It's a heated debate in many households - is there a right way stack to the dishwasher?

It turns out some of us may be doing it wrong so here are five rules to ensure gleaming dishes - and an end to the dishwasher debate.

If you're rinsing your plates before putting them in the dishwasher you're doing it wrong, says Andrew Laughlin, principal researcher at consumer group Which?

Modern dishwashers use a turbidity sensor to detect how dirty the water, and therefore the dish, is.

If you rinse everything beforehand, the machine thinks the items are clean and lowers its temperature and intensity, reducing its efficiency.

"Instead, it's far better to scrape leftovers into your food waste bin and regularly clean the dishwasher filter," says Andrew.

Lynsey Crombie, author of The 15 Minute Clean, agrees: "Modern dishwashers are built to detect dirt so if your plates are too clean going in, they can actually wash less effectively," she says.

"Remove leftover food into the bin, but don't stand there pre-washing. You're wasting water and time."

Andrew's rule for stacking the dishwasher is - if you eat from it, put it in the lower rack, if you drink from it, place it in the upper rack.

Positioning dirty surfaces towards the jets is important too. "Face everything towards the centre of the machine for the best performance," he says.

Lastly, make sure no items are touching so that the water can flow and wash effectively.

Lynsey says you should angle bowls downwards so they don't collect water and mix up your cutlery so spoons don't nest together.

But the biggest mistake many of us make is overloading the dishwasher, she says.

"If water can't circulate properly, nothing will come out clean no matter how expensive your tablet is."

There's nothing more frustrating than loading the dishwasher, only to find some things aren't clean when the cycle is finished.

Andrew says the "worst offenders" include cereal, scrambled eggs, or starchy food with protein-heavy residues.

To fix this, he recommends putting the really dirty items in the middle, where the spray intensity is highest.

This will make the wash more efficient and save you time and money by avoiding putting the same things back in again for another wash.

Dishwashers need a helping hand to reach their peak performance.

Andrew says it's "absolutely" vital to use tablets as these help to break down the dirt and the food waste and start the cleaning process.

They contain enzymes to break down proteins and starches, and surfactants so water spreads and cleans better.

Special dishwasher salt, meanwhile, helps to "soften the water preventing lime scale build up and those horrid white marks on glasses."

Lynsey says even if your tablet says "all-in-one", she still recommends topping up salt "because it protects the machine long-term".

"Think of it as maintenance, not an extra," she says.

Rinse aid dispensers are also worth considering, explains Andrew. These "disperse the water on the surface of the dishes, helping them to dry at the end of the cycle and to run efficiently."

It's equally important to remember what to keep out of your dishwasher, adds Andrew.

Non-stick cookware, sharp knives, and wooden items should stay out.

"High temperatures and water pressure could damage them," he says.

Lynsey says you should avoid anything with adhesive labels as these can clog the filter.

But what about whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher? That's a question no expert can answer.

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