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This article is from http://www.wikihow.com/Load-a-Dishwasher and is written by Rachel Hop, Ben Rubenstein, Sondra C, Amy Bright, Chris Hadley, Mel, Dvortygirl, Nicole Willson, Dave Crosby, BR, Jordan, Monica, Harri and Leona.

How to properly load a dishwasher:

Loading a dishwasher is not difficult, but loading it properly can help your dishes come out cleaner. It can also save energy and time.

1. Scrape the large food items off of dishes and into the trash or garbage disposal. Definitely remove things like bones, corncobs, seeds, and peelings, etc. The fork or paper napkin used when eating should be enough to get the large particles off, but if you have a lot to do, a brush or rubber spatula can help, too.

2. Smaller particles, like grains of rice, may or may not come off in your dishwasher. If your clean dishes come out with the occasional grain of rice stuck to them, you can remove it after the fact and make a point to do a better job of scraping next time.

3. Pre-rinse, but only if it is necessary. Not all dishwashers require that dishes be rinsed before loading. Some dishwashers and dishwasher detergents actually do a better job if they have something to remove. If your dishes aren’t coming out clean, though, try doing a better job of pre-rinsing. It’s easiest to pre-rinse immediately after you’ve used a dish, before food dries on and hardens.

4. Use warm, soapy water and a scrub brush when necessary to remove stuck on food. Again, do this only if your dishwasher seems to need it. Dishwashers really do wash dishes.

5. Learn as you use your dishwasher what generally comes off and what does not. Proteins such as eggs and cheese; cooked- or baked-on foods; and starches that have dried onto the dish often require extra attention. Fill these items with warm, soapy water and let them soak before placing them in the dishwasher.

6. The dishwasher detergent can make as much difference as to how much pre-rinsing you have to do as the dishwasher, and it’s the easier thing to replace. Read reviews or simply try other brands when you run out to find one that works best for you.

7. Insert the plates into the slots in the bottom section of the dishwasher. Face them toward the center and, if they lean at all, lean them inwards and downwards. Try to keep all surfaces separated and accessible to the stream of water from the sprayers.

8. Place the cups, glasses, and bowls in the top section of the dishwasher. Stack the bowls neatly on an incline, so that the washing solution can reach inside the bowl and so that they will drain.

9. Place Tupperware and other plastic items on the top rack. Because the heating element in most dishwashers is on the bottom, placing plastic items in the bottom rack could cause them to melt or warp.

10. Place the various pots and pans open-side down in the bottom section of the dishwasher.

11. Place utensils with handles down in the utensil baskets in the bottom section of the dishwasher.

12. Lay larger serving utensils horizontally across the top section of the dishwasher. Arrange serving spoons with the bowl facing down so that water does not collect in them. Don’t wash good cooking knives in the dishwasher. Sharp knives are often dulled by the washing cycle by rubbing against other items. Wash good knives by hand, especially if they have wooden handles.

13. Mix up different kinds of utensils in the utensil baskets to prevent several of the same item from nesting in one another and blocking the water.

14. Place cutting boards on the very outside of the bottom section of the dishwasher if they will not fit in the slots designated for plates.

15. Fill the soap container on the bottom section of the dishwasher or the dishwasher door with powdered dishwasher detergent. Fill to the designated line. If you use pellet-style detergent, simply use one pellet. Fill the soap container with the door, first. It is timed to open after the dishwasher does some pre-rinsing to soften up the dirt on its own.

16. Filling the second soap container (often an open one) may not be necessary. The dishwasher manufacturer and detergent companies usually recommend it, but if your results are satisfactory without it, save yourself the extra detergent. Or, fill the second cup only if the dishes are very dirty. Try it both ways.

17. If your dishwasher has a feature for a rinse agent such as “Jet-Dry” or vinegar, fill with rinse agent to designated line. This will help to reduce water spots, especially if you have hard water. The rinse aid may not need refilling every time you run the dishwasher, but do top it off every couple of weeks to a month, or according to the instruction manual. Some dishwasher detergent has rinse aid in it. Read the label. If you have a water softener, or if your water is reasonably soft to begin with, you may find that rinse aid is unnecessary.

18. Make sure breakables do not touch each other, since the dishes can vibrate during the washing cycles.

19. Check before each run that spinning arms can spin freely and that there is nothing obstructing tubes or sprayers. Also, make sure that the detergent cups can open fully.

