Whether you're learning how to do dishes, or you've gotten a new dishwasher and are puzzled by a mystery compartment, we've got you covered.
Here’s What Each Dishwasher Compartment Is Actually For
One of the most well loved kitchen appliances is the dishwasher. It makes clean up a breeze, and frees you up to handle any other kitchen cleaning tasks while it runs in the background. But have you really studied your dishwasher? Have you read the manual? And do you feel confident that you know what each dishwasher compartment is for? If you don’t know how to operate it, you won’t get dishes that are quite as clean as you’d like.
Your dishwasher door should have a hatch on it with several compartments. This hatch is the detergent dispenser. Here’s a rundown of what each compartment is for.
Dishwasher Main Compartment
The compartment within the detergent dispenser that you’re probably most familiar with is the main compartment. This is the largest compartment, where you can load your pods or liquid detergent before running the cleaning cycle.
You must fill this compartment each time you run a load. If you use dishwasher pods, then the amount of detergent you’re using is pre-measured. If you prefer liquid detergent, check both your dishwasher manual and the instructions on your detergent of choice to confirm that you’re using the correct amount for each load.
Pre-Rinse Compartment
The pre-rinse compartment is the narrow compartment next to the main compartment. It’s designed to hold extra detergent if you feel that you’re running a particularly heavy load and want to ensure your dishes come out sparkling. This detergent gets dispensed in the beginning of the cycle, before the main compartment detergent is dispensed to prep your dishes.
Just like the main compartment, you need to fill this every time you run a load of dishes. It’s generally only wide enough for liquid detergent, not pods. So if you are a dedicated pod user but don’t want to run a load twice when it’s extra dirty, consider keeping a small bottle of liquid detergent on hand for those rare but heavy loads.
Rinse Aid Compartment
Finally, your detergent dispenser has a rinse aid compartment. Despite the similarity in their names, the pre-rinse and rinse aid compartments do very different jobs. Unlike the pre-rinse compartment, the rinse aid compartment does not hold detergent. Rather, it holds rinse aid, which helps the dishes dry much faster and with far fewer spots.
Also unlike the previous two compartments, the rinse aid compartment does not need to be filled up each load. Simply fill the compartment and it will automatically dispense a little of the rinse aid at a time. Keep an eye on it and top it up when it gets low.
