“Most modern dishwashers have sensors that determine how dirty a dish is in order to adjust the wash cycle accordingly,” says Mackenzie Reed, brand management analyst at Whirlpool Corporation. In other words, those bits of food are telling your dishwasher exactly what to do, and pre-washing your dishes actually confuses those sensors—causing your machine to exert less effort.
TikTok Taught Me: How to Load the Dishwasher the Right Way
OK, But Why Does My Dishwasher Leave Bits Of Food On Clean Dishes?
loaded dishwasher
Getty Images.
Not all dishwashers are created equal, and if yours is still leaving food residue, that might mean it needs some TLC—specifically, a deep clean. Reed recommends cleaning your dishwasher regularly to help prevent buildup in the machine.
