What Is the Correct Way to Load a Dishwasher, and Who Told You?

“Bowls on top, plates on the bottom, facing the center. My father taught me this and I have never once been asked to justify it.”

“I load it exactly the way my husband does and then I unload it and do it again. We have not discussed this in 19 years.”

“I rinse everything first and then run it. My roommate says that defeats the purpose. I said I’d like to see the purpose in writing.”

“I don’t use it. I wash by hand and then put the dishes in the dishwasher to dry. It’s the most expensive cabinet I own.”

“The manual says one thing, my mother-in-law says another, and the dishwasher does whatever it wants. I now defer to the dishwasher.”