If you don’t produce enough soiled dishes every day to fully load the dishwasher. In order to use as little water and electricity as possible, it is most economical to only turn on the machine when it is fully loaded.
Can you leave soiled dishes in the dishwasher temporarily, or do you need to worry that they might be not washed properly?
In short: yes, you can leave soiled dishes in the dishwasher overnight. A high-temperature, longer wash cycle and strong detergent can wash away stuck-on food residues and destroy most microorganisms. Since the soiled dishes are stored in the dishwasher until they are washed, the microorganisms multiplying in the food residues on them cannot spread because we do not come into contact with them.
How often does the average person wash dishes?
Based on a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, households wash dishes by machine 5 times a week on average, and manually 14 times a week.
If we turn on the dishwasher less often, we extend its life. And by waiting for a full load of cookware and tableware before starting the dishwasher, we save water and electricity.
If you don’t use too many dishes, a small countertop dishwasher could be a good solution for you. These small dishwashers can do everything the big ones do, and they also save water, energy, and space.
How do I get the best results from my dishwasher?
Below are some tips for using the dishwasher as efficiently as possible, even if you leave the dirty dishes in it for more than a day:
1. Scrape off food residue, but do not rinse the dishes before loading them in the dishwasher
It’s always important to scrape off chunks of leftover food before putting the kitchenware in the dishwasher. This way, you can minimize the amount of residue accumulating in the filter. The filter of the dishwasher must be regularly monitored and cleaned of accumulated food residues.
You may also wish to read what causes the appearance of black gunk in the dishwasher.
You don’t have to rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Rinsing cookware and tableware before machine washing inhibits the proper effectiveness of the detergent. The special dishwasher detergents need the soil on the dishes to adhere to.
2. Use a good detergent and dishwasher salt
Choose an effective and high-quality detergent that can wash away stuck-on food residues. Some of the detergents used in dishwashers contain chlorine, which has a disinfecting effect, so you don’t have to worry about bacteria.
Good detergents are also phosphate-free, which makes them more environmentally friendly
To ensure well-washed dishes, we must also control the hardness of the water by adding special dishwasher salt to the tank provided for this purpose.
Detergent is more difficult to dissolve in water containing a lot of limescale, so its effectiveness may decrease. You cannot replace this special substance with table salt.
3. Load the dishwasher properly
Make sure you put the dishes in the dishwasher baskets correctly and don’t overload them. For really effective dishwashing, there must be enough space around the dishes so that the water reaches their entire surface.
Kitchenware will not be washed properly in an improperly loaded or overloaded dishwasher. The manufacturer’s manual provides guidance on this. The correct placement of the dishes depends on how much water source the machine is equipped with, and how they are arranged.
Always place the cutlery in the provided basket with the handle down in such a way that there is space between them.
4. Select a higher temperature cycle
All home dishwashers have intensive, high temperatures and long wash cycles. These are best suited for washing dishes that have not been washed for days or that are heavily soiled. Water at 131°F / 55°C is best, as it is hot enough to wash away grease and fat.
If you leave soiled dishes in the dishwasher for several days before washing them, you can start the quick rinse cycle once in a while. It works without detergent and prevents food residues from completely drying on the dishes, and can also prevent the development of unpleasant odors.
Final thoughts
So, you can safely leave the soiled dishes in the dishwasher overnight. You can wait until there is a full load of dishes before starting the dishwasher.
You don’t have to worry that the machine won’t be able to wash off stuck-on food residues. By choosing a longer, warm water cycle and using an effective detergent, there is a high chance that you will get well-washed dishes.
You don’t have to be afraid of microorganisms either. If you are not in contact with the dishes in the dishwasher, you will not spread germs from them.