Robots

Myth: You must pre-rinse

Reality: Trust the science



Surveys suggest 90% of people wash their plates clean before cleaning them; it needs to stop. Pre-rinsing is the pet hate of dishwasher folk. The enzymes in the detergent are designed to attach to food, so washing your dishes first is the equivalent of watering your lawn while it’s raining—a waste of time and water. Leichliter often challenges friends to just put their lasagna dishes with the baked-on cheese right in the dishwasher to prove she’s right. By all means scrape off the chunks, but step away from the tap. (Bonus: Dispensing with the pre-rinse means nobody can use that old “just leaving it in the sink to soak” excuse for not putting their dish in the machine.)