda

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Apr 20, 2010
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816
We've been without a dishwasher for a year, but I'm hoping to have one again when we move. I'm not particularly OCD about it. If I have a couple extra dishes sitting out that I want to fit in before I run a load, I might rearrange to get it all in there. But other than that, I try to be efficient, but I'm not really that picky about it.

ETA: I will put ANYTHING in the dishwasher pretty much. FI used to say we can't put pots & pans in there, so I told him he can handwash them if there's something he doesn't want to run in the dishwasher.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,198
On the bottom we have a certain way that the glass plates have to go in vs. some plastic plates that my kids use.
So yeh, on the bottome I'm OCD because the spinner thing hits the plates if you dont put them in right. On the
top, anything is fair game. They dont have to be rinsed first if there is nothing major on them. A little bit of
ketchup is just fine.
 

ChloeTheGreat

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
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682
I am an OCD dishwasher loader. I'll admit it.
The silverware, cups, bowls, and plates all go in a specific way. BF does not it the way I want it done, so he's no longer allowed to do the dishes.
I rinse everything before it goes in. There's nothing worse than pulling "clean" dishes out to put away and finding crusty junk all over them. I hand wash pots and pans...even though I HATE hand washing things.

ETA: I wait till the washer is full to run it. With only myself and BF, we don't dirty dishes that fast. I usually run it about once a week.
 

jewelerman

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 30, 2007
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3,107
oh good. im real and simple. this is exactly how i place the dishes.
 

Pandora II

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Aug 3, 2006
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Jennifer W|1308516236|2949656 said:
I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp. I run it whenever it's full, and things are shoved in there anyhow. Anything that will physically fit is fair game. Pans, crockery, baking trays, whatever goes in. ;))

Ditto!

My OCD is in supermarket shopping. Everything has to be put on the conveyor belt in groups according to type and then bagged in the same way. I can never understand why my husband will put frozen peas in the bag with biscuits and soap rather than keep frozen stuff together, bathroom stuff together, store-cupboard stuff together... drives me nuts!
 

marymm

Ideal_Rock
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I'm in the "don't like dishwashers, don't use dishwashers" camp -- I prefer to hand-wash dishes. Most of the time I let them air-dry, but if it is my finer dish- or glass-ware, then I'll go ahead and dry them right away.

The only thing I'm finicky about is, I put the utensils into the drying compartment handle-end down, and then when they're dry, I reach in a little so I can pull them all out about mid-handle...

The noise of dishwashers bothers me, and between having to pre-rinse or after-wipe, and usually having a few things that don't fit or require hand-washing anyway, many years ago I stopped using them at all.

I don't use microwaves either. My toaster-oven was my favorite appliance but when I moved cross-country last year I didn't take mine and still haven't replaced it. I find I eat less bread and much less "cheesy toast" - perhaps not so surprisingly, I have lost a few pounds that I attribute solely to this. (Sorry for the off-thread ramble)
 

marymm

Ideal_Rock
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Pandora|1308519755|2949688 said:
My OCD is in supermarket shopping. Everything has to be put on the conveyor belt in groups according to type and then bagged in the same way. I can never understand why my husband will put frozen peas in the bag with biscuits and soap rather than keep frozen stuff together, bathroom stuff together, store-cupboard stuff together... drives me nuts!

YES! I thought this was just me -- it drives me crazy that all the refrigerator/freezer things aren't put in the same bag, and even worse is when the cold stuff is put next to a box of cereal or something cardboard that really shouldn't be getting damp. Most of the time (what am I saying? every single time) I'll stop outside the market and re-arrange my bags to my own OCD satisfaction.
 

luv2sparkle

Ideal_Rock
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Pandora|1308519755|2949688 said:
Jennifer W|1308516236|2949656 said:
I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp. I run it whenever it's full, and things are shoved in there anyhow. Anything that will physically fit is fair game. Pans, crockery, baking trays, whatever goes in. ;))

Ditto!

My OCD is in supermarket shopping. Everything has to be put on the conveyor belt in groups according to type and then bagged in the same way. I can never understand why my husband will put frozen peas in the bag with biscuits and soap rather than keep frozen stuff together, bathroom stuff together, store-cupboard stuff together... drives me nuts!


I so agree! This is how I do it too. My kids think I am totally OCD about it, but really it just makes sense. The stuff gets bagged together
and it is easier to get it all put away when you get home!
 

