Get probably the most out of your dishwasher and maintain your fridge organized – CBS Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Sometimes the simple things can cause the most ridiculous differences of opinion in the household. Case in point: loading the dishwasher!

Consumer Reports Dan Wroclawski says people are set on their own way when it comes to the dishwasher. “For example, my own mother-in-law insists on pre-washing all dishes in the dishwasher, and I’ve told her many times that you don’t have to.”

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Really?! Don’t you?

“No, you really don’t. The only thing you have to do is scrape it off, you know big chunks of food but you don’t really have to rinse them out.

Most new dishwashers now have special sensors that can detect how dirty the dishes are and adjust the wash cycle accordingly. “

Wroclawski says your dishwasher has a filter that catches everything important and you need to clean it occasionally or it will smell. “That is an indicator that you need to empty this filter.”

When it comes to loading the dishwasher, no stratification. “So for your top rack you want things like cups, glasses, small bowls, and then any dishwasher-safe plastic.” He says always keep the plastics away from the heating element in the bottom of the dishwasher.

“However, it is very important to make sure that everything is embedded in these prongs as this only helps keep everything in place.”

On the lower rack, Wroclawski says, while some believe that all panels must face the center, CR has found that direction doesn’t matter as long as they are separated to allow water to flow.

“You want to have things with cooked food that you know are baked on top of food. You also want these in the center, face down, so that the spray arm underneath can really access them for anything that is cooked is going to get from them. “

And when it comes to cutlery, the handles for forks and spoons and the handles for knives are tall.

Wroclawski says, mix them up, “and that will help prevent nesting and keep them from only knowing you, clinging to each other and making sure they are properly washed.”

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Large items such as cutting boards should be placed on the side or back, but never in front, as they can prevent the soap from spreading out of the dispenser.

And rotate the top spray arm to make sure it doesn’t hit anything. If it does, readjust it.

There is even a right and a wrong way to unload your dishwasher.

Wroclawski says: “It’s very easy. You just want to make sure you unload the lower rack before the upper rack. And the reason for this is that water can accumulate in the concave parts of you in order to have glasses and cups on the top rack. And if you empty that first, you will end up spilling water that often has small bits of food on those nice clean plates and other things on the bottom rack. “

See KDKA’s John Shumway report:

Can we talk about the refrigerator in the kitchen? Wroclawski says there are common mistakes people make that can clutter your refrigerator.

“There are many products that don’t need to be kept in the refrigerator, like onions or citrus fruits like limes and oranges. These things really don’t need to be kept in the refrigerator. “

Even if you put things in the refrigerator, there will be discord in families. “The biggest thing I always think of is milk. Most people like to keep it in the door and this is actually not a good place for it. The door shelves usually don’t get as cold as the actual interior. So things like milk and other things that could spoil quickly. You want to put these on the shelves in the back of the refrigerator. “

Wroclawski says the refrigerator drawers are often misused. “The ones that really matter are the sharper drawers because these are actually trying to regulate the humidity. So you really want to put your vegetables in the vegetable drawer and your fruits and again the fruits that should go in this drawer in the refrigerator. “

To counteract odors that could develop in the refrigerator, Wroclawski not only helps clear out old food, but also uses an open box of baking soda to absorb odors.

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But he warns, write the date on the box when you put it in and replace it after three months.