To rinse or not to rinse: Debate over dishwasher habits settled by cleaning experts

Many people assume that rinsing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher will help the cleaning process – but those who don’t may be on to something.

It turns out that while you should be removing excess food from your dishes, rinsing them can actually damage your dishwasher.

Most dishwashers have built-in food sensors that identify how much is in the dishes and determine how long a cycle should be, as well as what the water temperature should be.

“So if you rinse the dishes first, the dishwasher won’t do as heavy a cycle as it would otherwise,” Ian Palmer-Smith, an appliance repair expert at Domestic & General, explained to HuffPost.

He added that washing the dishes can cause the dishwasher to fail to clean it as well since the dirt will not wash away as easily.

Holly Moore, founder and owner of home cleaning company Maids and Moore, also explained to HuffPost that the built-in sensor is a light that scans the dishes and will adjust the cycle based on the amount of food and soiling detected.

Continuing to use the dishwasher with pre-washed dishes can eventually “destroy the sensor’s sensitivity or result in less effective cycles overall,” she claimed.

Dishwashers that were manufactured in the last 20 years likely have a built-in sensor, but if you’re not sure, Moore said checking the dishwasher’s owner’s manual or settings will tell you.

“Look for terms like ‘ground sensor,’ ‘auto sensor loop,’ or ‘smart sensor technology'” in the manual, Moore said.

“Dishwashers with food sensors often have an ‘auto’, ‘sensor wash’ or ‘smart wash’ cycle. These settings indicate that the dishwasher can adjust water use, temperature and cycle time based on how dirty the dishes are.”

On top of the food sensors, Palmer-Smith said that washing dishes is unnecessary because dishwasher cleaners are getting better at cleaning dishes.

“The enzymes in the dishwasher cleaner stick to the food, so if you rinse the dishes beforehand, there’s less to stick to,” he explained.

Another expert agreed with the general sentiment last summer, telling UK This Morning co-host Cat Deeley that there’s no point in pre-rinsing – just scraping them is fine.

“Rinching is basically a waste of water, time and money,” said Good Housekeeping guru Katie Mortram.

“Dishwashers are advanced enough now that they’ll basically remove all the greasy residue or sauces in a single cycle anyway, so you’re just wasting time and effort. [if you rinse].”