Sabine

Ideal_Rock
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Aug 16, 2007
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3,445
I am particular about this and would rather someone leave dishes on the counter (rinsed first) than put them in 'wrong' and me have to readjust them.

I like to put the plates in the back and leave room in the front for bigger items or the pots I do put in there. The rest of my loading rules are specific to my dishwasher, we rent and it doesn't get things very clean if they aren't in this way: silverware needs to be head up, not down (wish it could be down though), and on the top rack, bowls and things really need to be laid pretty flat, not upright, or else they won't get clean.

I like it to be pretty full when I run it and typically run it every other or sometimes every 3 days.

I do like to put the dishes in right away, but ds likes to unload the dishwasher with me, and doesn't understand the concept of 'dirty dishes stay in the dishwaher' yet, so if he's around, which he most often is, I leave them on the counter until he's not around, sometimes till the end of the night. I hate dishes left in the sink though.
 

VRBeauty

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dirty dishes and hot soapy water in one side of the sink. As the dishes get washed, they go in the other side of the sink, and when there's enough of them in there, they get a rinse with hot clean water.
 

VRBeauty

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Oh wait - you asked about how we load the dishWASHER!

I sometimes enjoy a bit of wine or beer when I do the dishes, but never enough to get "loaded." That might put the dishes at risk!
 

FrekeChild

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Dec 14, 2007
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Yes. I am particularly OCD about it. Especially silverware. Each type (forks, spoons, knives, miscellaneous) go into separate areas in the silverware sorter, and they all have to be handle UP.

As for the rest of it? I'm picky about that too...but too specific to really go into detail.
 

NewEnglandLady

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Jul 27, 2007
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6,299
I'm not terribly OCD--there are some simple rules (plates on bottom, bowls/cups on top, silverware with handle facing up), but I don't rinse them thoroughly beforehand, nor do they have to be in any special order.

I am sort of weird about never running a partially-full load. If I need to run a load of dishes and it's only partially full, I find something to fill the space--usually dog bowls.

And since it came up, I'm awful at organizing groceries. I do the self-scan thing because I don't like to wait in line at the grocery store--so I scan everything and bag it myself. I throw anything in with anything. Today I threw in a can of soup with a loaf of bread...the bread is mostly back to its original shape, though! :)
 

lbbaber

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
691
There is an EXACT way it has to be loaded in my house. This is one of the few things that DH and I argue about! He just throws them in and then I have to go and reload it. If they aren't put in right, they will not come out clean. We run it every day and sometimes twice.
 

jewelerman

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 30, 2007
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VRBeauty said:
Oh wait - you asked about how we load the dishWASHER!

I sometimes enjoy a bit of wine or beer when I do the dishes, but never enough to get "loaded." That might put the dishes at risk!
LOL!!!GOOD ONE!
 

HopeDream

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
2,146
Fussy dishwasherer here!

I generaly load the dishwasher the "real simple" way and have always paid attention to how the water jets are aimed. Our dishwasher is a full-sized roll-around-the-kitchen portable that has to be plugged into the wall and the sink, so I baby it by rinsing my dishes first.

The sliverware basket can be loaded haphazardly, but the utensels must be evenly distributed between all 6 compartments, and the silicone blender seal ring can't be in a basket with any knives. I'm careful not to "overload" my dishwasher - my mom always put too many things in the dishwasher when I was growing up and things would always be covered with particles - yuck!
No skimping on the soap either!

I love my dishwasher and if a kitchen tool can't be dishwashed, it has no place in my kitchen!

(I love the dishwashers in commercial kitchens....If I was rich or had a catering company...)
 

jewelerman

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 30, 2007
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I rinse the dished before putting them in the machine to get hard stuff like egg etc off ,but the one thing that i have to make sure is removed is... cinnamon...yep cinnamon...its a spice i am addicted to and use it in large quantities.If i don't rinse it off bowls or plates it bakes on in the dishwasher and its takes serious soaking to get it off the second time!
 

TooPatient

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Sep 1, 2009
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10,295
OCD? ME??? :cheeky:

We both LOVE our dishwasher. It is stainless interior and exterior (all but racks) so it is easy to keep clean. Water jets from bottom AND top plus the spinny-wand in the middle that sprays up & down. Adjustable top rack to make room for taller stuff.


