Most of us load the dishwasher the way we were taught or the way we figured out after standing in front of it with a sink full of plates. But there is a method to it. A dishwasher is not magic. Water and detergent have to reach the dirty side of every dish, which means the way you stack plates, bowls, cups and silverware matters.

Start with the bottom rack. Plates, larger bowls, pots and pans usually belong there because that is where the stronger spray can reach them. Face the dirty sides toward the center and avoid placing big pans, baking sheets or cutting boards where they block the spray arm. Before you press start, give the spray arm a quick spin with your hand. If it hits something, the load needs a small adjustment.

The top rack is better for cups, glasses, small bowls and dishwasher-safe plastics. Angle cups and bowls so water can drain instead of sitting on top. Silverware needs space too. Mix forks, spoons and knives so they do not nest together. A whole clump of spoons pressed against each other is how you end up with one clean spoon and five questionable ones.

And yes, scraping is usually better than pre-rinsing. Big food pieces should go in the trash, but you do not need to wash the dishes before the dishwasher washes the dishes. A good load gives the machine room to work. Scrape the food, face the mess toward the spray, keep the arm clear and do not pack it like you are trying to win a kitchen version of Tetris.

Helpful Items for Dishwasher Sanity

Dishwasher-safe bottle brush or detail brush

Good for water bottles, straw cups and little spots the dishwasher keeps missing.

Dishwasher cleaner tablets
Useful for keeping the inside of the machine from smelling like last week's dinner.

Dishwasher towels
Keep these guys around to wipe any excess water or stubborn stains off your dishes or cookware.

Dishwasher-safe food storage containers
A nice upgrade if your current plastic containers keep flipping over and filling with water.

Dishwasher basket for small items
Useful for baby bottle pieces, small measuring cups and other things that like to fly around during a cycle.