Do I have to scrape food off my plate before putting it into my dishwasher?

Q) Do I have to scrape food off my plate before putting it into my dishwasher?


A) Yes, it is advised that you scrape off all excess food stuffs from any plates / bowls / pans etc before placing them into the dishwasher.  The new generation of dishwashers have been specifically designed to be eco friendly, using less water and energy than previous appliances. The dishwasher is not a waste disposal unit and has not been designed for this purpose. Solid scraps of food should be removed to the bin from the crockery before it is inserted for washing, just as one would do to wash up manually in a sink or bowl.



Any food debris left on the crockery will eventually be broken down to it lowest form and deposited in the filters, by water pressure and the chemical action of  a good detergent, however the solid food debris left to fall into the bottom of the wash cavity will be blown around by the force of the multi water jets from the spray arms, and if too large to be broken down, will be deposited where ever the water jet last leaves them. If left to decay over a period of time, they will create bad odours and this debris can of course become a health hazard. 



The instructions do say ‘Do not to carry out preliminary rinsing’ as the appliance will do this efficiently as part of its program.



But the crockery must be cleared of all solid waste. Including bones, paper, cocktail sticks, fruit pips or stones and other such debris.



Any food debris left on the plates with sufficient dyes, such as curry or bolognese sauce can transfer their colouring and stain any plastic items, ie: Tupperware,  in the wash or following washes, until the food is finally broken down and washed away.