-Crystal wine glasses get a load of their own (can fit 16 per load plus additional water glasses)
-Water glasses should be run with crystal load except in cases where we are about out of clean glasses (this is FI's OCD addition)
-Dishes should be scraped off. Rinsing is a MUST if greasy.
-Greasy must NOT run with water or coffee cups.
-Cutting boards must NOT have a pot/pan resting against them even a bit (we use flexi-plastic ones so they melt easily.... but they are cheap so can be replaced often to avoid germs)
---- There were a lot more, but I'm busy with school so really I just don't care (see below for exceptions) how it gets loaded - I'm just THRILLED that FI is loading/unloading and not me!!


After the crystal thing, my biggest thing with loading the dishwasher ----- glass should NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER be in a position that it can bump into other glass or metal....... We had our dishwasher quit working and after a week of handwashing (okay... paper plates, plastic cups, take-out.... our refrigerator was dead too :rolleyes: ) I finally had the repair guy out and he found a piece of broken glass that had gotten through the filter screen and into the pump motor.



Oh --- and it only gets run when full.... which is at least once and usually twice per day. More for special meals.
 

Haven

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 15, 2007
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Jennifer W|1308516236|2949656 said:
I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp. I run it whenever it's full, and things are shoved in there anyhow. Anything that will physically fit is fair game. Pans, crockery, baking trays, whatever goes in. ;))
I'm with Jennifer.

However, DH has a lot of fancy ideas about dishwashers and water flow, so I just plain don't load the dishwasher anymore. He does. I quit after one too many times of walking into the kitchen to find him rearranging the dishes.

ETA:
This is actually one of the funniest conversations to start with married friends. We were out with two other couples several months ago and dishwashers came up and I swear to you, we were all laughing so hard our sides hurt by the end of the night. Someone should do a study to figure out why the heck married couples seem to be made up of one person who is OCD about dishwasher loading, and one who is IDC about it!
 

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 3, 2009
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7,768
DH has never loaded the dishwasher in his entire life & never intends to change that. OK by me; he has some kind of touch that fritzes electronics. Screws 'em up all the time.

So yeah, I'm medium OCD about loading it. I rinse first -- with a septic system, i don't have a disposal & choose not to climb in after gross food pieces in the filter. Utensils have to be together by type, it's a law. And spread out correctly so they don't "spoon." I do most pots & pans by hand to save room in the dishwasher. NEVER put good crystal or my sterling flatware in.

My Bosch dishwasher is about my favorite thing in the house, including DH. It has no heat ring for drying -- so you can put plastic things in the bottom. Much easier.

With only 2 of us here, I usually run out of dishes or silverware before it's full & have to turn it on.
 

NewEnglandLady

Ideal_Rock
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Jul 27, 2007
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JewelFreak|1308614412|2950616 said:
My Bosch dishwasher is about my favorite thing in the house, including DH. It has no heat ring for drying -- so you can put plastic things in the bottom. Much easier.

Oh, that would be nice. I can't tell you how many times I've said "what's that smell?" only to find a half-melted measuring cup, spatula or (most recently) food processor lid stuck to the blazing hot drying ring. That burnt plastic smell really sticks around, too.
 

jaysonsmom

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
4,879
Haven|1308613440|2950603 said:
Jennifer W|1308516236|2949656 said:
I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp. I run it whenever it's full, and things are shoved in there anyhow. Anything that will physically fit is fair game. Pans, crockery, baking trays, whatever goes in. ;))
I'm with Jennifer.

However, DH has a lot of fancy ideas about dishwashers and water flow, so I just plain don't load the dishwasher anymore. He does. I quit after one too many times of walking into the kitchen to find him rearranging the dishes.

ETA:
This is actually one of the funniest conversations to start with married friends. We were out with two other couples several months ago and dishwashers came up and I swear to you, we were all laughing so hard our sides hurt by the end of the night. Someone should do a study to figure out why the heck married couples seem to be made up of one person who is OCD about dishwasher loading, and one who is IDC about it!


This is so tru! My husband is OCD about it, and always rearranging the dishes if I happen to load it. I'm in the IDC camp for sure. I put everything I can Jam into the machine. I do rinse everything before things go into the machine though.
 

April20

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
3,372
My DH leans toward the OCD side, while I'm in the "if it fits it goes in" camp, no matter where that place is. I could care less where things go or how they go, as long as they go in!

I generally wait until it's full to run it and then either late evening or as I'm leaving- it's not terribly loud, but it's not the quietest either.
 
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