Expert reveals you should never rinse dishes before placing in dishwasher

woman unpacking dishwasher
If you run your household's dishwasher with an iron fist, this might be upsetting news. Photo credit: Getty.

This article was first published in June 2021.

Many of us know the frustration of unpacking the dishwasher first thing in the morning only to find remnants of last night's dinner still lingering on plates. 

Such a find can lead us to begin a habit of feverishly rinsing and scrubbing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher - my father would always rinse so thoroughly it was tough to tell if the dishwasher had run or not. 

But Aussie cleaning expert Ashley Iredale has revealed that's exactly what we shouldn't be doing. 

In fact, the whiteware expert told ABC there is "absolutely no need to pre-rinse" plates.

"You may actually get worse results with your cleaning if you pre-rinse things than if you don't," he added.

All you need to do is scrape any solid food into the bin or compost before stacking your dishes into the dishwasher, he says. The dishwasher will clean off the rest.

He explained that's because most dishwashers have sensors inside them that sense how dirty your plates are; they wash your dishes with a suitably strong jet.

So if you pre-rinse your dishes, "you may actually fool your dishwasher" into thinking you only need the lightest of washes, Iredale explained.

He also advises users check their filters once a month, to clear out any old scraps that might be stacking up. 

While you're changing your dishwasher methods, an Aussie mum has come up with a clever solution to the annoying issue of putting out dishes and Tupperware from the dishwasher to discover they're soaked with water. 

Kat, who is also known as The Organised Housewife, shared the tip on Instagram. All you need? A clean tea towel. 

"Top tip for your dishwasher, place a tea towel over the door and close," she captioned a video on Instagram.

The tea towel will help absorb any moisture still sitting in your dishwasher after a cycle.