You open the dishwasher and the dishes are still wet. Who has time for that? If your dishwasher is not drying dishes, put the towel down and try this.

Rinse Aid for Drying Dishes

Don’t write off rinse aid because you think it’s just made to prevent water spots on your dishes.

Dishwashers are actually designed to use the rinse aid to sheet off the water on dishes to assist in the drying process. So without it, you’re handicapping your dishwasher’s drying performance.

Buy a bottle of rinse aid, and keep your reservoir full, checking it every few weeks.  Your (dry) dish towels will thank you.

Dishwasher Drying Tips

• If you have a new, plastic tub dishwasher, be patient. Its drying performance will improve over time as the tub “seasons.” Don’t prewash your dishes, as this impedes the seasoning process, manufacturers say.
• Run the tap next to your dishwasher until the water is hot, ensuring that the water entering the dishwasher can get as hot as possible. 
• Limit the amount of plastic items. Plastic doesn’t retain heat as well as say, ceramic, which is why you’ll notice that it’s generally the wettest of all your wet dishes. Because it doesn’t retain heat, it doesn’t condensate the water.
• Load your dishwasher properly. Load items, especially plastic, at an angle so water can sheet off.

What tips do you have for when the dishwasher isn’t drying dishes? Share them in the comments!