A widespread habit that many consider obvious when others are absolutely against. Who is right? Experts have the answer.
Have you just finished your meal, and your first reflex is to pass your plates under water before loading them in the dishwasher? This gesture, which many think essential, is so important. Urban legend or real info? Here is the verdict of the experts and it may well surprise you.
For decades, we are hailed that it is necessary to remove all traces of food before launching a machine. However, this belief dates in truth from an era when dishwasher were much less efficient than today. These devices are today equipped with sophisticated sensors, capable of detecting dirt and automatically adapting the duration of the cycle, the amount of water and the temperature. In summary, your dishwasher knows what it does.
Concretely, these sensors with intelligent detection technology work thanks to a light beam that analyzes food residues. The dirty the plates, the more intensive the cycle. Ian Palmer-Smith, expert in household appliances explains that if you pre-clean your utensils, you will disrupt this system. The sensor could then be misleaded and reduce the cleaning effort, sometimes leaving recalcitrant traces. And if you are not sure that your dishwasher has a sensor, see the manual or check the cycle options. Terms like “smart washing” or “automatic cycle” often indicate the presence of this technology.
In addition, beyond the machines, washing products have also evolved. Modern detergents contain enzymes that attach directly to food remains to dissolve them effectively. But that’s the problem: if you rinse your dishes, these enzymes have nothing to “eat” and lose a large part of their efficiency. In other words, your effort to pre-nettoy is not only useless, but counterproductive.
As you can see, removing food residues, you prevent your dishwasher from properly detecting dirt and adapting your cycle. You also waste precious resources like water and energy. In short, let your machine do its job. This is what it was designed for!
