Wash the dishes THEN put in the dish washer!!!

So I am not sure if anyone is aware of this but I have the worst etiquette when it comes to putting dishes into the dishwasher.  I know that it is proper to rinse the dishes but I hate doing that!!! I usually put in my GROSS used dishes and figure it will get washed off, but I have noticed it leaves more spots on my dishes and doesn't work that well.

Now let me set the record straight, I learned how to use a dishwasher from television, and why you ask?  Well let me tell you the story of how in my household growing up we had a dishwasher but we never used it, instead my mother stored our Christmas dishes in the dishwasher and we washed every dish by hand.  It was hard times but we struggled through.  Actually the first time I ever used a dishwasher was my Junior year in college in Apartment two.  I didn't even know how to load one and I was doing dishes by hands as I prefer and my roommate was like Hey silly, just throw those dishes in the washer, I was so confused but I was also enlightened because I realized that my life will be simplier with this beautiful device.

However, after college I moved into an apartment that barely had a sink and absolutely not dishwasher, so I was back to hand washing my dishes.  Luckily, I barely cook so I had very little dishes as it was and I am use to getting my hands dirty and wet so it was no problem.  As I moved to my new apartment here in Norfolk I am super excited because I have a great new dishwasher, and It really works well.  It even has a setting for pots and pans (even if my mothers says that pots and pans don't belong in the dishwasher) and a timer that can have the dishwasher go on at a specific time.  I am super excited that I have such an amazing device but I feel like I am horrible at using it.

So I googled dish washer etiquette and I learned that a. “Place the dirtier side of the dishes toward the center of the machine for more exposure to spray.” — Consumer Reports. b. “Load sharp things with their points down for safety.” — Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House. c.“You should alternate your silverware pieces, one piece pointing up, the next down, etc., to get them as clean as possible.” — Martha Stewart.  d. I can pre-rinse the dishes if I feel so compelled, although the owner’s manual says not to do that, because mine is a water-saving dishwasher. Read more: Anniston Star - Lisa Davis The finer points of dishwasher etiquette

I feel like I am doing pretty good about the etiquette, I was already doing a and b, but I never thought about c.  So my resolution today is to have better dish washer etiquette!!