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This is a common thing that lots of people have probably noticed already. The plastic cups and dishes that we load into our dishwasher tend to come out with beads of water still attached to them.

It’s something that can drive many of us crazy, as we start to wonder if our dishes are actually clean or not. You may even start to question whether your dishwasher is functioning in the proper manner.

Photo: flickr/Roland Tanglao

As it turns out, the answer to this question is not nearly as dire as you may have thought. Science will explain this one away, as it explains away a lot of things that we have found ourselves puzzled about. According to Compact Appliance, most dishwashers reach temperatures that can range anywhere from 130 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Metal, glass, and plastic absorb the heat at completely different rates.

This impacts the amount of time that it takes for each of these types of products to dry once they have been in the dishwasher. Plastics are of a lighter weight than the other materials, which explains the increased amount of time that it takes for them to fully dry. They do not absorb as much heat, making it difficult for the water that has condensed to evaporate.

Photo: flickr/Nenad Stojkovic

These dishes may end up moving around inside of the dishwasher, too. This causes pools of water to collect inside and no one wants that. Glass and ceramics stay hot for a much longer period of time, making the evaporation process much easier. There is no reason to start fretting over your dishwasher in these instances. It is working just fine!

So, how can we avoid these types of problems in the future? It starts by taking the time to place all of the plastic dishes on the top rack of the dishwasher. The water temperatures get much hotter if they are placed on the bottom rack, which will contribute to the increase in drying times.

Photo: Pixabay/Rudolf Langer

Worst of all, plastics that are left on the bottom rack may also warp or bend, which is the last thing that anyone wants. If the plastics contain BPA, high temperatures could cause this compound to leak out, causing any number of health-related dangers.

Be sure to share this story with everyone in your life who has access to a dishwasher. You are going to be saving them a whole lot of time, effort, and hassle in the process.

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