Like the pros How to load and unload your dishwasher correctly

You will enjoy your household appliances for longer if you use them correctly: It also depends on the type of load. We have the best tips to help you make better use of your dishwashers and washing machines in future.

The laundry is wrinkled, the reheated meal is lukewarm: this can happen even if your washing machine or microwave is new, high-quality and state-of-the-art.

To ensure that household appliances fulfill their purpose to the greatest satisfaction, it is important to store them correctly. This not only saves time and energy, but also avoids a lot of frustration in the end.

Depending on the household appliance, there are simple rules - and one golden rule that can be applied to all of them. It is: never overload. This is especially true for washing machines and dishwashers.

Not too much at once: This applies to all household appliances if the result is to be right. For example, it is not worth stuffing the washing machine with as much dirty laundry as possible.

Not only does this affect the cleaning performance, but in the worst-case scenario it can also damage the appliance. The picture above also disregards another important washing rule: Only ever wash laundry items together with others of a similar or the same color.

The washboard has been obsolete for many decades. This and other formerly helpful utensils have been replaced by blessed inventions such as washing machines and dishwashers, which take a lot of work off our hands. Incidentally, the results are all the more pleasing when the machines are filled to the right level.

How nice life has become thanks to household appliances: open, put in, close, turn on, done. In principle, that's how it works. However, if you want to enjoy your washing machine and dishwasher and the things you put in them for longer, you should pay attention to the details when packing them. To keep energy consumption as low as possible, always read the operating instructions before using the machine for the first time.

The instructions for use provide more precise information depending on the washing program: For boiled or colored laundry, the washing machine can be filled up to three quarters full.

If a hand can easily fit upright in the top of the drum, the load size is correct. It is less for wool or delicates. The washing drum should only be about half full.

When loaded correctly, the laundry is not only cleaned as well and gently as possible, correct handling also pays off in terms of consumption. Care labels and the washing machine's operating instructions will help you find the right detergent and program.

What else should be taken to heart before filling a washing machine and tumble dryer: trouser and jacket pockets should be emptied, zippers and buttons closed.

It is also recommended to mix large items of laundry with small ones so that everything is better distributed in the machine. Sorting by color is also recommended for the dryer.

Depending on where plates and cups are put away, the most cleaning performance can be achieved from a dishwasher. It is slightly hotter on the lower level and more pressure is used. This is why larger and more heavily soiled items such as saucepans or mixing bowls find the right place there.

Anything smaller and less dirty or made of more delicate materials such as plastic should go in the top basket. Glasses, cups, bowls, boxes, small bowls and anything else that is not flat must be put away upside down so that no dishwater remains in them.

Pre-rinsing is only necessary for coarser food residues, herbs or spinach that do not dissolve when rinsed in the machine. There are also materials that are generally not suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher:

Wood and brass are among them, and if you want to enjoy the gold rim of good porcelain for a long time to come, you should also wash it by hand.

The spray arms, which rotate in the machine during washing, must not be restricted in their freedom of movement. This could happen, for example, if cutlery slips a little way through the basket or a pot lid protrudes too far upwards.

To ensure that no stain remains untouched and dirty from the cleaning water jet, everything in the dishwasher should be loaded with a slight tilt to the side and with some space between them.

The cutlery basket should not be filled too tightly. Forks and spoons are cleanest when the handles are at the bottom of the basket. For safety reasons, we recommend sorting knives the other way round.

And one last tip for clearing out: Emptying the lower compartments first prevents dripping from top to bottom.

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