How to Load a Dishwasher: What Goes Where, and 5 Mistakes to Avoid
Short answer: cups, glasses, small bowls and dishwasher-safe plastics go on the top rack; plates, serving bowls, pots and other big items go on the bottom rack, with large pieces toward the sides and back and baked-on food facing down toward the spray arm. Forks and spoons go in the basket handles down, knives handles up, mixed so they don’t nest. Scrape off food scraps but don’t pre-rinse, don’t overcrowd, angle items so water reaches them, and make sure nothing blocks a spray arm. Unload the bottom rack first.
Where everything goes
| Rack | What goes there | How |
|---|---|---|
| Top rack | Cups, glasses, small bowls, dishwasher-safe plastics | Plastics on top, away from the heating element, which can damage them |
| Bottom rack | Plates, serving bowls, dishwasher-safe pots and pans, platters, dishwasher-safe cutting boards | Oversized pieces toward the sides and back so the spray arm can turn freely; baked-on food face down toward the lower spray arm |
| Third rack (if you have one) | Flatware, spatulas, ladles and other awkward-shaped utensils | A roomier third rack can also take mugs and small bowls |
| Cutlery basket | Forks, spoons, knives | Forks and spoons handles down; knives handles up so you never grab a blade; mix them so they don’t nest together |
Check your owner’s manual too: some machines have their own loading instructions.
From Consumer Reports, “How to Load a Dishwasher” (updated February 7, 2026), section “How to Load Your Dishwasher”, read November 5, 2026.
What should be washed by hand
- Stainless steel cookware can usually go in the dishwasher.
- Hand-wash aluminum, brass, bronze, wood and china with gold leaf, to avoid discoloration or damage.
- Nonstick pans: only in the dishwasher if the maker labels them dishwasher-safe.
- Dishwasher-safe pots and pans can go on the bottom rack, but don’t run them in the same load as fragile china.
From Consumer Reports, “How to Load a Dishwasher” (updated February 7, 2026), section “Lower Rack”, read November 5, 2026.
The 5 most common loading mistakes
- Pre-rinsing. Modern dishwashers have sensors that adjust the cycle to how dirty the dishes are, and detergent enzymes need some food soil to cling to, so rinsing can actually make cleaning worse. (More in should you rinse dishes before the dishwasher?)
- Not scraping. Do scrape large food chunks, bones and shells into the trash. Left in, they spread around the tub and cut the water flow through the fine filter, which hurts wash performance.
- Overcrowding. Plates or bowls packed too close, or stacked on each other, keep the water from reaching every surface.
- Laying items flat or blocking the arms. Place items at an angle and keep tall pieces clear of the spray arms so water can reach everything.
- Unloading the top first. Water pooled on upturned mugs and glasses spills onto the clean dishes below, so empty the bottom rack first.
From Consumer Reports, “How to Load a Dishwasher” (updated February 7, 2026), sections “Common Dishwasher Loading Mistakes” and “Unloading”, including advice from appliance-maker engineers quoted there, read November 5, 2026.
Our own tips (not from that source): before you start the cycle, give each spray arm a quick spin by hand to check nothing is in its way; load from the back of each rack forward so you don’t have to reach over dishes; and keep tall items such as cutting boards at the edges where they won’t shade the dishes next to them from the spray.
Dishwasher loading checklist
- Food chunks, bones and shells scraped off, no pre-rinse
- Cups, glasses, small bowls and plastics on the top rack
- Plates, pots and big pieces on the bottom, large items at the sides and back
- Baked-on food facing down toward the spray arm
- Forks and spoons handles down, knives handles up, mixed
- Items angled, not crammed or stacked; spray arms turn freely
- Hand-wash pieces kept out (aluminum, brass, bronze, wood, gold-leaf china)
- Bottom rack unloaded first
Shop dishwashers on Amazon
Compare rack layouts on each listing (third rack, adjustable upper rack, fold-down tines) before you buy.
Keep reading
See all dishwashers, or read how to clean a dishwasher and our dishwasher buying guide.
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