And how to make it work for you.

A perennial appliance question seems to be: Should you pre-rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher?

And if you do pre-rinse, are you wasting water and doing too much of the machines job?

Female hands holding grey porcelain plate while washing it under water over sink in the kitchen

Credit:Getty Images

If you dont rinse them, will the machine work hard enough to remove all the grime?

Meet The Experts

Should You Pre-Rinse Dishes Before Loading Them into the Dishwasher?

You should scrape excess food from plates and bowls versus rinsing.

Aside from saving time and energy, skipping a manual pre-rinse saves water.

What About Older Dishwashers?

No more hovering over the sink for longer than you need.