ByShivani Vyas,Photography byBelle Morizio
PublishedJan 26, 2022 1:00 AM EST
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter
By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to ourTerms of Useand acknowledge the data practices in ourPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Loading a dishwasher is basically adult Tetris, except the blocks are wet and the stakes are your entire evening. Twist, shimmy, and rotate every plate and bowl until they all fit just right. Nail it and your dishes come out sparkling. Wing it and you’ll be hand-washing half of them at 10 p.m. while muttering about your life choices. We got the full scoop from Ashley Murphy, organizing expert and cofounder of NEAT Method.
Before you commit a single fork to the basket, Murphy says to consult your dishwasher’s manual or find a YouTube video for your exact model. “Many racks move up and down for custom setups,” she notes, and you might even have a sneaky third rack hiding up top for serving spoons and tongs.
Turns out, your dishwasher can handle more than just plates. Fridge shelves, freezer bins, and microwave trays can all go in if they fit. Silicone measuring cups and reusable straws? Also fair game. But here’s the real plot twist: you can disinfect golf balls, keys, and toys, says Murphy. “Just put them on the top rack or in a mesh bag so they don’t fall through.”
Some things were simply not meant for the dishwasher. Knives will dull faster than your enthusiasm for meal prep. Cheap plastic containers might melt into modern art. Precious metals will tarnish. Cast-iron skillets will lose their seasoning and probably cry. “Nonstick pots and pans can also lose their coating,” Murphy warns. And please, for the love of all things wooden and Instagrammable, keep your charcuterie boards out of there.
Resist the urge to toss things in like you’re playing dishwasher Jenga. Murphy’s rule is simple: group similar items together, from big plates to little spoons. It helps you fit more and makes unloading feel slightly less like a punishment.
We know hand-washing dishes feels like a personal attack on your evening, but overstuffing the dishwasher is not the answer. Before you wedge that one extra bowl into the corner, ask yourself: will it actually get clean, or am I just creating a second load in disguise? “Overcrowding wastes time, water, and detergent,” Murphy adds. And nobody wants that triple-threat combo.
Pop open the filter at the bottom and give it a quick clean if it’s looking rough. This prevents clogs and keeps your dishes from bathing in their own leftover soup. Add detergent and rinse aid while you’re at it—the rinse aid is the secret weapon against water spots.
Yes, your upper rack probably moves. Many models have little levers on the sides that let you raise or lower it. “Lowering the top rack is great for wine glasses, and raising it makes room for platters and pitchers below,” Murphy says. It’s like discovering your dishwasher had a hidden superpower.
Rinse glasses, bowls, and small plates under hot water to knock off excess food, then group them by type in the upper rack. “Utensils that don’t fit on the bottom rack can also go up there,” Murphy adds, or on that slim third rack if your machine is fancy enough to have one.
Line the outer edges of the bottom rack with cutting boards and long platters, then fill the center with heavier plates and bowls, sorted by category. If you’re using a utensil basket, dedicate sections to forks, spoons, and knives so they don’t spoon together and stay dirty. And yes, reusable straws can slide onto empty tines—we learned that one from TikTok, where the hack has 71,000 likes and counting.
Belle is the in-house photographer and associate photo editor for Domino, capturing everything from home tours to gift guides, plus the occasional how-to project. She joined the photo team as an intern in 2018 and was brought on full time in January 2021.
Learn more about Domino.comEditorial Standards
/img_00.webp)