The Best Way To Load Coffee Mugs And Cups In The Dishwasher

When you have had a dishwasher for years, it can be hard to accept that there may be ways to use your dishwasher better. If you are tired of going to unload a freshly finished load of dishes, pulling out a coffee mug, cup or glass, and promptly dumping water all over yourself or your kitchen yet again, then you are likely desperate for tips to stop this pesky problem. Rather than taking the time to pull out each individual glass and mug to towel-dry them before storing them away, a simple change in the way that you load your dishwasher may prevent water from getting stuck in the concave base of your drinkware.

The idea is that, rather than placing your glasses or coffee mugs haphazardly or so that they are relatively flat, you lean them against the side walls of the dish rack. The angle this creates helps the water drain off rather than pooling in the concave bowl at the base of an upside-down mug or cup. Many dishwashers are designed so that the side rows of the top rack are slightly angled to help dishes drain properly. If you haven't yet, then this tip is certainly worth trying in your dishwasher. Simply load the dishes as normal, or by following Martha Stewart's seven steps to loading a dishwasher, but make sure your drinkware is as angled as the design of the dishwasher allows. Also, make sure that the angle's direction is correct. The opening of the cups should be towards the dishwasher's bottom sprayer arm.

This time-saving tip is super simple to test out in your kitchen, but it may not work for everyone. Some dishwashers allow you to create a better angle than others, which will impact your results. For example, the KitchenAid FreeFlex has a strongly angled rack specifically for glasses, while other dishwashers may have a flatter design, leaving your glasses nearly straight even when you try to place them correctly.

Additionally, some mug bases just have particularly large areas for water to collect. Even at a severe angle, water may still pool a bit. Even if you do not get perfect results, though, this method is still important to use. It is generally recommended  by many dishwasher companies, as angling the opening of your drinkware and other dishes towards the sprayers helps the water better access the spots that need to be cleaned.

If wet dishes in your dishwasher is a significant problem, then you may want to look into some of the reasons why your dishwasher isn't drying your dishes. As a bonus, make sure that your dishwasher is not overcrowded. This can leave mugs and cups at odd angles that prevent proper draining. Placing drinkware between the tines instead of over them can help you get the proper angles and spacing, and it reduces the chance of any drying issues occurring inside of the mugs and glasses. Overall, even if you do not get perfectly dry drinkware bases with this tip, it is still the best dishwasher-loading method to get thoroughly cleaned and drained drinkware.