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You Don’t Need to Rinse Before Putting Dishes in the Dishwasher — And Other Dishwasher Myths
The dishwasher is a modern kitchen essential. No more must we dread the chore of hand-washing and drying every dish, glass, pot, and pan that was used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Although this appliance is one commonly found in the average kitchen, the correct way to load and run it is something of a mystery. We asked LG Australia to bust those common dishwasher myths and set the record straight once and for all.
Myth: You need to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Rinsing your dishes can help the overall cleaning results of your dishwasher, but it’s not true that it’s essential. Instead, just spend a few seconds removing large food scraps, put the dishes into the washer right away, and start the cycle.
Myth: Running the dishwasher will raise my electricity bill.
This really depends on how often you use your dishwasher. If you’re washing dishes by hand, you’re relying on electricity to heat your water, and you may need to refill the sink several times to finish the same amount of dishes your washer could clean in one cycle.
Myth: You have to fill the whole dishwasher before using it.
There is no need to load a dishwasher completely before using it. In fact, the new LG dishwashers feature a “half load” option where you can choose to only clean the middle or lower rack. There’s also a wash option — for small loads with only mildly dirty dishes — that can be completed in a quicker time.
The Facts You Need to Know
There is a right way to stack your dishwasher. Always make sure there are adequate gaps between the dishes in your washer, and that racks are adjusted to correctly accommodate the heights of the items you’re washing so the water spray can reach every surface. A dishwasher can be filled with bacteria, but it’s still more hygienic than hand-washing. Water is required to be 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter to sanitize dishes and utensils, which is usually too hot for our hands to endure. However, dishwashers often offer an “extra hot” rinse options that can reach 176 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to kill bacteria.
This article was written by Laura Barry. For more, check out our sister site, Homes to Love.
Feeling inspired to clean? Watch the video below to learn how to clean your microwave in less than 10 minutes!
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