As the great Peter Griffin would say… Do you know what really grinds my gears? In this case he is referring to the fact no one has been able to come up with a new priest/rabbi joke in over 30 years. In my case I am talking about the complete incompetence many show when it comes to loading a dishwasher. Look at the picture on the right, does that photo give you a sense of anxiety? It does right!? Ok maybe it is just me, but good god does that make my skin crawl. This dilemma has plagued Shared Office Spaces for too long! At Modworks Coworking we strive to achieve an above standard loading ability, here are some steps you can take to not totally suck at loading a dishwasher:

 

Step 1. Rinse your dishes before putting them in the washer… It isn’t a garbage disposal and your food wont magically dissolve.

 

Step 2. (Bottom Rack) Pick an item and load those first, lets say plates. The key is to make sure the plates are not touching and are nicely organized. One Plate per slot! (Bonus points for racking them from tallest to smallest) Next load your bowls. Bowls are tricky as they are awkward, they will likely overlap a bit but try to ensure that the spray can reach the inside of the bowl, if they are simply stacked on top of each other nothing will happen! Contrary to popular belief try to place the bowls on the bottom. The bottom has a much stronger sprayer and will be more effective at cleaning.

 

Step 3. Loading utensils. This should be easy… Make sure you have enough spacing between the utensils so that they don’t nest together. Place forks and spoons face up in the slots and knives face down. This is mainly so you don’t stab yourself. #stupidproof

 

Step 4. (Top Rack) The top rack is for cups… I will let you get away with specific kitchen items such as long tongs or small plates/bowls that should be placed neatly in the middle rack. Separate the cups and mugs onto respective sides, this is mainly to satisfy OCD tendencies.

 

Step 5. Use your common sense! The more organized the dishwasher is the easier it will be to unload. Plus when things are organized you would be surprised how many addional items you can fit into the washer.

 

Step 6. Woo hoo! You did it! Give yourself a nice pat on the back, you have a loaded dishwasher! Now for the final step, don’t get lazy… hand wash your pots and pans/other cooking instruments, additional bonus points for drying and returning them to the proper storage spot!

 

Congratulations! Now that you have a new found ability to not completely suck at loading a dishwasher your Coworking buddies will thank you for being so considerate. You can even take these skills home and impress a significant other! You are welcome… I just saved your relationship.