If you ever threw a party or cooked a large meal, you know how hard it is to motivate yourself to do the dishes! This is even harder if you are dealing with greasy, oily, or deep-fried foods!
Maybe you just want to call it a night and throw it into the dishwasher without rinsing them or scraping off the food residue.
It is not a great idea to throw greasy or heavily soiled dishes directly in the dishwasher as this could harm your plumbing and make your dishwasher less effective. You should rinse the excess grease, food, and oil before throwing them in the dishwasher. However, you can put greasy dishes in the dishwasher after they have been rinsed as long as the dishwasher is set properly.
We all bought our dishwashers to make life easier. So, just how much “pre-cleaning” must you do before starting the next dishwasher cycle?
We have all the facts you need to optimize your dishwasher and get your dishes sparkling clean!
Can Grease Ruin a Dishwasher?
Grease can potentially damage your dishwasher as well as harm your plumbing. Generally, you should avoid putting large amounts of grease in your dishwasher. However, there is some disagreement regarding the efficacy of rinsing greasy dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
Grease comes from different rendered animal fats or synthetically altered vegetable oils. Animal fats are hard at room temperature naturally and can cause clogged pipes. Synthetic oils are heavily modified and have thickening agents, making them harden at room temperature.
Putting dishes in the dishwasher with a lot of grease and oil stuck on them can cause several issues. These include:
- Spreading grease inside the dishwasher
- Clogging pipes
- Contaminating other dishes with a grease film
However, this does not necessarily mean that you should not put greasy dishes in the dishwasher. Rather, it means you must be careful how you load the dishwasher, how much grease is present, and your dishwasher settings.
The best way to prevent damage to the dishwasher is to clean your dishwasher consistently. There is usually a clean setting on your dishwasher, which puts the machine into a self-washing cycle.
However, if you are concerned about grease build-up, in particular, try using vinegar to cut through the grease. The best way to do this is to place a small bowl of white vinegar on the bottom rack and run the wash cycle.
How Should You Wash Greasy Dishes In the Dishwasher?
When washing greasy dishes in the dishwasher, you should start by manually rinsing the dish. Try using a spray bottle filled with vinegar and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing to cut through tough grease.
Last, ensure your machine is set to high, so the dishes get washed with hot water.
To cut through tough grease, you must ensure your dishwasher’s temperature is set to high. This means you can not put plastics and other types of dishes that might melt or get damaged from the high heat.
Hot water is the most effective way to cut through grease. Before putting your dishes in the dishwasher, rinse them under hot water to help cut through the burnt-on grease. This does not mean washing them by hand, but it means getting some excess grease off.
Use an intense cleaning detergent that is designed to cut through tough grease. You can also add two to three tablespoons of white vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher to help cut through the grease.
Last, make sure you don’t put large pots and pans face down on the bottom rack. Not only will this affect how they get cleaned, but it will stop the water from circulating properly and cause puddling.
Where Does Grease Go In a Dishwasher?
Grease in the dishwasher usually goes down through the rinse fan and into the drain. This drain eventually leads down into the house drains and the septic systems. If the grease is left unattended, it can solidify in the pipes and cause the pipes to clog.
Grease must be kept at high temperatures in order for it to be in liquid form. Thus, as grease sits in your household pipes, it will start solidifying. This is not really a big deal if you do not use grease very often.
However, this grease can build up over time and cause your drains to overflow. Grease can also get stuck in the dishwasher’s rinse blades and cause the water to get stuck inside the holes. This can disrupt your dishwasher’s performance and how well the detergent is circulated inside the machine.
How Do You Get Grease Out Of a Dishwasher?
The best way to get grease out of your dishwasher is to clean your machine regularly. This will prevent the grease from building up and clogging the drain, allowing your machine to operate properly. Use a food-safe degreaser or vinegar and baking soda to cut through tough grease.
If you notice water pooling at the bottom of your dishwasher at the end of the cycle, this could indicate a clog in the drain. However, before concluding there is a clog, make sure you are allowing the dishwasher to finish before you open it.
Opening the dishwasher before it completes the cycle will not only inhibit its performance but also cause dirty water to pool. If you are certain that the machine finished its cycle and you still see water pooled, this probably means there’s a clog.
Another indication of a clog is the presence of food debris or grease after your machine finishes its cleaning cycle. There should not be any food or grease debris on your dishes, so if you see this, it indicates a clogged or dirty drain.
To clean your machine, follow these steps:
- Mix a vinegar and baking soda solution in a bowl
- Once the fizz dies down, pour it down the drain
- Use a rag to clear away any food or debris that bubbles up
- Once you stop seeing food rise up, pour hot water down the drain
- Spray vinegar around the rim of the machine and wipe thoroughly
- Continue pouring vinegar and baking soda or hot water down the drain until it flows down without disruption
After you finish this, place a bowl of white vinegar on the bottom shelf of the machine. Select the rinse or clean setting on your machine and let it run the full cycle. Once it is finished, check to ensure no water pooled on the bottom.
The clog may be deeper in the pipes if you still see water pooled on the bottom. This might indicate that you need to hire a plumber or buy a harsher degreaser to clear your house drain pipes.
Do not pour this down the dishwasher drain, however. You should pour it down the kitchen sink drain or bathroom sink drain.
Why Do My Dishes Feel Greasy When They’ve Been Washed?
The most likely cause of greasy dishes from the dishwasher is grease buildup in the drain. It could also indicate that you are not properly stacking your dishes and thus disrupt the flow of water and soap. Additionally, you might not have the machine set to the right settings to cut through grease and oil.
If you want to wash greasy dishes in your dishwasher, there are several things you need to consider. First, you will probably need to invest in a proper dishwasher detergent. If your dishes feel greasy after being washed, it might mean the detergent just is not good enough for the task.
You could purchase a specialized degreaser detergent to wash your especially difficult dishes. Alternatively, you can try washing your dishes twice. Once with vinegar and once with a proper detergent. This could be sufficient for cutting through grease without the need for a special detergent.
If you try this and still find that your dishwasher is leaving your dishes dirty, it might be the drain. If you suspect your dishwasher drain is dirty, you should try the steps we gave in the section above.
Last, make sure the dishwasher is set to high heat! This will cut through the grease and ensure it drains from the dishwasher without clogging. However, if you tried all of these things and still find that your dishes are greasy, it could be the dishes themselves.
Old plastic cups and plates get greasy over time. At some point, it might be time to throw out your old dishes and invest in new ones rather than waste time trying to get old grease out of the plastic.