Millions of people misuse their dishwashers. An expert explains what's going wrong and how to avoid common mistakes for better cleaning results.

Washing dishes is a chore that many dislike. Thus, the introduction of a dishwasher has been a true blessing for those who are not fond of this task. However, experts now claim that for all this time, people have been using their dishwashers incorrectly, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The study was part of a product testing review by the magazine "Which?". As a result, researchers found that most people utilize the quick wash cycle, which actually shouldn't be used — it can cost users both time and money.

Experts discovered that the time saved by using this popular quick wash cycle in the dishwasher comes at a price. Tests showed that quick wash cycles clean and dry less effectively while consuming more energy and water — meaning they are more expensive than the standard and eco-friendly washes.

It is worth noting that the study was published shortly after experts released an 11-step guide on loading a dishwasher. It is known that all dishwashers have three main cycles:

• standard/automatic;
• eco;
• quick wash.

On average, the standard cycle takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes, the eco mode takes about 3 hours and 55 minutes, while quick cycles typically vary in duration but average around one hour. During the study, experts tested these cycles by conducting an instant test on three models from well-known brands.

The analysis results show that the quick wash is less effective at cleaning than the standard program: 74% compared to 83%. Experts also found that the quick cycle is less efficient at drying dishes: 76% versus 82%; and it leaves more spots and streaks on the dishes.

Researchers concluded that the quick cycle simply does not clean and dry dishes as well as the other cycles, while consuming more resources. In simple terms, the quick cycle is less efficient and ultimately costs users more. Experts also note that the only real advantage of this mode is the time savings.

Interestingly, scientists warn that the quick mode is less effective not only in dishwashers but also in dryers. The fact is that such modes often consume more energy compared to standard programs and frequently do not dry laundry completely.