After the Seder, one unofficial topic always arises: who will load the dishes into the dishwasher after the meal? Amit Ungerovitz, a product manager at BSH, the official importer of Bosch, explains how to properly organize the dishwasher: maximizing space, minimizing operations to save time and water, and ensuring that the dishes always come out shiny and clean.
A golden rule for maximum cleanliness - "Organizing the dishwasher effectively is crucial to achieving perfect cleaning results."
It's important not to overload the basket with too many dishes. It's recommended to leave space between the dishes to ensure proper water flow and optimal detergent. Well-arranged dishes prevent noise in the dishwasher and allow them to be preserved without damage. To conserve water, it's important to avoid running the dishwasher when it's not full.
Start with the top shelf
On the top shelf, place the cups, wine glasses frequently used during the four cups ritual, and small bowls. To prevent water puddles and dirt from accumulating, it's recommended to place the dishes upside down and at a slight angle. Position the dishes so they won't move during the wash cycle and block the spray arms. Additionally, on the top shelf, it's advisable to place large serving spoons, like ladles and spatulas, separately from the cutlery basket to allow optimal rinsing and good water flow. On the bottom shelf, arrange the plates, Passover plates, large bowls, pots, and pans. It's also important here to maintain water flow to allow maximum cleaning, so place the larger items on the sides when they are laid on their sides, not upside down.
In Bosch dishwashers, there's an adjustable upper rack called Rackmatic, with three height levels, even when it's fully loaded. Thanks to the Rackmatic system, it's easy to adjust the upper rack height to three levels using the handles on the sides. This can be done even when the rack is loaded with dishes. This means more adjustment options and maximum flexibility for tall wine glasses or dishes of different sizes.
Cutlery Basket or Dedicated Drawer?
Modern dishwashers offer various options for arranging cutlery. If your dishwasher has a cutlery basket, it's best to place the utensils with handles facing upward. This is for safety reasons, as no one wants to be cut by a knife when unloading the dishwasher. Additionally, when the handles are facing upwards, we can remove the cutlery without touching the part that goes into the mouth, avoiding stains and bacterial transfer. If your dishwasher has a dedicated cutlery drawer, it's recommended to place them side by side with space between them to get good cleaning results. In any case, whether you have a dishwasher with a basket or a dedicated drawer for cutlery, it's recommended to sort the spoons, forks, and knives beforehand, saving time when arranging the clean dishes after the dishwasher cycle.
Save Time, Water, and Energy
In the past, we used to rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, but modern dishwashers are designed to detect food residues and act accordingly, so there's no need to hand wash before loading, except for heavy, sticky, or hard food residues. If you intend to leave the dishes in the dishwasher and run it only in the morning, you can choose a short wash program available in all dishwashers and perform a pre-rinse operation before starting the cycle. It's important to remember that dishwashers with an A energy rating are more electricity efficient, so it's recommended to check their energy rating before choosing one. Additionally, Bosch dishwashers are water-efficient. While manual dishwashing uses about 40 liters of water, dishwasher washing uses only about 7 liters. This means saving about 33 liters per wash.
Arrange the Dishes According to the Water Flow
The water flowing in the dishwasher comes from its center, so it's important to arrange the dirty parts of the dishes facing the center, not necessarily in the same direction as our meticulous order sense dictates. Also, make sure the larger items don't block the dishwasher door and prevent cleaning material from reaching all the dishes. Additionally, check before starting the dishwasher that the spray arm can rotate freely.
Grandma's Service - As a rule, it's not recommended to put sentimental or heirloom dishes in the dishwasher, better to handle them with care and wash them by hand. However, in today's modern dishwashers, there's a gentle wash program at 40 degrees that keeps the dishes shiny and clean without aggressive cleaning.
Disassembly Step
Disassembling the dishwasher from its clean utensils should be done from bottom to top to prevent water residue from dripping from the top shelf to the dishes below, causing wetting. It's also recommended to remove the dishes from the dishwasher about 30 minutes after the cycle ends and to avoid leaving clean dishes in the dishwasher with the door closed for an extended period. For maximum drying, it's recommended to open the dishwasher door shortly after the cycle finishes.