20. Run the garbage disposal before running your dishwasher. Dishwashers often drain into the same pipe as the sink, so it’s important that the pipe be clear. If you don’t have a garbage disposal, use a strainer in the sink drain to stop crumbs and debris from accumulating in the pipe.

21. Run hot water into your sink until the water coming out of the tap is hot. Dishwashers can heat up the water somewhat, but they usually work best when the water starts hot. If water is scarce, run the water into a container and use it to water plants.

22. Close the door to the dishwasher and start the dishwasher, using the instructions for your particular dishwasher. Generally, you must select a cycle and fully close and latch the door.

Tips:

• Some dishwasher models don’t have sprayers or arms under the top rack. If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to get the inside of your glasses and other items on the top rack clean, see if large items in the lower rack are blocking most the water from the arm under the bottom rack. Water goes through the plates much easier than a large pot or bowl.
• Place similar-sized dishware near each other for easy unloading.
• Store powdered detergents in a dry place until they are ready for use.
• Make sure your water starts hot enough. Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120F ^[1]. Water that is cooler than this won’t do a good job cleaning. Water that is hotter could scald.
• For energy efficiency run the shortest cycle that effectively cleans your dishes. “Pot-scrubber” and heavy-duty cycles need only be used with the dirtiest dish loads. Run full (but not over-full) loads.
• Choose the air dry cycle to save energy. If your dishes aren’t perfectly dry at the end of the cycle, leave the door open or partly open for a while before you unload.
• Make sure your water heater is at the right temperature, generally about 120F. Water too hot wastes energy while water that is not hot enough will not clean dishes well.
• Load the dishwasher as you go. Get in the habit of setting your dish down in the dishwasher, instead of the sink.
• Run full loads. Running a full load in your dishwasher can save water compared to washing dishes by hand, especially if you don’t overdo it on the pre-rinsing.
• Unload the dishwasher promptly after running it or as soon as is convenient so there’s no excuse for stacking dirty dishes in the sink.
• For best cleaning, utensils should be placed in the basket handle down (that’s how restaurants do it).

The best way to keep your oven clean is to practice prevention. Wipe up any spills as soon as possible after they occur. If the spills are allowed to dry they will become more difficult to clean. For minor spots, simply use a damp cloth or sponge and any basic store-bought cleaner made for kitchen appliances. Even if you are vigilant in keeping your oven clean and protecting against spillage, at some point you will need to deep clean your oven. How you deep clean your oven depends on the type of oven you have. A continuous cleaning oven is the easiest type. Since it is constantly cleaning itself, you will only need to give the inside of your oven a wipe down with a damp sponge and a little dishwashing liquid. Self-cleaning ovens are the next easiest type of oven to clean. Simply remove the oven racks, set your oven to the cleaning mode, then wait a few hours. After the cleaning cycle is complete, you will need to wipe up the residue inside the oven with a damp cloth or sponge. While your self-cleaning oven is doing its job, take time to scrub down your oven racks with a steel wool detergent pad. The exterior of your oven can be cleaned with a sponge. Use basic window cleaner to clean and shine any glass or chrome areas. If your oven is not a continuous or self-cleaning model, you are in for a little more work. Make sure you have rubber gloves (the longer, the better) to protect your skin from harsh cleanser. You will need to purchase a cleaner specially made for cleaning ovens. Be sure to ventilate the room well as these types of cleaners give off potentially harmful fumes. How long you leave the cleaner on the interior of your oven will depend on the directions on the can. Most oven cleaners will need to be left on for several hours or overnight, others explicitly state that it should not be left on for longer than 2 hours. When removing the cleaner, be prepared for a lot of scrubbing and rinsing. You will want to ensure that all the oven cleaner is removed from the oven before use. Perhaps you don’t want to use harsh cleansers on your oven. In this case, you will find that a simple mixture of white vinegar and baking soda can do the job. Lightly moisten the interior of your oven with water. Then, apply a thick layer of baking soda. Allow the baking soda to sit for about three hours. After three hours, spray the entire oven with white vinegar in a spray bottle. You will notice that when the vinegar hits the baking soda, fizzing occurs. This fizzing action helps remove stuck-on mess almost as easily as any commercial cleaner. Allow the vinegar and baking soda to sit for a few more hours. Then, simply remove with a damp sponge and some water. Finally, you can choose to have a professional appliance technician come to your home and clean your oven if you are not up to doing the job yourself. This might be a good idea after the family Thanksgiving and Christmas cookathon. However you decide to do it, by keeping your oven clean you can ensure that it stays in excellent working order for years to come!