Busting Myths: Don't Pre-Clean Dishes Too Much

When you were growing up you might have been told by your parents to make sure that you thoroughly wash the dishes before you put them into the dishwasher. However, we are here to tell you that it isn’t actually advised to clear the entire plate before placing it into the dishwasher.

We are here to bust a myth - you do not have to thoroughly pre-wash dishes before placing them into a dishwasher to get a thorough clean. In fact, pre-washing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher could actually inhibit them from getting as clean as they could.

How Did the Myth Start?

First of all, it seems pretty obvious as to where this myth started. The cleaner the dishes are going into the dishwasher, the cleaner the dishes end up...right? Well, when dishwashers were first invented in the mid 1800’s the dishes needed to be thoroughly cleaned before entering the dishwasher, but that has long changed.

As the technology of dishwashers has evolved over the decades, the need to scrub dishes completely clean has declined. Now, it is actually encouraged to leave a little bit of food particles on the dishes before placing them in the dishes. You read that right, the dishes should not be fully pre-washed.

Why is the Myth Wrong?

That doesn’t make sense right? Messier dishes lead to...cleaner dishes? Yes, that is exactly right. Pre-washing your dishes before going into the dishwasher is actually inhibiting your dishwasher from fully doing its job.

Detergent is Made for Dirty Dishes

First of all, detergent companies specifically created detergent to attach itself to food particles in order to work to its full effect. "Enzymes in Cascade detergent are designed to attach themselves to food particles," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Without food, the enzymes have nothing to latch onto.”

If the detergent isn’t attaching itself to the food then it isn’t attaching itself to the dishes and therefore not doing the job it was intended to do.

The Dishwasher Will be Confused

With the improved technology, dishwashers are getting smarter. Smart dishwashers use sensors to detect how long a cycle needs to go depending on the food on the dishes. If a dishwasher is noticing there is no food, grime or other content on the dishes it might think it has already done its job.The dishwasher may end the cycle early because it doesn’t think it has to do anything anymore.

Therefore, cleaning the dishes before the dishwasher will stop the dishwasher prematurely. Your dishes will not be as clean as they would have if they had been placed with food on them.

So, How Should You Get the Cleanest Dishes?

1. Wipe off the Large Quantities of Food: Scrape off all of the extra food into the garbage (large pieces of food etc). Don’t scrub the dishes though.

2. Place them Into the Dishwasher: The obvious step...place them into the dishwasher. But, the other not so obvious, place the dishes into the dishwasher in a way that they can be rinsed. I.e: Don’t put a huge bowl on the bottom rack where it blocks the jets from getting the rest of the dishes.

3. Choose the Right Detergent: Choosing the right detergent for your dishwasher will be the difference between gross streaky dishes and crystal clear dishes.

4. Remove any Leftover Food at the bottom of the Dishwasher: Sometimes, food is left behind after a cycle. Make sure you grab all of the food that may be stuck in the bottom vent. If you fail to empty the dishwasher then you will not get as clean of dishes.

Take-Aways

The most important thing you could take away from this entire article is -if you want cleaner dishes then stop cleaning them!